Three boys and one girl in the Final.

Olly will have made Reggie & Bollie worry with his comment that later tonight there will be more judges than comtestants. He may not have intended to refer to the number of people but it could have been an inadvertent comment after seeing the results, or the votes so far.

Louisa must surely be through but which of the others join her I would find difficult to predict.

The sing-a-long had me fooled for a minute. I hadn't been listening to the Olly and Caroline introduction and just remembered that Sia would be performing tonight. Famous for not showing her face in videos I've seen so far, I was wondering whether we would see what she looked like and then I looked up and saw this attractve straight-haired blonde girl singing and looking and sounding very professional. I actually though that must be Sia until it dawned on me that the track was Happy and it was Louisa there, later joined by the others.

Che did a good few lines and got the most in the song. In fact I was thinking he should have done that as one of his Saturday numbers as it suited his voice very well. Lauren made quite a strong impression with by far the strongest voice with an interesting edge to it compared to the less effective Louisa on this occasion. The Reggie & Bollie participation was more or less as you'd expect and the usual fun. So they all are very much in the running still based on that and who knows what the votes will reveal. To date, unlike many other years, there has not been an obvious granny vote, possibly helped by the introduction of free votes via the app which I would expect to favour the younger viewers.

Sia maintained her cover with a strange wig and hairpiece. Quite a stunning set with a digital box beneath her containing a female dancer in flesh coloured body stocking. I think the title will be Alive or something like that. I had expected her to simply head into the background but she stuck around when the stage lights went back on and chatted with Olly, still aloft the high shelf. Very strong production, reminiscent of Lady Gaga.

Before her, Jason Darulo had put on a good show too. The series does attract some good international names and I have no doubt that there will be some impressive acts appearing next week in the Final too.

OK. That's it. One act will fall at this last hurdle. After this it doesn't matter a great deal. Even coming 4th can be good. Reggie & Bollie are through with Louisa. Excellent. So Che sings off against Lauren for the third spot. That'll be Cheryl and Simon effectively deciding. I'd expect Simon to choose Che and Cheryl to do so too but they may leave it to the votes, as has been the case almost throughout the series.

Lauren starts in tears but they soon disappear and she does a great version of the extremely well-chosen Fight Song. Brilliant choice, well-performed and that might even see her through. Very effective indeed. It was as if she had saved that up all this time especially for this important battle.

Che will have to come out with something very special to beat that. With Bridge Over Troubled Water he stands a chance. I didn't feel he did enough with that, though. He certainly didn't seem to fight as hard. He may have won the public vote. Cheryl chooses to save Che. Simon saves Lauren to let the votes decide.

Lauren loses. Che makes it through. You have to wonder how much the newspapers might have influenced that.

The Top 4 Perform

Some papers have been trying to put Lauren down and it seems she had a modest contract some time ago and got a few plays of a single on Radio 1 Xtra. Like we going to be worried about that. Reggie & Bollie have had huge success in Africa and 4th Impact certainly were well-known in the Philipines and probably had some deals going on somewhere.

Tell Me Honestly is the first track from Reggie & Bollie, introduced by a far more attractive Cheryl than she was last week. It reminded me so much of something which will dawn on me sometime this evening. Ah, got it: Only You. Seemed the same song. This was a much gentler groove from the pair, almost quiet in comparison to what they normally do. Everyone says that we should be ready for their second song and I'm sure that Cheryl, who has managed them really well so far, will come up with something excellent to keep them in to the Final.

Lauren switches at the last moment to the Jess Glynne Take me Home number which is in the charts at the moment and so very current but that can also be a risk as Jess is such a good singer and everyone knows her version. Lauren struggles with the lower register stuff like so many singers do but tries to make up for that by putting lots into the rest of the song. She can certainly belt out tracks and gets most of the notes right. So far, though, I have never really rated her as a contender to win. That was probably going to get more votes than Reggie & Bollie. Simon remarks that she was a bit panicky and screechy. Spot on, it was like she was trying a bit too hard.

Neither will have people rushing to YouTube to play them again.

Third on stage is Che Chesterton. 'Certainly nothing wrong with the voice', says Lionel Ritchie who is the mentor for everyone this week. He sort of implied that Che's look and demeanour weren't competition winning. He does Would I Lie To You. It's accurate but they might just as well have played Charles & Eddie's original. Very 1980s, or even 1970s. A decent enough job but really not inspiring. Cruise ship. He gets good reviews, though, with the panel putting him firmly on top so far.

