The Final

The end of another series. Despite all the criticism, these shows do discover talent. Someone a little bit special each year who will last a bit longer than the one hit Christmas single is brought to our attention. It has often been someone other than the winner but this year I have a feeling that either act in the Final could be around for a while. Louisa, certainly, could produce some great stuff if she gets given the best writers. Reggie & Bollie have a quite different audience and I may cringe when I hear them over the speakers at some teen party in a few years' time but I am pretty sure they will get a contract to do piles of the fun stuff they're making their own.

Louisa is very good and is the one I would prefer to wear the X Factor crown, if only to demonstrate to the critics how good a winner can be.

Down Town is the slightly embarrassing sing-a-long for all the Live Show contestants this year. Seann put on a good show. Lauren made herself heard but most of the others, including Reggie & Bollie, didn't exactly shine.

Coldplay can be guaranteed to provide a good performance and their quite hypnotic single Adventure came across well. I'm not quite sure why they needed four gorillas dancing on a hot stage as well but this is X Factor after all. Caroline might need to practice her interview technique as her chat with Coldplay's Chris Martin was pathetic to watch. She and Olly have been pretty good, not as cool as Dermot O'Leary but they had a certain sparkle that helped you forgive them the occasional cock-up.

First of the finalists to perform tonight is Reggie & Bollie with their highly popular You're Beautiful mixed up with Move It. I say 'mixed up' but actually they sort of stop one song and start another. The crowd is incredibly noisy and Simon has great trouble being heard. He reckons that they could win, based on the amazing reaction that they produce. That was the longest applause that anyone has had. People really do like these guys. I am beginning to wish I had put a bet on them.

Louisa next. Her song is It's A Man's World. She does this so well. The judges manage to speak above the crowd a little more quickly but not a great deal more quickly. They are extremely complimentary too. Simon declares that she really is the best they have had on the show. That is saying something. Louisa is handling all the compliments and the whole thing remarkably well for a 17-year-old.

So what new song will each act be bringing? There is such a difference between them that it is actually quite difficult to compare them sensibly.

First, though, are One Direction. Their SYCO contract must insist that they perform at least x times in each series! A new song from them. It could be called How Many Nights but if it isn't then you'll figure out what it should be. The four lads sound just as good as the five used to. Zahn always seemed to be slightly behind everyone - you should check out what I wrote when they were contestants in 2010!

After a slightly odd set of video thanks from people hoping they'd be back soon from their year 'break' starting any time soon, possibly tonight by the seems of it, they get a second song from the album. History was not the most inspiring track but it grew after a while and certainly pleased the audience. Yes, I am pretty sure that that was their 'last' performance.

The winner's single time. Surely they can't both have the same song. No. that would be silly. I am guessing they'll get something suitable. Reggie & Bollie first again with Forever Young which seems an odd choice. It starts nicely - almost gospel-like and reminded me of Paul Simon's Graceland. then a choir joins in and they start bouncing a bit more. They are dreadfully out of tune, unfortunately, but maybe the choir and backing will hide that more as the track progresses. It's no big thing but pleasant enough. I just hope that the actual single - should they win - is better tuned. Great act but I don't think now that they should win. Coming second is fine for them. That's probably a whole lot better than they might have imagined so #2 would be perfectly cool. Kids on the stage and tears from Cheryl may still get them those extra votes, of course.

No break, straight on to Louisa. This is the big one. She does also have Forever Young. That ought to be very much to her advantage and she starts gently and, notably, in tune. She'll need a big build up, though, and needs to do something a bit special with this. At last some soaring and she gets the choir too. Only the one crouch at first but then we get several in succession which really do add to the way she manages to put emotion across. Not at all bad. Again, I can imagine the single will be a touch better but she is so good live anyway. She 'owned' tonight, according to Simon and turned a good song into a great song. She gets a small person on stage too - her little sister - which balances the other act nicely.

Everyone is terribly complimentary and I think we can take it that, all the hype aside, as a pretty good indication that she'll be releasing some good music before long. SYCO will sign her whatever happens.

Adele has been away for a while on X Factor and I think she will have cost a fortune but worth it. Funny, watching her I could easily imagine Louisa doing as well. If she can write songs as well, or get someone to help, she will be up there with the best too. It would have been nice to hear something other than Adele's Hello. I know it's her big hit at the moment but we have all heard it several times a day and, as good as it is, there would have been a nice opportunity to give us something a little different. She also seems to laugh at the end and, when talking to Olly says that she felt like giggling all the way through. That isn't really what you expect to hear from someone who is supposed to be so good at interpreting lyrics, particularly ones she has written herself and which are pretty deep and not in the least funny. By all means joke later but not, dear, while your singing, OK. She supported Lauren. I can see why. Sometimes Adele can be a bit tiresome.

Louisa wins! Great result. After all these weeks of being so composed she is genuinely in tears. And who will forget Reggie & Bollie? They'll be fine.

One thing I noticed is how professionally she managed the almost impossible task of singing her Final song again. just a few seconds in and she was back in control and performing even better than first time. that was impressive in many ways. Rita is on stage with her and she actually does look as if she can hardly believe how well Louisa is doing. Eventually, of course, all the other Live Show acts arrive and run on to surround her but even then she doesn't give up and manages to make the last note. Quite how I have no idea. Nice girl. Looking forward to seeing more of her in years to come.

Two acts join Adele, One Direction and Coldplay in the Final

The three finalists come in from the aisles through the audience. Some dancers follow them, carrying letters - just in case we've forgotten their names. Ché gets three, Reggie & Bollie get three (RNB) but Louisa gets six. There's a sign to start with. Luckily, they stay in the right order and nothing embarrassing gets spelled to the several thousand present and few million watching.

Ché seems a bit breathless and whoever dressed him ought to be fired. Louisa is very fired already and, once she hits the stage, she is putting on the sort of show I would have expected her to reserve for the last song. Impressive. Reggie & Bollie do what Reggie & Bollie do and all's well with the world. A nice final tomorrow would be Louisa and Reggie & Bollie. Ché has a good voice but I just don't see him as a big name at concerts and on future TV shows. The other two could well be there, as will be lots of acts from old X Factor series over this weekend.

