Talent shows mainly exist to entertain people of all ages, discover hidden talents, and boost participants’ musical careers. As they’re live entertainment shows, everything inevitably can’t go perfectly since allegedly everything is accurate, and people’s reactions aren’t planned. That’s why despite the funny moments and incredible performances, the invited audience and viewers can watch some drama as they are usually live-streamed.
During a singing competition, there’s lots of fun and drama; otherwise, people won’t be interested, but some incidents are more shocking and remembered than others. Judges are supposed to mentor participants and help them improve during the shows, but sometimes they can be mean too. That was the case of a Twitter video that went viral a while ago, showing a judge from the famous The X Factor program angrily smashing a contestant’s guitar. If you want to know more about this outrageous event that upset the whole internet, we suggest you keep reading and watch the video below.
The X Factor: Ukraine version
The incident occurred at The X Factor Ukraine, a famous music talent show whose original version came from the United Kingdom. This show is a competition for any aspiring singer who wants to demonstrate their talent on TV and become a music star. The show auditions have taken place in critical significant cities across Ukraine, like Dnipro, Lviv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Lutsk, and more. So far, there have been ten seasons of this renowned show, it first started in 2010, and its last edition finished in 2019. While on air, it was trendy and thriving in the country; everyone worked hard to be accepted.
What happened at the stage?
The singing show is usually very famous, but what hit the headlines this time? Well, Dmytro Shurov, a The X Factor Ukraine judge, was seen on a video slamming a participant’s guitar. In case you haven’t seen the video, in the beginning, Sergey Pelykh, the contestant, starts to sing and play a song on his guitar. At first, everything goes well, but suddenly the judges seem bored with his singing and start to make fun of his performance. Sergey tries not to focus on that and continues singing and playing, but judge Shurov quickly gets up from his seat and starts walking toward him. Everyone was astonished, but no one could have ever imagined what would happen next; Shurov took away Sergey’s guitar and started destroying it with so much anger.
The judge kept smashing the instrument for so long that it almost felt like forever, and when it was completely shattered, he started laughing so heavily. What’s surprising is that although everyone was wholly astonished, nobody moved or said anything; they were just witnesses. The audience, the other judges, and even Sergey were utterly shocked and frozen while the guitar was being destroyed. In the video, it also can be seen that after Dmytro’s act, Sergey stood up and left without saying a word. Even though conflicts and drama are typical in TV competitions, this act was too much, so why did the judge snap the musical instrument? Before knowing why he did such a horrible thing, let’s learn more about him to understand his motives.
Who is Dmytro Shurov?
Dmytro Shurov is a famous Ukrainian singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist judged from seasons eight to nine on The X Factor Ukraine. Shurov is well-known for his particular humor and sometimes aggressive criticism of contestants, which is usually demonstrated at the end of their performance, but this time he didn’t wait.
Personal life
Before becoming a celebrity, he started from scratch, just like everyone in the music industry; he was born in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on October 31, 1981. He came from a family of artists; his father, Igor Shurov, was a poet and painter, and his mother was also a musician and a teacher. With a family background in music and arts, it wasn’t surprising that Dmytro began playing the piano when he was four.
As Shurov grew up, he became interested in music and eventually enrolled in the Auguste Renoir Lyceum in Limoges, France. He also went to Utah, United States, and while he was studying, he sang in the choir and played in a jazz band and orchestra. In these last two, he sang pieces of the Baroque era and later participated in a quartet called “Barbershop.”
Going to the US gave him a lot of experience, but he eventually returned to Ukraine and enrolled in the National Linguistic University. In 2002, Dmytro married her longtime girlfriend, Olga Tarakanovska, and they now share a marriage of over 20 years. The couple only has one child, a son of 18 named Lev Shurov, born in 2003.
Musical career
Shurov’s skills include piano, keyboard, and guitar, and his first musical group was in 2000 with Okean Elzy, where he initially played as a session member. The following year he finally became a full-time member, but he left the band in 2004 and joined Esthetic Education. A couple of years later, Dmytro joined Zemfira, but he only played there from 2006 to 2009.
In 2009 he launched a project called “Pianoбoй,” a Ukrainian musical comedy event that allows new musicians to make themselves known and boost their careers. Shurov also participated as a co-organizer in 2008 and 2009 at the Moloko Music Fest in Kyiv, which was part of the famous Gogolfest.
Dmytro has also received some critical awards; In 2013, he was awarded as best Ukrainian singer by the Ukraine Elle Style Awards as the best Ukrainian singer. As for film and TV, he wrote music for the “Khottabych” movie and the TV show “Servant of the People.” Shurov is also an ambassador of some major brands like Yamaha. Dmytro also participated as a judge at The X Factor Ukraine for a short period, appearing only in seasons 8 and 9. Some years later, after consolidating as a national singer in Ukraine, Dmytro Shurov now has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
Why did the judge break the guitar?