Last semi finalist is the very pretty Louisa. First the competition - the prize being Simon Cowell's F Type Jaguar which I would really like. The £50000 would come in handy too. I seldom enter these competitions but I have to admit to falling for that one. OK, back to the music. She is singing The Power Of Love which has been overdone by an awful lot of people already. Ah, it's the Frankie Goes To Hollywood version! That's good. And it is good. A bit screechy at the end as she tries almost too hard to impress. It worked well and the set was smart too, not taking attention away from her. It was still a bit 'old' and missed a bit of the emotion that the original had. However, I would say she definitely comes first out of those four performances and may have stolen votes from Lauren in the process.

Second round. Che Chesterton does Love Is A Losing Game, the Amy Winehouse song that should be popular, although I would identify it more with Lauren. It is also a bit 'old' again. This guy can be trusted to hit the right notes and to put some sort of emotion into it. he just looks like a contestant to me, not a future star. For example, I can't see him taking the stage in the States and doing much across The Pond. He'll sell a few albums but they may well just be recycled stuff done reasonably well for the grannies. It was good - and nice and simple, to his credit, in an evening of trying too hard generally. Nice. It ought to see him through but Simon saw it as ordinary and a bit karaoke. I don't get all the emotion that Nick and Cheryl seemed to be exhibiting. Maybe they'll be sad to see him go.

Louisa next, with It's A Man's World but which she says she'll be bringing Girl Power to. Not sure that's a good idea but all will be revealed shortly. It's a big song and very appealing. A great set again. Well done Rita and advisors. Now that was a great performance. She really did seem to be thoroughly comfortable up there, totally taking over the stage and produced possibly the best performance of the series this year. All the judges give her great reviews and hope that voters don't forget to vote, thinking that she'll be safe. Sure, she so much should be in the Final.

Whilst Louisa put Che very much in the shade, she now has to let the other two acts interfere with our memories and, possibly, although it would be hard, to steal the limelight and a few wavering votes. I can see Reggie & Bollie doing well. Che's future will, I think, depend almost entirely on how Lauren does.

Lauren gets the first shot. Running is a much more modern song for her - a Beyonce / Naughty Boy number that is well-written and also suits her pretty well. I detected some bum notes, though, and it was so much less, audibly as well as visually than Louisa's that she is clearly struggling now. It is going to be her or Che taking the third spot in the Final next week and I honestly don't know if she'll get it. She ought to, as she is slightly more up-to-date and likely to improve enough to represent us well in the lower regions of the charts, but she is not a winner.

Last, winding up the show in what I hope will be some style is Reggie & Bollie. For all Louisa's expertise and style, I still see these guys with a good chance of winning this year. With a mash-up of The Chiili Peppers' I've Got A Feeling and I Like To Move It the pair put on a good show all right. Not bad at all. Not quite as smart as I had expected. Louisa still walks away with the crown for this week but the crowd love these guys. They did sound a bit like Will.i.am and friends and that's not a bad thing. All the panel say that they need to be in the Final. So I wonder which of the other three acts they would drop?!

I think it will be farewell Che.

This is the Top 4

In a tough week when those you might have thought might falter did brilliantly and those you expected to sail through looked vulnerable I have simply no idea who will go. That's also what Simon says at the start.

Not a bad sing-a-long of Michael Jackson's Earth Song if you just listened, with star contributions this time from Lauren and one of the 4th Impact girls but watching them all in white doing some choreograph thing was a bit worrying. Each has their own style but none suited that style.

Anyway, that soon passed and there are more recaps, including several glimpses of Cheryl in possibly the worst make-up I've seen her wear. Someone really needs to tell attractive women when they are making themselves unattractive.

Carrie Underwood, in complete contrast, looked stunning. Her track was not that great but then some of her past songs have been so good that it is difficult to match them and she is always on top form anyway. It's good to see this American Idol winner from many years ago doing so fabulously well which really does help justify these shows' existence. You should be able to see my comments on her progress though auditions and the Live American Idol shows fro links on this blog as I remember writing all those years ago - in possibly my first series of blogging. I do recall being delighted that she won but it wasn't at al obvious in the early weeks but she found something special and a sort of confidence midway through.

An impressive performance by Rita Ora next, with Sigma backing and what looked like the whole ruddy audience dancing on stage around her. I have to say she outshone the normally majestic Carrie Underwood.

It must now be time for one to go. As the sole male act left, I would expect the large tranche of female voters to keep him in, although he was probably the least by way of potential star material this week. Assuming he stays then it has to be one of the girls. In any other week then that would mean bye bye Lauren but this time, mainly due to poor choices and ill health, I do feel Louisa is vulnerable. It would be a shame but I am confident we'd still see her in the charts.