Ché is first to perform. We see him on the bus and visiting Essex. Now there he may have an advantage, Essex people being good supporters generally, happy to plug away with the tablets and phones and, as a young chap there will be a decent girlie vote for him. He seems to have got rid of a silly three quarter length shirt which he had on when he first appeared. That'll help. Valerie is a good track for him, cheerful and bright and comparatively stress free to perform so that has to have given him a good start. Neither Simon nor I understood the hamburgers on the stage. He makes the point that he looked nervous and does start off the least favoured to win. Having said that, how often have the bookies been proven wrong!!

I haven't placed a bet this year, mainly because the odds on Louisa have been so short since day one. I should have put something on Reggie & Bollie getting this far if I could have found a bookie offering odds for that.

Reggie & Bollie spend time in Newcastle and they have got a pretty widespread support across the nation. Cheryl is also a popular mentor and she'll gather a few extra votes for them. I can see them winning, just because they exude so much fun and they really do entertain every time. they may not have a few schools to bank votess from but I still see them doing well.

I suppose one day they might run out of tracks they can mash together effectively but they should manage to last a couple more. They have a bit of a random thing going this time. No idea what the track(s) are called - it's all a bit mad and the dancers seem to have absolutely nothing to do with anything but they're all having fun so who cares? You have to hand it to these guys - so professional and the crowd really do love them. Compared to the reception for Ché this is impressive.

Simon says it was a weird mash up - like a strawberry and liver mix! That reaction could be a sign that they could win. Rita says they were a bit 'cruise ship' and I can see that too. It was one of those performances that you may well see again and again but after a few years not necessarily remember who did it.

A lot hangs on what Louisa does to start with. she needs to get people voting and not just assuming that, as the shortest odds-ever favourite, she is just going to win whatever happens. She will need those votes and with Reggie & Bollie pulling theirs in big time she is not at all guaranteed to beat them, or Ché for that matter. We can all remember Ella not even making the Top 5 and One Direction lost out to Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.

Now it is Louisa's turn. I had forgotten that she is also from Essex so will amost certainly pinch a large number of Ché's votes from that part of the world. I Believe I Can Fly is a pretty tedious number. Not the best of starts, in my view, but Louisa throws so much at it, treating it like a final song again, that you have to sit up and take notice. Sometimes I wish she would be a bit gentler and maybe rise more gradually towards the loud bits but she gets very good reviews. The audience didn't quite match the R & B set but it certainly made an impression. She has an ability to put a huge amount of emotion into everything she does. That is quite special and, controlled, she could become quite a successful British #1 act.

Talking of #1 acts, Leona Lewis is next, with last year's winner Ben Haenow. Ben hasn't had the best of years with little activity since winning. His duet with Leona is a bit laboured. She finishes that and then decides that the audience deserve something better and starts her classic Run. Fabulous and Ben helps out quite nicely. That really did show the impact of a quality song, though. Simon will be pleased as he'll still get some money from that, even though Leona left SYCO and hasn't been particularly quiet about that either.

That was an introduction to the round in which they each sing with someone a bit special. So who will Ché get to sing with? Nice song The First Cut Is The Deepest. Hmm. Could it be Rod Stewart? Yup, The 70 year-old is still going strong. The problem with someone like Rod is that comparison's can go wrong for you and, whilst Ché has a great tone, Rod really steals the stage from him, even when he is not exactly giving it his all. And there lies quite an important difference - Rod doesn't need to give it his all. He can pick up a decent cheque for just a bit of crooning. Ché needed to do a bit more, I feel. Nice though it was, it may not have made lots of people open up the apps and vote.

Reggie & Bollie still have the middle slot. So who will they get? I thought they had someone called Tina - at least that's what was on the hat - but it's Craig David who eventually appears. the first half was great and had everyone grooving but the Craig David bit sort of put them in the shade and it was also a complete shift of gear and tempo. Ah - the Tina guy was called Fuse and he flew in from Ghana so must be someone they knew as well. All good stuff but I am not so sure that the Craig bit worked as well as the other guy.

Louisa gets the good last slot again. I'm Not Living Without You is a good song. She is singing with her mentor, Rita. Apart from Rita's much flashier dress, there isn't much to choose between them. They clearly get on really well and that comes across well. A bit shouty for my taste but I do like this girl and she really does deserve to get through to the final and get some more of what she enjoys so much. She is a natural on stage and Rita says that there have only ever been two people who have made that impression on stage and that is Leona and Louisa.

She might have included Little Mix and One Direction but maybe she was just thinking of solo acts. In fact, Little Mix are on next with Fleur East, last year's runner up but possibly the more successful from that series. They start with Fleur doing Black Magic then Little Mix do Sax. All good fun and quite a lot of flesh on show. Cool. And hot.

After a bit of a cock-up on the VT front, they eventually get the reprise tapes in order and there's a quick look at the three acts again. My guess is that, based on audience feedback, Ché will get the 3rd place this year.

Rod does his Stay With Me Tonight hit and adds a quick plug for Ché in his chat with Caroline. Luckily there's a break between then and when the results are announced so they can move him off stage just in case it isn't Reggie & Bollie that get sent home.

In the final is Louisa! Now for the other one through. It's Reggie & Bollie. Well done to them. So that's it for Ché. Good result. Should be a fun final.

You have to go back to 2008 for the last girl winner, Alexandria Burke and 2011 for Amelia Lily as the last girl finalist when Little Mix were the last group in a Final. They also won, of course. It could be close tomorrow.

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.

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 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.

The Top 9 perform

We now get to choose the Top 8. Having got the Top 9 hopelessly wrong I have no idea what will happen tonight. Sean Miley Moore really should not be sitting at home watching this. It could have been his night with most of a film production on stage as well as a song to entertain us. That isn't to be, though, so let's see what the others can do.

Mason Noise

With Men In Black he seems to be on pretty safe ground. He knows the track well and presents it all very professionally. I just don't know if it was particularly special. Nice job but 'nice' may not be enough. The judges are very complimentary. To be honest, I am surprised he is there at all so from here on every week is a bonus for him. I do think that may have mostly rid him of the problems that have surrounded him since his Judges' House round outburst.

Max Stone

Someone else who is probably a surprise still to be here is Max. Perhaps this week we'll see a bit more of the real bloke rather than the packaged version. he does have some support out there in voting land, having escaped the bottom three twice now. I have no idea what the title of the track is. Movie Night can see all sorts of tracks included! I think it is Sectret Garden, a Bruce Springstein number. He does a cool job with this and matches Mason in my view. His supporters will like this and so it will be to his credit if he does survive rather than others doing badly. Best week so far for him but no guarantees for either of these guys.

Cheryl owns up to not knowing the movie or the song! That made me feel a bit better.

