For some totally inexplicable reason Dermot appears suspended on cables and gradually descends to do his usual sort of exaggerated half-twirl, introduces the judges and finalists and then gets hoisted up and away again. His departure looked most odd and I could have sworn that he had been detached from the device so may be that was a crafty bit of CGI. Anyway, the first half of the final is under way.
Tulisa seems to have been fortunate in getting back into people's good books and substitutes for Mel B who must be pretty ill to miss this event.
Take That, or what's left of them, start with an interesting but safe set of duets - I don't know the correct word for three singing with three but they paired off and Fleur was first to sing of the finalists - a pleasure to hear her going straight in with perfect tuning. No-one really did all that well but it was just a sing-a-long. I did notice the odds between Fleur and Ben swap, though, with Fleur becoming favourite!
We get shown bits from Ben visiting Croydon and various other cold-looking places where, of course, there are lots and lots of fans all promising to vote for him. Eventually he starts singing. Demons is exactly right for him and he makes a super job of performing this. Nice start, Ben. he also gets a lift device but the problem is that it stops in the air and he ends the song looking a bit odd stranded in mid-air.
Ben started just behind Fleur in the betting odds. He stays there despite that. Feedback from the judges was good but no-one really went out of their way on his behalf. All very nice.
Andrea next. Now he's starting at over 20-1. He can surely only improve on that. The producers had a bit of a problem as they could hardly take the Faustini battle bus to Rome or wherever he lives. So we get a restaurant scene and then a pile of people driving around London, hoping to catch some Italians on the streets here and there. He gets The Royal Albert Hall, though, which is far more impressive than some bandstand in Croydon which was Ben's venue. Interesting. he certainly 'looked' the bigger star in that comparison.
On to his performance. It's his excellent version of I'm Feeling Good. I say 'excellent' as he managed to stay more in control than he usually does and produced quite a classy act. The camera didn't linger on his front teeth as it normally does. That helped a lot. All in all he did really well and looked so much more professional in a smart suit and well presented. Despite all his best efforts, though, his odds didn't move at all. If anything, they widened to 23-1. I've said in a previous post that he isn't the right person to represent UK chart material around the world as people like One Direction, Little Mix, Olly, Leona and lots more X Factor successes have. As a quality performer of a certain type of ballad, however, he deserves respect and good luck to the fellow. Just how many Italians are there watching this show? If they can vote on apps abroad then anything is possible!
None of the buses had far to go. Fleur's turn. Walthamstow! Her fans seemed to fill the streets and looked most impressive. She performed in a sort of cinema. We didn't hear anything and it wouldn't have matched Andrea's venue.
She arrives on stage in a sidecar. I've no idea why but it looked good. The song I don't know. The City Can't Hold Us might have been its title. A big, fast, chunky performance of a dance tune with rapping and lots of good moves. She did look impressive and completely owned the stage and led the whole thing. Not my choice of music but there was real star quality for sure. Marvellous, even for a modestly uninteresting track. Louis says Simon has found an international star. Tulisa lays it down clearly that Fleur has it. Cheryl regards it as 'criminal' if she doesn't make the final. Compared with the reviews of the other two, that was quite remarkable. Simon says that if she isn't there tomorrow 'something will have gone very wrong'.
For all that, her and Ben's odds grew together, hers actually widening slightly and his staying about the same, Andrea's going towards 25.
We get Meghan Trainor doing her classic All About The Bass. It's the first time I've seen this girl. At the end she is joined by the three finalists. Of course, it's Fleur who looks the most comfortable!
Ben is very lucky to get to sing with Ed Sheeran and does a nice job of starting the song off. Ed is fresh from a very successful week on TV already so this can only help Ben. They sound pretty good together. Ben is reliable and this was an inspired choice. Ben's relaxed on the outside but you sense he is a bit overawed still. Another very nice job, though. He was so delighted to have been there.
Andrea is singing with Ella Henderson Ghost. It is much too fast and he is squawking a bit. I don't like this as much. Ella is very strong. She must be amazed to be on that stage just two years after being voted off the same programme in what I think was just 6th place. They get it together as the track ends and that was OK and not as bad as it could have been. Dermot says that she is the first contestant ever to be invited back for a duet in the final. That's interesting. It's also a reminder - as if, with One Direction and Olly Murs on the programme we need it - that the real winners are often the contestants that don't win!
Fleur is also very lucky and Simon tells her that Labrinth actually asked to perform with her. That's quite something and he introduces her. That's a first. It says a lot too. A fabulous performance that has the judges and almost everyone on their feet. They work well together. She is so good.
Oddly, the bookies have her going out to 2-1 and Ben back as clear favourite, very clear at the moment. I don't understand that. Looking at another betting site, though, I see that they went the other way so clearly it is anyone's guess. All that appears certain is that Andrea is not expected to stay.
Ed Sheeran is back and debuts his latest track. Nice. A good programme tonight.
Finally, Dermot brings us the results of the first decision - which two make it through to the Final Part 2 tomorrow? First through is Fleur. Excellent. And second is Ben. That seems right to me. Andrea gets plenty of appreciation. It was his time to go and he'll be looked after, I'm sure.