Wow. the first two acts read out as safe are Che and Louisa! Joined by Reggie & Bollie, that put 4th Impact and Lauren battling it out for 4th place. So Cheryl votes for 4th Impact, Rita for Lauren and that leaves it in the hands of Simon and Nick. I reckon they will both give the 4th place to 4th Impact unless they mess up wildly in the sing-off. I also think that if they do go to deadlock then Lauren would have come 5th in the public vote.

4th Impact go first with a pretty dramatic version of something like I'm Not Going Anywhere. It was a bit desperate in places but all credit for the effort made. In contrast, Lauren does A Vision Of love and just seems to take it all in her stride as if she were singing in the shower. Quite a talent, this girl and Rita points out that she had the highest sales on iTunes for the previous day's songs. She was good but it was neither one thing nor the other. So I would still stick with 4th Impact to stay.

Oh. Nick chooses to save Lauren. I thought he would choose 4th Impact after seeing him interview them on his programme. Simon balances that, though. So who got the fewest votes? 4th Impact. That was a surprise, as they'd been tipped to win and had been fascinating and very modern. However, there had been some doubts about how they interpreted some lyrics, English not being their natural language, and you do wonder a little bit about whether there might have been some helicopter mum pushing them all the time and not exactly allowing them much fun outside the show. Lauren will be a creditable semi finalist in a pretty fair competition. Reggie & Bollie will be pleased too to have had such great voters' support and not just the audience applause.

It is now open for Louisa to take the crown if she can pull something special out of the bag.

The Top 5 perform. The Groups excel.

Tonight five perform and tomorrow just four will remain in what they'll call the Semi Final with, unbelievably soon, the Final in only a fortnight's time. Presumably there'll be three in the Final on Saturday and two left on Sunday.

Plenty of jokes about Simon's Overs all being sent home. He didn't choose terribly well, to be honest, and none struck me as having much chance either. He will rank the acts 1 - 5 after they've all done their first song so that'll be interesting.

Louisa Johnson

She has a cheery Justin Bieber song to do first. She needs something a little lighter and less shouty. The bandanna looks cool on her. She is a bit of a makeover team's dream. The song is a bit of s stretch for her in the key she chose. I am also not so sure her Twitter fans are necessarily her voting fans. So, whilst it was a good performance, it wasn't a winning performance or one that we'll be rushing to view again on YouTube. We learn that she isn't feeling well and that might explain why she seemed to struggle a bit. I think she'll find it lucky to have a second song this week.

4th Impact

The Jackson Five ballad I'll Be There is a potentially excellent choice that should widen their appeal if they do it well. Wow, that was quite impressive! I wasn't expecting much more than a pleasant bit of harmony but they covered a massive range and gave the song a very smart personality. I had them at risk this week but surely not after that excellent performance.

The four dresses were a bit like old carpet but I can't criticise anything else at all. Poor Louisa will be worrying now.

Reggie & Bollie

I have no idea what that was all about! It looked fun and the audience reaction is fantastic. It must be some new thing that I haven't heard about but, clearly, this Whip Dance or whatever it is called is very popular amongst the kiddies and that worked so well for them. They could definitely win this thing, despite the very nice 4th Impact performance and the gorgeous Louisa.

Lauren Murray

Difficult following that. Lauren says she has never heard of Kygo, the band doing the song she has to perform as the viewers' choice. It's called Firestone so we'll find out in due course what she does with it. It is a fairly typical number but with a strong edge that suits her. She does well but it isn't very memorable and seems a little bland after the groups. She's also probably glad she has a second song. The camera is off her for a long time after she ends. Not sure why. Simon was not impressed. Nick sort of agrees but reckons she can sing anything anyway. Not bad but it won'r have gained her any extra votes.

Che Chesterton

He gets given Hello which is the current massive Adele hit. All he can reasonably do is do a karaoke version, as there is no obvious alternative that he could put together in a matter of days. He sings very well indeed, possibly the best of all the acts tonight or, at least, matches the best of 4th Impact. He slipped up but I hadn't noticed and so well done for a good job done there. He should be safe so far but is was a little predictable. Simon comments that he just looked like he's come in from work and he is right that respect - Che doesn't have much 'star' factor which may account partly for his coming 5th or 6th last week. He will also need a second song after all.

Simon ranks them. 1. Reggie & Bollie, 2 Louisa Johnson, 3 4th Impact, 4 Lauren Murray, 5 Che Chesterton.

I'd have put 4th Impact 2nd and Lauren 3rd with Louisa 4th. But that doesn't mean a great deal. It will be so much about the second song and the extent to which Louisa's voice holds out.