Louisa Johnson

Currently (and I can't see this changing) my favourite. Everybody's Free is a difficult ballad and Louisa is just there for the first half, on her own, slowly building up the lines. Pretty good but a lot better when the choir and orchestra come in and help lift the song. It could have been a bit boring but I am sure she was professional and competent enough to get through to whatever they throw at us next. She is adorable and is trying hard.

Lots of good compliments from the judges and Simon is in very gracious and generous mood. Louisa's mum is very attractive too, incidentally.

Monica Michael

I really did think she was gone last week. What Is Love should be a good choice for her and suit her voice and range. She is missing notes from the start, though, and seems nervous. The clothes and general appearance, however, are a great improvement on last week. The second half of her perfromance, however, is first class. It was as if a switch were turned and you felt you could be watching Adele. A good vocal, indeed.

We also learn that she changed that at the last moment - this morning - out of respect for the poor people suffering in Paris this weekend. So to deliver a virtually unrehearsed song individually in such a good way by the end is something she deserves votes for. I reckon that should see her through. It is difficult, though, as it is easy to drop into the bottom three when there are so few left.

Reggie & Bollie

I actually look forward to their performance each week. They are sort of guaranteed professional. They did Who Let The Dogs Out and almost brought the house down. Great stuff. they should sail through, even if it was a bit of a cover.

Anton Stephans

I am not looking forward to this. At least he's not doing the other 'Bodyguard' song by Whitney Houston. In a curious black and white set, with just his blue jacket coloured, Anton bashes out Don't Walk Away From Me or If I Don't Have You I can never remember which is the title. It was OK but not something I want to hear again. He seems popular in voting land from previous voting figures but this week may have a tougher job as, so far, no-one has done any worse.

4th Impact

These girls work so hard. We Work It Out or something is a crazy number that Cheryl dug out of some film and goodness knows how they remembered everything they had to do. Simon and Nick both said they were perfect and I think they had to put that together at short notice too. Selina was a bit unwell. I am not sure what went on before but Cheryl said they could have used a pre-recorded tape as some have had to do in the past series but the girls had insisted on doing it all live. Quite why that came up I don't know but all credit to them and if they don't get votes for the performance then they certainly should for professionalism.

They're going places for sure.

Lauren Murray

Another very late change. One Last Time is a classic movie song with a 90s feel. It suits her well and Lauren is one of those rare singers who can belt something out without shouting as so many do. I don't know how many people will be inclined to pick up the phone or use their app for her this week but she has no more reason to be in the bottom three than just bad luck that 6 were better this week.

Although she is very different to Monica, it is likely to be the case that one will ahve to go before long.

Tonight has been a good advertisement for the show, with each act genuinely worthy of being here.

Che Chesterman

Closing the show tonight, Che sings the classic When A Man Loves A Woman. This is pretty safe and ought to suit his voice as he has the range and tone that are just right for this. It is also a number that noone wants to hear messed up and he can be very reliable in terms of hitting the right notes,

I didn't find it that great, though, but a bit stodgy and lacking any real impact. Good, and something he could have brought out in a set at a concert but it seemed a bit lazy for a Top 8 survival song. I suppose he feels confident that he'll be safely Top 6 and so not in the bottom three anyway.

Very difficult predicting this week but I'll try Mason, Max and Anton in the bottom three.

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.

The Top 11

We learn that two will be leaving tonight. I always feel that the contestants need longer to get their potential supporters on board than just a week or even two weeks and would have no ejections until week 3 or thereabouts. However, if the first two to go are not favourites of mine then I shall not moan about them going!

The sing-a-long is a 1D song Perfect and, as always, you get to see who is comfortable, who stands out and who merges into the background. Louisa almost took it over at times but fair dues to Kiera who defended her style well. Mason looked just plain embarrassed and really I felt for him. Most just looked a bit silly.

I have no real idea how the votes will go but I would imagine Bupsi is a definite to go now but I don't know who'll join her. It won't be Seann, Alien Uncovered, 4th Impact, Louisa or Lauren. That leaves Max, who I feel will make it through, Anton, who won't go yet, Mason, Che, Kiera, Bollie and Reggie or whatever they're called and Monica. Having just brought her back, I can't see the producers letting Monica suffer by going first whatever the votes amount to. Mason is a bit vulnerable but Che is less comfortable-looking on the stage, however good his voice may be. The Ghana pair are fun but, like Kiera, didn't come across as well as they ought to have done. I give them a slight edge over Kiera this week. So, if I am anywhere near right, Che and Kiera may be singing off for 11th place and a chance to improve their lot next week.

Little Mix put on a super show with a genuinely live performance of their latest single mixed up with Black Magic. Four years on and they are proving to be one of the biggest X Factor successes now. Four good singers.

Ellie Goulding follows. They're getting some impressive acts on this show. Her digital backdrop to her performance is fascinating and she is very watchable anyway. Add a few copies and you can't take your eyes off the screen!

Che, Reggie & Bollie are the first two announced as safe! That shows how poor my predictions were! Louisa and Seann are safely through. God, it would have been crazy if they hadn't made it. Max makes it. I did get that right. Lauren, Anton and Mason are safe. 4th Impact and Monica complete the Top 10.

Leaving in 13th place is Bupsi, as I had imagined. 12th is between Kiera, my prediction, and Alien Uncovered. I am surprised to see Alien Uncovered there but this often happens in the first weeks, groups having more trouble identifying with anyone in voting land and Alien, in particular, have lots of members and, whilst some look pretty cool and sound very good, I don't really think I'd recognise them in the street whereas I would the others. 4th Impact have actually done a great job in getting themselves into our psyche, helped by the producers to no small extent, but also with their bubbly personalities. Kiera may well pull a good solo out of the bag - she is perfectly capable of doing that and survive but, before they start I would expect her to be the one leaving.

Alien's song was Pressure and, boy, did they put a lot into that! A nice performance and very modern, today. Very cool. In complete contrast, Kiera does REM's Everybody Hurts. I don't think she could have come up with a better effort to stay in the show. Very good. How could they vote her off? But then, Alien deserve to stay too. It'll be between Simon and Nick and I feel that they will save one each, leaving it to public votes. I fear Kiera will still go, though.

No, both Nick and Simon decide to save Kiera. She's safe and will be back next week. Alien Uncovered should not be going home before Reggie & Bollie or several others. I suspect Cheryl could have done a lot with them. Never mind. That's X Factor for you.

