The Top 11 Perform

One thing that was clear from last week was that there are no obvious lame acts this year and they're all capable of entertaining us. However, very few have that X factor that is needed to break through and capture respect and, perhaps, hearts and become a leading UK act for more than a Christmas single.

4th Impact

They're doing something with Sound Of The Underground and mashed up with The Clapping Song. A huge amount of work must have gone into that and that is something that you can rely upon these four girls to do. A mad mix of music and the girls having some fun. I could have done without the guys dancing in the background but they were a good way to open the show. Maybe not a track we'll want to play again a great deal but I'd expect to see them in the final three.

Mason Noise

That name is irritating but I'll have to get over that. His track is Footsteps, a great late 80s number that was one of my favourites. He doesn't do a great deal with it, though, and there are long gaps that don't work for me. He's in tune and quite powerful but I don't know how popular that will be. The audience like him and we'll just have to see how good the others are.

Anton Stephans

A very bizarre performance from Anton mixing All About The Bass with Bang Bang. Weird. He didn't seem that comfortable either. So much going on in the background too, with girls wearing speakers. He managed to get through it and that is to his credit as a professional. Simon chose the tracks and wanted to show that Anton could do something different but I didn't see much advantage in doing that. So, at the moment, Anton is at risk with Mason but it is early days.

Kiera Weathers

I do hope she gets a good track. Return Of The Mac she looks like she is happy to do. I don't know what she mixed it with but Rita certainly came up trumps with excellent taste in colours and setting. Great dancing too, this time it all worked well and I would say she moves to the top of the tree this week so far with that. Nice job. Simon didn't seem to like it but Nick was very positive.

Che Chesterton

A really nice, slowed-down version of the Supreme's You Can't Hurry Love and not mashed up with something either. That worked very well. That's what the others should have done. That puts Che at the top this week so far. Very enthusiastic response from the judges too.

Louisa Johnson

This girl is good, looks good and sounds good. She takes on Michael Jackson's Billy Jean. Nice. She didn't need to move a great deal as she just held the song really well. Having said that when she did move she was very cool. It worked well. Very talented indeed. Yet another change at the top as Louisa takes over from Che this week. She just looks the part and I am pretty sure she makes the final three and has to stand a good chance of taking the prize this year.

It's still Anton and Mason at the bottom in my view.

Seann Miley Moore

Another future star in the making. Unless he trips up somewhere along the line, he will be someone we really don't forget and will often say that this is where he found fame. California Dreaming is a great number and perfect for adaptation. he doesn't need to do much and stays fairly straight, as it were, just happens to perform in a Japanese gown for some reason. Nice job. perfect vocally and enchanting as ever visually. Well done Seann. On par with Che, probably more the star, to be honest. Very professional and how the others can compete I don't know. He is very safe.

Monica Michaels

With the classic Beyonce number, Monica slowed that right down and it was quite good but she appears busting out of a nice dress and it was a bit karaoke. She's got a good voice but I don't feel she's someone that will be around long. Maybe she drops below Mason with that, and that puts her in the danger zone with Anton.

Max Stone

This is someone that we don't really know how to take. He has the beautiful Somewhere Over The Rainbow and does that to a sort of reggae ukulele backing. It's quite nice and switches to What A Wonderful World pretty effectively. I've heard something similar somewhere but that doesn't detract from the excellence with which Max put this across. He needed a good performance and that was a good performance. I actually liked that better than Che's, so that put him third or fourth this week and out of the danger zone. It is an odd week, though, and I am not sure how much support he'll get from the voters out there.

Reggie & Bollie

Mixing What Makes You Beautiful with The Cheerleader Song  ought to be good if they get things right on stage live. They sure did! Great reaction from the crowd and the judges. Biggest cheers of the night by a mile. slightly embarrassing to see Nick daddy dancing with Rita and Cheryl. Seems to me that they've stolen the show this week from that reaction. Nice. In the cooler light of later on I am not so sure it was that brilliant but they should be safe enough for another week.

Lauren Murray

Her choice is Hold Back The River and that's not a song you can do a lot with other than play it fairly straight. That's what she does and it is enough of a change to hear a girl sing it. Lauren has a powerful voice too which more than matches the song and she pulls off a decent job with this. Not spectacular but good and it ought to see her through.

So it's Anton, Monica and Mason competing for the sing-off tomorrow. I may, of course, be completely wrong.