4th Impact

Nicely done. They start as dolls in boxes and produce a modern version of Rich Girl and something else which goes down well with everyone. They are so reliable and really natural professionals, bound to succeed.

Che Chesterton

Try A Little Tenderness is a superb song and I had Che down as a certain safe act this week with the two songs chosen. However, he struggled a bit with Adele and this one isn't easy. Once he got going, though, he did well. It was too short - the original has a lot more that this shorten version misses. SO he has rescued himself a bit but with the other acts all doing so well I don't know how much difference he's made. He gets great reviews for this.

Lauren Murray

You Don't Own Me is perfect for Lauren. Excellent performance of that. That might have saved her too. It's getting difficult to see who could go. It ought to be one of Lauren or Che but they've both done very well to rescue themselves with their second songs.

Reggie & Bollie

Another great party song performance. You can just see the album in the shops already - Let's Party With Reggie & Bollie. They haven't put a foot wrong. Very good. Not my sort of tunes but they have to be close to winning this thing now. Credit to Cheryl who has managed both groups impeccably with great songs and staging for both.

Louisa Johnson

She really needs this to be something special if she isn't to make an unexpectedly early exit. Not feeling well will not help either so if she does pull this off she will be extremely relieved and that will also be a good indication of where she might stand in a Final.

Her interpretation of a Labrinthe song Jealous is really very good and may actually be enough. so much depends on how many fans she has accumulated so far compared to Che and Lauren. She might just have the edge. Simon says that she is potentially one of the best the show has ever had. Nice. That's saying a lot. I do hope she stays. She does have the better chance in future than Lauren or Che in my view. She could be our latest British female star. I am not sure now that she'll win as the Reggie & Bollie boys are virtually unstoppable now and even 4th Impact look like being in the Final too.

Louisa will be the one we see in years to come, however.

The Top 5 tracks for Saturday's show

Here are the tracks the Top 5 acts will be performing tomorrow.

Lauren Murray

Jukebox song: Firestone – Kygo ft Conrad Sewell
Second song: You Don't Own Me - Grace ft. G-Eazy

Louisa Johnson

Jukebox song: Love Yourself – Justin Bieber
Second song: Jealous - Labrinth

4th Impact

Jukebox song: I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
Second song: Fancy - Iggy Azalea / Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani

Reggie n Bollie

Jukebox song: Silentó - Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)
Second song: Taio Cruz - Dynamite

Che Chesterman

Jukebox song: Hello – Adele
Second song: Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness

Just on the basis of the songs chosen, Che has got to make the Top 4. Reggie & Bollie and 4th Impact are likely to entertain and impress again so it may be one of the girls that goes. My guess would be Lauren but, on paper, Louisa has the trickiest songs to get across.

The Top 5 already

The usual mad and hurriedly rehearsed sing-a-long starts the show and you just look at Anton and wonder what he's doing there. Reggie & Bollie seem to be able to entertain with whatever anyone throws at them. 4th Impact look good and I would like to see them make it through so that there might be a chance to see them with more individual performances as so far I've only seen this mass of four similar females with the occasional 'Let's Go!' added for good measure. I do think they could be vulnerable, though, but it's Anton who should go.

A lot of viewers will be wondering who on Earth Nathan Sykes is. One time member of The Wanted, that's who and he has a new single Over And Over that needs promoting. Decent job of a number he wrote himself.

Next Olly Murs switches from presenter to performer. He has been one of the more successful X Factor products with some very commercial singles and excellent sales. His latest, Kiss Me Like You Mean It could do with some more lyrics than the title.

Results time. Ché and Anton are the bottom two. That should make the decision easier for the panel, with a tearful farewell to Anton.

Super version of Some People by Ché must have secured his place in the Top 5. A similarly powerful and great track from Anton would justify his getting saved but that is probably be his best shot. He's on the tour, though, and wasn't going to win so that's cool. Yes, it is goodbye to Anton.

Quite a powerful final 5. Two good groups that we'll definitely see more of whatever happens, two girls and Ché. On a good day for any of these acts it could be anyone who steals the No.1 spot.

The Top 7 Perform. One more goes tonight, another tomorrow.

So here we go again. Another twist? One act to go tonight. Gosh. Does that mean another tomorrow as well? Yup, two go again and we're down to just five in no time. I am really not sure this is such a good idea. It's always good to see the back of some of the less than inspiring - and downright dreadful - acts but this year none fall into that category now.

Here are what they'll be doing in 'Love & Hate' week.