Nick and Rita settle on the Top Girls and Boys

Nick reveals his choice of three Boys. It was dragged out so much, including two ad breaks.

Mason | Che | Seann

They certainly ramped up the pressure on that one, although my guess is that Seann was his natural first choice and most of that was all about entertainment. All three are good and will contribute to some good Live Shows. i don't see any going quickly.

In contrast, watching Simon with his three Overs reminded me of how silly Louis used to look with his Oldies, most of whom tended to go pretty quickly but some not as quickly as we might have liked.

Rita took the Girls to Los Angeles, the best gig of them all.  This is a good group this year but there are two who stand out for me: Louisa and Keira.

Havva is first up. She is a cheerful little thing, quite modern but she sounded as if she was struggling with the high notes in this audition. Her broken tone is fairly attractive but she just seems a bit amateur and in need of some training which could mean she'd struggle. Looks like she may not make it.

Monica Michael I don't like. Her hair style and big earrings are so annoying which, I know, have nothing to do with how she sings but it just puts me off. I feel she is here because of last year. She sings her own song about her brother which is quite a risk and may not have helped her chances, no matter how good it may be. It wasn't, to be honest. She isn't a songwriter. She sings well and has an interesting tone but I am not sure she'd be that popular. The story about her brother is sad but I wouldn't want her through just on that basis.

Chloe Paige is nicer all round. her slow version of Erasure's A Little Respect was great. Some crazy notes and the whole thing was virtually a capella and so impressive. I loved that and she did well but I am not sure Rita and Meghan Trainer will pick her. Pity, but I think she's not wanted.

Kiera has been consistently marvellous as the auditions and matched Whitney very well before. This was not so good this time but I am pretty sure she has Rita's vote anyway. It's odd how Chloe got put down and Kiera got put up.

Louisa is probably the prettiest contestant and has been the bookies' favourite for a while. She also does Respect but very different - the Aretha version is the one that comes through strongly. Quite a remarkable performance and easily beating the others into several cocked hats. Nice job. She's in. No question.

Lauren could get a place. It's her or Monica. I'd give it to her anyway. A good voice and nice personality and someone who I think could be relied on to perform well on Live Shows. That was a far better performance than Monica's and second best of the Girls by quite a margin.

So I'd pick Louisa, Chloe and Kiera but I think Rita will pick Louisa, Lauren and Monica.

If she drags it out as long as Nick did for the boys then it'll be a while.

She chooses:

Louisa | Lauren | Kiera

Well chosen! I did fear that Monica would have been put through because of the back story but I like the three Rita has gone for and they'll put on an excellent show, lasting well.

So that's it. We have the Top 12 for Live Shows.

Choosing who goes to Judges' Houses Pt 1

This is always the most controversial part of the series - apart from some years when Wagner or Baloney didn't get voted off very quickly, I suppose - when for all but six contestants in each category the road ends. Now, for many that is fair enough and some have even done well to get this far but there can also be really talented entrants being sent home too early.

First, the choices of who judges whom are announced. Rita gets the Girls. Simon gets the Overs (again) and pretends not to be happy. Nick gets the Boys and Cheryl gets the Groups.

We start with Rita, choosing six girls.

Katie Coleman goes first and is probably one of the more experienced and so less likely to make a complete mess at the start. Unfortunately, she seems to be off-key throughout and all her efforts on an already tricky number haven't earned her that place. I would send her home but Rita could start off giving her a chair and then moving her on later. She does send her home and it's all a bit awkward.

Karen Mav next. She looks like a gospel singer and isn't someone I remember. She chooses a very nice song - I'd Rather Go Blind - and delivers in great style, without screaming and with great notes most of the time. I say most of the time as she did wobble a bit here and there and I wasn't at all keen on her interpretation. She gets a seat but I am not sure she'll get far unless the others fare dismally.

Chloe is one of two Chloes. This is Chloe Baker. She is quite a good performer and comes across better than either that went before. However, she is not easy on the ear. A bit raucous and, again, I wouldn't see her going far. She starts with a seat. How long for, I wonder.

Monica is back again. She'll get another chance, you can be pretty sure of that. Her rendition of What Is Love was passionate but I don't like her lower register very much. She got the notes right and is the best of the lot so far so deservedly gets the seat. I would imagine that she keeps it too. So far, I haven't seen an artist that I would look forward to watching in the Live Shows. So perhaps all six are still out there.

Sharon Rose is another fairly experienced performer. She looks good, dressed to perform and impress and she sings very well. At last, someone who I feel does deserve a place in the Live Shows or, at least, get to the Judges' Houses stage. A very good and faultless performance, easily putting the others well in the shade. Simon seems surprisingly unimpressed.

Chloe Paige number 2 is a lovely Essex market trader. She decides to sing without accompaniment and introduces herself well! Amazing Grace is her choice. She shows off a bit with many runs and wobbles but they're just about all in tune and she does come across quite well. You can see she has the passion that I think was missing in some of the girls already sitting down. So she should get a place on her merits. I'd say she was the second best so far but there still may be five better to turf her off. Rita seems to extend the drama a bit and actually lets a small smile appear when she was supposed to be seriously thinking about her!

Charli Beard is one of the youngest girls at 17. She takes a while to get going and when she's on a strong line she is great but seems almost to have forgotten where she is at times. A difficult one but I think she is better than most if that strength of vocal stays. She's much better than at least three of the others and may be worth keeping.

Louisa Johnson has possibly the best 'look' of all we've seen so far. Also just 17, she takes on a difficult song in order to try to outdo one or more of the others already seated. If you were looking for strength then she seems to best Charli. I would, however, keep her and remove Chloe Baker or Monica (but I don't see anyone having the nerve to remove Monica). Quite a performance. I put her in second place. She sends Chloe Baker home.

Karen ought to be the next to go home. Havva Rebke is fun to watch and would get through on personality and she also is the only one to sound vaguely modern. She does No Diggity and the show needs someone like her. The others are pretty similar - well, some of them are. She isn't brilliant but could be, if that makes any sense. I would definitely put her through above both Karen and Monica. I would struggle to decide between her and Chloe or Charli.

She gets a seat. So who will Rita send home? I still maintain Sharon and Louisa are the top 2. Charli is her choice, and I think that's fair. Tough, but she and Louisa were in competition. There's still at least one more to replace in my books. The audience say she should bring her back and I would have preferred to see someone else go but I am never going to get exactly the same six as Rita.