This judge is highly known for criticizing competitors, but before this event, he never went too far. So, why did Dmytro Shurov break the participant’s guitar? What was his reason? He later said he didn’t like Sergey’s voice and how he played the guitar; the participant didn’t fit his expectations. Rumor has it that Dmytro was utterly annoyed by Sergey’s performance and thought his participation was mediocre.
Surprisingly, Shurov didn’t make any more comments about this scandalous incident, so, unfortunately, we don’t have more reasons and explanations for why he did such a horrible thing. As a result, people and fans started to make assumptions and create many theories about this action. Some media reports even suggested everything was just a publicity stunt to gain more audience for the show. However, we only have Dmytro’s comments criticizing the performance of this poor young man whose guitar was destroyed.
Who was the contestant?
Now we know a little more about this mean judge, but what about the participant? Who was he, and how did he feel? Although many people believe that the contestant’s name is Juri Hancurkan, Sergey Pelykh is his real name. This misunderstanding is because of a bad translation in an article, as “Juri Hancurkan” means “the judge destroys” in Indonesian.
Sergey has become viral on social media since his audition video came out, and of course, people started asking him more about what happened after such humiliation. Initially, he didn’t say anything because he probably just wanted to forget about this issue and move on with his life. Nevertheless, he later revealed that he was completely devastated because the guitar that Shurov destroyed was a gift from his deceased father. This statement only angered more internet users against the judge, so everyone showed support for Pelykh, and he later made a video on TikTok thanking people for their support.
Before auditioning for The X Factor, Sergey was already a social media personality with many subscribers on his Youtube channel. On that platform, he regularly uploads videos playing and singing his favorite songs and songs of his creation. Besides that, he also creates content on TikTok and Instagram, where he has many fans and popular videos too. Nowadays, he’s still active on social media platforms, and although many curious have tried to figure out more of what happened on the stage of The X Factor Ukraine, he has never addressed that chapter of his life again.
What happened to the judge after this incident?
Since the clip went viral on Twitter and all over the internet, people started criticizing Dmytro’s rude behavior, calling him “unprofessional” and “immature.” There were many opinions about this act, but internet users generally agreed that what Shurov did was unforgivable and that he should get fired and canceled in the music industry. Other people demanded that he should apologize and buy a new guitar for Sergey, but others said it wasn’t enough because that won’t fix what the judge did to him.
It is believed that the episode aired long ago, but it picked up interest on Twitter a few months ago. Even though the performance is not recent, users still want to know what happened to this judge and if he was somehow punished or fired from this program. Unfortunately, the show has been on hiatus since 2019, so it’s a mystery if the producers imposed any sanctions on Shurov. Although the show never addressed this incident, it is assumed that Dmytro got fired because he didn’t return for the last season of the Ukrainian program that aired in 2019.
Has Shurov ever apologized?
Surprisingly, despite all the internet anger and pressure, Dmytro never publicly apologized for his actions against the participant. Many fans thought he would release a statement or video explaining his reasons for committing that humiliation, but he always remained silent. Due to his explosive temper and personality as a judge, it is assumed that he also never apologized privately to Sergey.
Not only did fans think he was a ruthless person, but also some other artists and colleagues of the program. The fact that Shurov didn’t address his behavior is not surprising because he didn’t do it after attacking other participants’ performances. However, what’s also shocking is that the TV show didn’t apologize to Sergey, at least not that we know. This is quite indignant because the program is supposed to be a safe and fun space for every rising artist looking for an opportunity.
Summarize
Before Sergey’s humiliation, the Ukrainian version of this famous TV show never had any considerable controversy; the proof is that it was on air for ten seasons. The X Factor gave Ukraine many valuable talents that are now thriving in their music careers nationally and globally. Within ten years, all judges behave professionally and fulfill their duty by helping to improve participants’ talent while living an unforgettable experience on TV. Of course, not every contestant is perfect, but judges should give constructive feedback so singers can give their best. Competition shows are already complex because there’s so much hard work to please the judges and the audience, so there’s no need to be so tough on participants.
That’s why Sergey didn’t deserve to be humiliated, and it didn’t matter how bad he was performing; Dmytro Shurov had no right to treat him like that and destroy his property. What’s worse is that the guitar was a gift from his late father, and it’s impossible to replace its sentimental value. This judge should have kept in mind that this guy was chasing his dreams and that every singer wasn’t born with perfect talent. Everyone started from scratch and was given an opportunity by others to succeed, even him, so it’s sad these things happen. The incident between the judge and the participant wholly completely changed the public’s image of the show.