The Boys
Ché Chesterman: Yesterday - The Beatles
Mason Noise: Jealous - Nick Jonas

The Girls
Lauren Murray: We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
Louisa Johnson: Let It Go - James Bay

The Overs
Anton Stephans: One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men

The Groups
Reggie 'N' Bollie: Dangerous Love / Shut Up And Dance - Fuse ODG / Walk The Moon
4th Impact: Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera


That doesn't really tell us much, nothing standing out but I would say that Ché is on to a good thing as long as he doesn't wail too much. Likely to struggle must be Mason and, now we know that he isn't top of the polls any more, Anton. I am also not sure about 4th Impact's choice this week.

Ché Chesterton

He kicks off the proceedings as it happens. Same words and the backing track follows Paul & John's idea but Ché puts a very different slant on the tune. It is barely recognisable. That is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it makes it a brand new song and really is no cover. Bad because it was a bit boring. He'll be safe, I'm sure, anyway.

Anton Stephans

Odd start. He is such an experienced singer that I am sure he can't be singing the wrong notes or even the wrong key but, my goodness, it certainly sounds wrong. Once he gets going we sort of adjust to the different key and accept it I suppose. Well, a bit. It's all a bit heavy and really only just the last couple of lines belted out in fine style that we'll remember. I didn't like that at all and I couldn't see that in the charts or, as Nick said, I wouldn't expect him to sell records.

He gets upset when he thinks Nick calls him fake. Nick didn't. Anton missed the point but never mind. He just got all emotional and maybe the song means something to him. Disagreement on the panel about whether they 'get' Anton or not. All a bit strange and it may all help him get the sympathy votes from the old folk out there. However, as he is technically 7th in the voting and only 1st to 5th are through he will have to improve his chances by leap-frogging two acts tonight! That might not be easy.

4th Impact

Sticking with the highly choreographed and wilder type of performance still, they make a fine job of the Christina number. Is is memorable? No. Did they put lots into that and do it faultlessly? Yes. Would it sell? I think so and I can imagine them on stage doing regular gigs. Simon says they should bring out their individual selves more and I agree as they're just kinds there and, whilst excellent, not something you'd remember.

They do deserve to stay as I have them Top 3 but I am starting to wonder how much support they'll get from the people that vote. Enough to make at least 6th which should keep them in until tomorrow at least!

Lauren Murray

I always worry about Mariah Carey songs. They're a bit anthemic and need something a bit special to make them count. Lauren does try to make this modern and sort fo succeeds apart from a couple of dodgy notes. It really does just start and stop, though and i don't see millions downloading that as they did her previous song. She is reliable and has a cool personality. The panel love her too. Nick says he bought her track last week. Don't think he'll buy this week's. I'd put her in the top six and so she ought to survive until tomorrow too.

Mason Noise

This is a track I don't know. Some very scantily clad girls didn't make the pre-watershed camera shot choices but he put on a professional show. Unlike some of the acts, I can imagine him on Radio 1 for a few numbers but not in the Top Ten. I do think he's vulnerable this week and he feels like a 6th place to me. I reckon he will be sharing that with Anton but which goes is anyone's guess. There is something missing in his stage performance - conviction or desire perhaps. He is a wannabe rebel but not really making the Rebel grade. That name doesn't help at all. He might make a cool deejay.

Louisa Johnson

Love this girl. Nice James Bay song, a bit better known than some of her competitors' choices. She does have a tendency to go full blast too soon and that means she is belting it out all the way through when perhaps some light and shade would have been a better idea. That sort of messed up this track for me but she seemed to get bags of support, especially from Cheryl. Simon reckoned that was the 'moment' that each show has. Well done, Louisa, but I expect more. Hopefully, she'll have plenty more chances to show what she can do. It would certainly be a mistake if she didn't make it.

Reggie & Bollie

Well, that was just great. Shut Up And Dance With Me must have been a perfect choice by Cheryl. They just stole the show and everyone loves them. The vocals were 'iffy' as Simon pointed out but he also went on to say that he reckons they'll be in the Final. I agree. They are so popular and whilst I know they're not exactly unique and I don't know how original they'll be, they will have lots and lots of appeal to kids and people of all ages. They could win. They certainly won'y be going home tonight or tomorrow.

In summary, Ché hasn't done himself any favours by rewriting a Beatles track. Anton is going down. 4th Impact and Lauren are standing still. Mason got a bit dented tonight. Louisa and Reggie & Bollie will share the Top 2 positions. I can't see Anton surviving.

Amusing stuff when Ed Sheeran and Rudimental do Lay It All On Me and the confetti machine goes mad and no-one can see anything much at all as the whole stage and most of the studio gets buried under piles of coloured bits of paper! Good fun but possibly a bit more intense than anyone actually intended!

And so to the act leaving straightaway... farewell Mason.