The next act is Kiera and she has been one that has impressed me most in the past. She has a slightly aggressive manner which might not endear her to the audience but just watch her perform the Whitney Huston classic I Will Always Love You! Beautiful and easily, easily, the stand-out of the night. Well done. There is absolutely no argument about her. She is in. Surely this has to be when Karen goes. Rita takes ages deciding and pretends she can't do this. She does decide on Karen. Well done, Rita. the crowd didn't like that much but it seems right to me.

The last to perform is Kelly Mai Webb. Luckily, I hope, she was not on key and actually that was quite a painful audition. She forgets her words too and that makes it easy for Rita and the six in their seats muct be feeling so relieved. She messed up.

Oh, another one! I must have miscounted. That complicates things. This is another big girl, a bit like Monica. Lucy Duffield is quite mature and you get the feeling that she will be good. She starts well and puts in a great performance of A Natural Woman although I'm not sure about the diction. She has the passion and I feel she will get a place with Chloe going. However, I might put her in in place of Monica as there really is no room for the two.

Rita starts by being unsure about her. This is going to be a long drawn-out affair by the seems of it. Rita gives her a seat after all. The audience sign for Sharon to go and Rita goes with that but I reckon that was very wrong. Someone will also wonder about factors other than singing ability with that choice.

Sophie Plummer. Another one! Good grief! I thought it was all over before the last one. Completely lost count and should have referred to my own lists beforehand! Sophie is yet another quite large-looking and sounding girl. She does a very good job of Adele's Turning Tables and will, I think, get the other Chloe's place. Again, it ought to be Monica's, in my view. Rita decides against disturbing the ranks any more.

Lauren Murray is yet another to come. Goodness knows how I miscounted so badly. Anyway, she is definitely the last, though! A nice personality, another chunky girl and another potential substitute for Monica or Chloe. The song she chooses is way too low to sing with any strength and sounds distinctly wobbly. She moves into a higher register and then in the middle where her voice is very good. A most odd song that does little for me but which might appeal to Rita. It ends pretty spectacularly, though, and that could well drive her in, despite the style and wobbles. Kiera stands to applaud her - a nice touch. So now Rita will have to swap someone. Simon notes that she wasn't as good as maybe people thought by the ending of her song but says he would certainly include her. So Rita will as well. Last to go? Lucy. Fair enough.

I am quite glad Chloe is still there. It has also just occurred to me that some acts are older than Rita! Thereagain, lots of acts were older than Demi Lovato on X Factor USA now I think about it!

So, to summarise: through to The Judges' Houses round are Monica, Chloe Paige, Louisa Johnson, Havva Rebke, Kiera and Lauren Murray. Three of these, though, will still not make the Live Shows. 

List of Top 64 contestants

TellyMix have the complete list of the last sixty or so. Sixty four, I think. These will be the acts vying to get one of the six seats available for Judges' Houses in each category. So 40 of these names will have to go.

To be honest, I thought some had already been rejected but obviously I misinterpreted the panel's comments.

I think that Mason Noise, Seann Miley Moore and 4th Power will take some beating but there are some names I really don't recall seeing in amongst the others so it may be that we still get some surprises. There are plenty of 'good' performers as well as those I've mentioned but none have really made me say That's a possible winner each time. Kiera Weathers, for instance ws great but faded in her last audition.

I also thought there were two Group categories, from the captions on some publicity items, but perhaps that isn't the case, unless there's to be a surprise five categories and an extra panel person for the shows. No. That's doesn't make much sense.

GIRLS (Rita Ora)

CAITLYN VANBECK
CHARLI BEARD
CHLOE BAKER
CHLOE PAIGE
HAVVA REBKE
JASMINE LEIGH MORRIS
KAREN MAV
KATIE COLEMAN
KELLY MAI WEBB
KIERA WEATHERS
LAUREN MURRAY
LOUISA JOHNSON
LUCY DUFFIELD
MONICA MICHAELS
SHARON ROSE
SOPHIE PLUMB

BOYS (Nick Grimshaw)

BEN CLARK
BRODIE KELLY
CHE CHESTERMAN
DANNY SHARPLES
JAMIE ELDRIDGE
JORDAN LUKE GAGE
JOSH DANIEL
MARTIN HARICH
MASON NOISE
NATHANEAL LANDSKRONER
OLLIE MARLAND
PAPASIDERO
SEANN MILEY MOORE
SIMON LYNCH
TOM BLEASBY
TOM DAVIES

OVERS (Simon Cowell)

ALEX BOYE
ANTON STEPHANS
BUPSI
EBRU
HANNAH MARIE
HOLLY JOHNSON
JENNIFER PHILLIPS
JOSEPH MCCAUL
KERRIE-ANNE PHILLIPS
LOCHEI KUSI GHENT
MAX STONE
NENETH LYONS
SHERILYN HAMILTON SHAW
STEPHANIE MCCOURT
TONATHA RAIHAN
VICKI ANN NASH
ZEN BLYTHE

GROUPS (Cheryl Fernandez-Versini)

ALIEN
BEKLN
CAM AND BRETT
DECIEBELLAS
4TH POWER
GOE
MENN ON POINT
MON AMIE
MY BAD SISTER
PYT
RUMOUR HAS IT
RYDER
SILVER TONE
THE FIRST KINGS
TRIBE

Boot Camp Pt 2

Competition from a Rugby match meant the X Factor decided against coming a poor second or third on Saturday evening and just put on a Sunday show.

Olly and Caroline get the Sunday evening show off to a good start by doing the introduction to the contestants getting ready for the Choose a song and sing it section. They are a good pair but woefully under-utilised so far.

Silvertone is the older girl gospel style group. They are all over the place with the harmonies and even timing. I won't say anything about the dancing. No matter how 'disappointed' Simon may say he is, there are plenty more good acts to make the Live Shows.

Lauren seems to have poured herself into her jeans, or eaten a great deal since putting them on. She was a bit average in her solo performance compared to the big impression she'd made before.

Brodie Kelly is the good-looking young chap who also did very well before but this time was very nervous and hardly managed to get through Diamonds, the Rihanna song. A less attractive guy, Simon Lynch, did better but looked like he might join the queue of 'could do betters'. However, he turned The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face into something memorably much better which ought to hep him through.

Josh Daniel was average. He's one of the best in this category says Cheryl. Really? replies Simon.

