Israeli supermodel rumored to sign NIS 1 million contract to front popular reality music show.
By YONI COHENBar Refaeli(photo credit: REUTERS/Luke Macgregor)
Ending weeks of speculation, Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli has been confirmed as the host of new reality television show The X Factor Israel.The 27-year-old supermodel signed a contract with Reshet TV, rumored to be around NIS 1 million, to host the Israeli version of the popular music contest, made famous in the UK by Simon Cowell and his unique brand of judging. Refaeli will be joined by singers Ivri Lider, Moshe Peretz and Rami Fortis, who have all been confirmed as judges on the show.While the judges are all household names in Israel, host Refaeli is accustomed to making headlines abroad as well as in her homeland.Back in February, the blonde bombshell featured in one of the most talked-about commercials of the 2013 Super Bowl, for Internet domain hosting company GoDaddy. The 30-second clip, entitled “Perfect Match,” featured Refaeli in an excruciatingly loud make-out session with a plump computer nerd, as an announcer explained that the company was a perfect combination of sexy and smart.Refaeli came under fire in December of last year for posting a photo of herself dressed in a Santa suit on Instagram with the caption “Good Morning Santa.” Twitter followers berated Refaeli for wearing a Santa suit, since she is Jewish, even telling her that she is “betraying Israel.”While the model received a number of harshlyworded messages condemning the picture, many of her Instagram followers came to her defense. “Part of her fans are Christians. You can’t judge a person cause of his religion,” one follower wrote.