Seann Miley Moore is a definite star for this year. He is brilliant in many ways with a cool personality and really is trying hard. Simon says Think like a winner. I think many of us see him as a winner already. After a few uncertain acts, the last two set the standard that others in the Boys category will need to match. I am assuming that Seann will be on the Boys category. That is by no means certain.

Anton is the backing singer who is well-used to being on the stage and his first audition was excellent. He should make it through on th basis of his ability and experience and he would be a lovable candidate on the Live Shows. But much depends on his choice of songs and this one was not a good one. If it was in tune ten I can only assume it was in one of several tunes. It lost me, although he was clearly trying terribly hard to get across the message in his song. He might have managed - in a weird way.

Alien get tagged with Groups 17-24 so that must be one category which implies there might be a Group Overs. They're sort of OK and I have a feeling they're the sort of fun group that the panel will want to put through. There may be several others, though, so it's too early to be sure. We know they'll be up against The Four Filipinos anyway.

Tonatha is like a young Sunitta. She ought to get through. Nice lady and a good performer.

Joseph McCaul doesn't strike me as a winner of this competition, despite being a good singer but his stage stance is odd. I don't see anyone joining his fan club.

Monica Michael is back after not making Judges' Houses last year. She sounds strong and can certainly sing but I feel she's a bit old fashioned and 'last year'. She may get through to Judges' Houses this year but I am not sure how much further she'll go. She did do a superb version of Ain't No Sunshine this time. The earrings out me off big time, though.

Crazy times again with Papasidero and his wings. OK but he should forget the fancy performance and the silly high notes.

Gem is soome old bloke who shouldn't have been allowed to get this far. Awful.

Andre Batchelor can dance well but his singing leaves a huge amount to be desired. Just amusing now.

Che Chesterman delays a lot and just goes silent which I think is an attention thing. He sings pretty well but isn't someone I can see a record company wanting to support, however good his voice is. God singer but odd personality.

Havva messes up. Jamie the Olly look-a-like too. Ebru stopped halfway though, or seemed to.

Mason Noise is a bit over-confident and self-aggrandising but is actually very good.

Bupsi is one of the older ones. She put on a mad performance before but this time does Rvery Time You Go Away quite well. She's an average singer but has quite a bit of appeal.

Ben Clark has a good voice, a bit like Che, and neither is what we'd really want to see on an album cover but, of the two, he has more appeal.

4th Power are so professional, delivering a mad version of Titanium with bags of power. Very co-ordinated and they can work together so well. They'll be through and still loo like winners to me.

The First Kings got great crowd support on the first audition. They're tagged Groups 21-28, They do some harmony stuff this time. Not bad. Not something I would rush to hear again but a decent job done. A bit dated, Simon and Chryl say.

Holly Johnson is nice and can sing well.

Ankhush Khanna shoudn't be there. He's OK but that's all and he is a bit painful to listen to.

A big girl with a big voice. I didn't like that. Someone who I did like is Kiera Wethers. A super audition, one of the better ones.

Louisa Johnson is a talent to be reckoned with. She looks good and performs well. I am not a big fan of her voice but she does look good. A definite contender for the Live Shows.

Essex girl Chloe, blonde No. 2, is very similar so there won't be room for both. I feel she may lose out to Louisa.

Gifty is another sort of blonde. No idea how old she is but she is one of the most accurate singers of the whole Boot Camp thing. Very good.

Charli Beard has an excellent voice too. Not as good as Gifty but a nice personality and a sort of happy girl.

Decision time. 24 acts for Judges' Houses. First they cut down to about 60 acts, 15 in each category.

Next week the 6 Chair Challenge will provide plenty of drama as the panel try to choose the six acts they prefer. Now they really should know which they want but it always seems to be a problem making decisions on the night. No doubt that will be the case again.

X Factor really is almost getting cool but can't compete with Dr Who.

The last of the auditions this weekend. Up against Dr Who for the first half hour I suspect most people will be watching this time-shifted. If they didn't record it then they're missed some very good acts - people who may or may not have been encouraged to audition but, whatever the case, have some experience and several could well already have a decent on-line following I suspect.

A nice start with Megan Dallas who gigs when she's not being an accountant. She is another of a kind that we haven't seen so many of in previous years, a sort of semi-professional talent who just hasn't been 'recognised' yet. Megan is great, very cool and with a totally original style that is unlike anything I've heard before. The crowd love her and she sails through to Boot Camp. I reckon she must already have a pile of You Tube videos.


Kerrie-Anne has been teaching and singing in Dubai. Another well practised talent. You can tell these sort of entrants are on a completely different level, acts who would have avoided X Factor in previous years. It is almost as if X Factor has become cool.

Lucy comes from Essex. She works at Boots and played in a duo in Hull (why Hull if she's from Essex?) and Nick remembered here from a gig he'd broadcast from. She's on her own now. She has a big voice and, although her audition was better than a lot I've seen them put through, I wasn't that impressed at first but her performance a capella at Simon's request (but pre-ordained by the producers I'm sure) was brilliant. That transformed her in my opinion and, yes, of course she's through to Boot Camp.

So that's three really competent acts who probably have a good occasional gig life and plenty of support on-line but need that extra push that this programme and, especially, Syco, can give them. It is an interesting development from the last ten years or so and probably too late to have much impact on viewing figures which is a shame as the show deserves good reviews if this standard is maintained and the idiot contestants are left out of the Live Show stages. Before it has been largely an entertainment show with a few candidates for a record contract and, most years, someone has made the big time in a deserving way, often not by winning but just by being recognised and getting backed somehow.

Next we have an Ahh moment with a married couple doing the Olly / Demi Up. They're a good-looking couple for sure. The girl's lovely. It was a little naff but they were good (and Olly sang along in the background). It could have been embarrassing but they deserve to move forward and reminded me (and Simon, I think) of the pair who won American Idol a couple of years ago. This pair are called Kay and Nigel I think. I can't remember the Idol pair's name now. That's terrible. Ah, I remember: Alex & Sierra. I wonder what happened to them?


Next we have another pair, Lou and Elle. i didn't like them as much but they were, none the less, in tune and could do well with some guidance.

Another married couple: two guys this time. The Shores weren't that good, I'm afraid.

Andy Taylor is an ice cream man and, ridiculously, brings on 99s for the judges. They amuse the crowd immensely by messing around with them which is a nice change from the moody years that we'll remember. He is an old bald chap with a big black beard but can perform on stage well. I don't see him getting too much further though.

Anton is 21 and comes from Tipperary. He also sings in pubs ('only been singing for three years'!) and is a likeable sort. He has a cheerful attitude, doing George Ezra's Budapest. Not an easy song but he is good. I like this fellow. He could easily fit in the Live Shows and they need young guys badly. Nice audition. One to watch.

D Tour are six lads who have a fair bit of audience support. They don't sound right, all over the place really. The panel are not very impressed. Some woman comes on and asks that they get a chance and they get another shot. I was expecting it to be one of those times when suddenly they sound superb but they didn't.

Chase Mystery tries to do a dance thing but he's not much good.

Olly said he nearly had a deal but it fell through. He tried a Wham number. Not much good but they do give him a second chance. I didn't think he would get that but there you go.

An old bloke. No, he's only 27. Ooops. Joe is from Ireland and is ginger. He says he has auditioned a few times and seems to have made it to Boot Camp at least once. This year he does a nice version of the soul song but whilst he sings well he moves pretty badly and the white trousers don't help him. Unusually, Simon says he'd like to give him a try and asked him to go off and come back with a new number. He tries the Whitney number I Want To Dance With Somebody. It was OK. I reckon he could be worth a second go at Boot Camp and the panel give him the chance.

Tori is no good and the judges say they're bored. Must have been a poor run and a miserable girl group don't help. Men On Point are a duo from Ghana and say they had some success there. Interesting. Turn It Up is an original number and I bet that was one of their hit singles from before. A good number, up to date and Rita adores them. She is only 24, after all, and that was ideal for her. They all like them and fly through. they could be entertaining in future shows.

So far, most programmes end with a star. Sherllynn is in the Overs category and says she sang around pubs and clubs from 13 to 30. She stopped when she had to care for her husband for 10 years so there's plenty of gooey back story and you just know that with all that past expertise in her armament she will be really good. She just has to be, doesn't she? All good emotional stuff. I'm not sure she'll get that far but she will definitely get a chance at Boot Camp.

Looks like it's Boot Camp starting tomorrow. Not my favourite part from past years but maybe they'll find some way to improve it.

It's worth looking back and seeing just who the show has found that have done pretty well (other than just after the show that Christmas) from each year.

2004 G4
2005 Shayne Ward and Chico
2006 Leona Lewis
2007 was a bad year although Rhyddian Roberts may have found a career in theatre.
2008 Alexandra Burke, JLS and Ruth Lorenzo, Diana Vickers
2009 Olly Murs, Stacey Solomon and Jedward
2010 One Direction, Rebecca Ferguson, Matt Cardle, Cher Lloyd
2011 Little Mix, Amelia Lily
2012 Ella Henderson, Union J, Rylan Clark
2013 another bad year
2014 Only The Young may make it. Ignore a couple of Big Brother people (Stevi / Chloe)

So you can see why the pressure has been on for 2015!

Here come some girls, and a few boys. And one more for the Live Shows?

Havva Rebke makes you smile just listening to that accent! She got through to Boot Camp three years ago and will do that again.Whether she gets further depends on how much the judge responsible likes her style. She's modern.

PYT were mostly Amanda Holden's Golden Buzzer choice on BGT earlier this year so just fly through. They didn't seem much diffrent to many others but are pretty professional sounding.

Calypso is French and 21. Now she is a bit different, with a strong but slightly forced voice. Easily through, a pretty damn good singer but I don't know how much public support she's get.

Another girl, Katie Coleman has a lot of peroxide blonde hair and a good spray tan which makes her seem less real than should be the case as she is an excellent singer and has a genuine, mature attitude. A good audition and I would expect her to make Judges' Houses.

I wonder if there'll be any men on this edition?

An odd older woman who teaches yoga is on next. Even if she sings well, I don't think she's someone we'll want to see on the Live Shows. As it happens this is one of the 'let's laugh at a crap contestant' moments and the sooner someone puts her out of her misery the better.

Naneth Lyons is another possible let down. She's very nervous. She looks a bit Filipino or Burmese or something like that and few like her can actually sing in most shows. This girl's different, though, and is quite good. A bit slow and serious with the old-style Somewhere There's A Place For Us. Possibly the best voice of the night for that sort of song. Good audition. I don't know how the Overs are looking but she ought to go a fair way with that talent.

Now some lads. Brodie Kelly is a good looking young one at 18. Nick likes him already. Plays a guitar and sings quite gently which is quite appealing but he'll need to do more than that. he'll be safely through to Boot Camp and, so far, we haven't seen many boys.

Ben Clark has a Beatles hair cut and a strong Bruce Springstein type of voice. Another guy easily through but, again, I'm not sure if he'll get that far.

Three 24 year-olds next in a band. Not brilliant but they're through.

Jo Waller sings his own song Stay. He's OK too. Not that much more really.

All a bit average so far from the boys. Rita does fancy all of them, it seems.

Back to the girls and have the producers kept a special audition for the end of the Sunday show? Lots of weepy back story make me think there must be something to make all the extra material worthwhile. let's see. Kiera Weathers sings We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off. Nice performance. She knows what she's doing and is very confident for an 18 year old. Sounds like the girl who got voted out wat too early in the year that James Arthur won. Lovely personality and she'll be around for a long time. She seems genuinely surprised at all the compliments. Nice.


That's it for this week. Another one for the Live Shows, I reckon.

Full marks to the producers this week! A bit rehearsed but no rubbish acts. One potential winner.

Papsidero starts us off this weekend with a pair of odd-looking wings. Simon gives away how long ago this was recorded by mentioning that we here in the UK have a seagull problem at the moment! He didn't make it on Italy's X Factor so is trying his luck here where we seem to have a habit of sticking nutters in wings on the show.

He's mostly in tune, as it happens. But he'd be better not screaming so much and losing the wings.

Alex Boye was on America's Got Talent and certainly has a good voice and plenty of energy. He's a safe bet for another programme but I am not sure he fits a Live Show line-up.

Janessa would suit a Burlesque show. She can dance well but the voice isn't going to sell any records.

An extremely odd pair come on next and they don't seem to be able to communicate very well.  They're called Rock & Rose and I wonder if that weird intro had been rehearsed. Anyway, the girsl is a fabulous singer, along Florence & The Machine lines. A really good performance. The guy played the guitar OK. It was an Emile Sande track, apparently. They seemed to stay very serious throughout, though. The guy stayed completely emotionless. very, very strange. I can only guess that someone in the production team told them to behave like that for the first audition just to make the show more interesting. She is the sort of act that I'f be happy to see winning this and she could definitely sell albums and do stadium concerts. The guy can just hang around.



Ellis Lacy is one of the few 'hunks' on the show so far, a navy weapons engineer, but he doesn't get through. We didn't hear much of what he had to offer.

Jade MacGuire next. She's 30 and had a record deal ten years ago. She was in a band called Pop! and says they had three UK hit singles. They were two Top 20 numbers and another made 26 but it looks like they didn't get the right promotion breaks from there. So this is a bit like The Voice which was famous for its old stars reappearing. It's not a good start but once she gets going it improves and she sort of gets the right notes. I'd expected better. She is a nice sort of person, though, who'll be cmpeting with that farm girl from Gloucestershire in someone's Judge's Houses in a few weeks' time. The audience like her.


Some slightly mature big girls do gospel. Called Silver Tone they ruin Rather Be and I hope Clean Bandit weren't watching the show. Not good. In another bit of what looked rehearsed they get told to come back with a gospel number. Some gospel guys are watching and urging them to do better next time. So we just know that the guys will be really good and, of course, so too, will be the girls.

They have a good, clean, look although the jeans on one look crazy. Anyway, Bekln do a pretty good job of Hold Back The River once they get past the first couple of lines. Lots of church runs and stuff like that but not the usual wailing you get from these choir people. Nice job. We should see quite a bit more of them.

Sure enough, the gospel girls reappear with a messy version of Still Waters Run Deep and a smattering of Bridge Over Troubled Water. Everybody thinks they're great but I wasn't very impressed. I am pretty sure that was all put together, as well as the filming of the guys watching them. That had to be prepared. Anyway, that's better than some of the real crappy acts that we've seen before. I hope Simon doesn't fancy putting a Big Gospel Choir together.

A young person at last. Charlie is 17, nice girl. A Change Is Gonna Come is a big number and she does it justice. Well done. She'll be around for a while. Performance of the night. (I'll add a video when one is available).

Vicki Nash next. She's a professional singer already and does a competent job but lacks something compared to a couple of acts tonight.

Back after not quite making Judges' Houses is Rumour Has It, three young girls who have plenty of confidence and come across as very modern and very well-rehearsed. Good job, they'll get through a round or two, no problem.


Monica is another act that got to the 6 chair challenge before Judges' Houses. That was a very good audition indeed. A good night for potential Judges' Houses acts. Monica will probably get there this time although how far after that I'm not so sure. We'll see.

Another well-planned ending!

As well as Overs X Factor needs an Odds category

A large young girl with red hair starts off the second audition for Week 2. She's OK but the makeover team will have their work cut out for them if she makes the later stages. Jasmine Leigh is reasonably in tune but really nothing exceptional and is followed by a few more contenders who all seem to be a little odd in some way.

Now there's nothing wrong in being a little odd. Indeed, it can even be a useful marketing tool for the record companies but I just don't see any of these people getting that far. Max Stone plays a guitar. He looks about 45 but is in his twenties. Add the fact that he's singing Bob Marley and that's different if nothing else. Quite a good performance overall and obviously through to Boot Camp with Jasmine.

Joining them is Ebru who describes herself as a freelance singer. She does seem to know what she's doing and her strained sort of voice sort of works. She'd look good on an album sleeve too,

So too would Sharon Rose who has a Diana Ross look about her but actually performs in much more soulful a way and comes across as quite naturally talented and a pleasant sort but still not someone I'd expect to make the Live Shows.

This year's really odd ball, and the sort to make a Live Show if the producers were going for the 'we need a weird entrant' route to improve TV ratings, could be Joselito, a 51 year old hairdresser who may be good at hairdressing but is rubbish at singing. He ruined Copa Cabana and took his time doing it too. How on Earth he got through I do not know.

If you were hoping that things might now start settling down and some normally pretty impressive acts would be coming on stage you'd have been disappointed as next come two dreadful acts I won't even bother name-checking.

A chap called Che Chesterman comes from Essex. Does everyone come from Essex this year? Apart from the Filipino band, that is. He's got a baseball cap on back to front and looks a bit strange but he puts in a strong audition and is in with a chance of a Live Show place f only because there are very few decent blokes so far. He needs some work, appearance-wise, but that may be feasible.

Karen is one of the big gospel girls. We haven't had many of them this year. She belts out a track fairly well but has a tinny sound. A bit forgettable.

Laura is getting on and comes from Ireland. She looks like she has just grabbed the first clothes she had lying around and wandered on to the stage. Almost zero presence but she does sing very well and in tune too which is nice. she might surprise us but I doubt it.

Jordan is possibly the first good-looking young chap to make a reasonable audition this year and we'll be seeing more of him I'm sure. Not a winner but he might get dragged into a composite group if there's one needed again this year.

Tonatha has a name that takes a bit of getting your tongue around but certainly has a nice red dress and moves exceptionally well in it. A cheerful girl who is actually a teacher and comes across as very confident with some disco-soul type track. Nice enough but that's all really.

As the evening drags to a close we've seen a good number of auditions but they are all pretty average really when you look back at them and, whilst many get through to Boot Camp and one or two might even get further, I simply don't see anyone who straightaway makes you think that they're a Live Show contender. That is, after all, what all this about. Make the Top 12 or whatever it will be this year and you have the chance of a lifetime, performing with lots of support and good advice, made up, hopefully, to look your best (although that hasn't always been the case!) and out there to win a few more votes than whoever gets the lowest and thus get a further week on our screens.

Perhaps one who might make at least the Top 24 is Hannah Marie, the last up tonight. She makes a good job of Freddie Mercury's Somebody To Love and provides the panel with that long-awaited Wow! moment. She shows signs of lots of classical training and seems very strong, with an impressive audition. On listening again, though, I am not so sure she made as good a job of hitting the notes as well as I thought she did when watching the programme on TV. She's 30 so would be a good candidate for the Overs category and I reckon she will be in the running for a position there. With her Gloucestershire Farm Girl background and nice personality she definitely comes across well on the screen.



Switching over to The Xtra Factor, there was another Overs act worth mentioning. A really very good performance by Anton Stephens (or maybe Stephans?) should see him safely through to the same group as Hannah-Marie, and both seem TV-friendly too. Anton has the slight advantage of experience, having been a backing singer with several famous names in the past and you can see he is comfortable on stage and also why he got that job in the first place. Now he may be a little past his best and there is a certain panic in his eyes but that may settle as he gets restored faith in himself.