Apparently one of the Stones will be joining One Direction tomorrow night and we'll have Olly and the delightful Demi Lovato. And we'll have a winner for X Factor 2014.
Tulisa seems to have been fortunate in getting back into people's good books and substitutes for Mel B who must be pretty ill to miss this event.
Take That, or what's left of them, start with an interesting but safe set of duets - I don't know the correct word for three singing with three but they paired off and Fleur was first to sing of the finalists - a pleasure to hear her going straight in with perfect tuning. No-one really did all that well but it was just a sing-a-long. I did notice the odds between Fleur and Ben swap, though, with Fleur becoming favourite!
We get shown bits from Ben visiting Croydon and various other cold-looking places where, of course, there are lots and lots of fans all promising to vote for him. Eventually he starts singing. Demons is exactly right for him and he makes a super job of performing this. Nice start, Ben. he also gets a lift device but the problem is that it stops in the air and he ends the song looking a bit odd stranded in mid-air.
Ben started just behind Fleur in the betting odds. He stays there despite that. Feedback from the judges was good but no-one really went out of their way on his behalf. All very nice.
Andrea next. Now he's starting at over 20-1. He can surely only improve on that. The producers had a bit of a problem as they could hardly take the Faustini battle bus to Rome or wherever he lives. So we get a restaurant scene and then a pile of people driving around London, hoping to catch some Italians on the streets here and there. He gets The Royal Albert Hall, though, which is far more impressive than some bandstand in Croydon which was Ben's venue. Interesting. he certainly 'looked' the bigger star in that comparison.
On to his performance. It's his excellent version of I'm Feeling Good. I say 'excellent' as he managed to stay more in control than he usually does and produced quite a classy act. The camera didn't linger on his front teeth as it normally does. That helped a lot. All in all he did really well and looked so much more professional in a smart suit and well presented. Despite all his best efforts, though, his odds didn't move at all. If anything, they widened to 23-1. I've said in a previous post that he isn't the right person to represent UK chart material around the world as people like One Direction, Little Mix, Olly, Leona and lots more X Factor successes have. As a quality performer of a certain type of ballad, however, he deserves respect and good luck to the fellow. Just how many Italians are there watching this show? If they can vote on apps abroad then anything is possible!
None of the buses had far to go. Fleur's turn. Walthamstow! Her fans seemed to fill the streets and looked most impressive. She performed in a sort of cinema. We didn't hear anything and it wouldn't have matched Andrea's venue.
She arrives on stage in a sidecar. I've no idea why but it looked good. The song I don't know. The City Can't Hold Us might have been its title. A big, fast, chunky performance of a dance tune with rapping and lots of good moves. She did look impressive and completely owned the stage and led the whole thing. Not my choice of music but there was real star quality for sure. Marvellous, even for a modestly uninteresting track. Louis says Simon has found an international star. Tulisa lays it down clearly that Fleur has it. Cheryl regards it as 'criminal' if she doesn't make the final. Compared with the reviews of the other two, that was quite remarkable. Simon says that if she isn't there tomorrow 'something will have gone very wrong'.
For all that, her and Ben's odds grew together, hers actually widening slightly and his staying about the same, Andrea's going towards 25.
We get Meghan Trainor doing her classic All About The Bass. It's the first time I've seen this girl. At the end she is joined by the three finalists. Of course, it's Fleur who looks the most comfortable!
Ben is very lucky to get to sing with Ed Sheeran and does a nice job of starting the song off. Ed is fresh from a very successful week on TV already so this can only help Ben. They sound pretty good together. Ben is reliable and this was an inspired choice. Ben's relaxed on the outside but you sense he is a bit overawed still. Another very nice job, though. He was so delighted to have been there.
Andrea is singing with Ella Henderson Ghost. It is much too fast and he is squawking a bit. I don't like this as much. Ella is very strong. She must be amazed to be on that stage just two years after being voted off the same programme in what I think was just 6th place. They get it together as the track ends and that was OK and not as bad as it could have been. Dermot says that she is the first contestant ever to be invited back for a duet in the final. That's interesting. It's also a reminder - as if, with One Direction and Olly Murs on the programme we need it - that the real winners are often the contestants that don't win!
Fleur is also very lucky and Simon tells her that Labrinth actually asked to perform with her. That's quite something and he introduces her. That's a first. It says a lot too. A fabulous performance that has the judges and almost everyone on their feet. They work well together. She is so good.
Oddly, the bookies have her going out to 2-1 and Ben back as clear favourite, very clear at the moment. I don't understand that. Looking at another betting site, though, I see that they went the other way so clearly it is anyone's guess. All that appears certain is that Andrea is not expected to stay.
Ed Sheeran is back and debuts his latest track. Nice. A good programme tonight.
Finally, Dermot brings us the results of the first decision - which two make it through to the Final Part 2 tomorrow? First through is Fleur. Excellent. And second is Ben. That seems right to me. Andrea gets plenty of appreciation. It was his time to go and he'll be looked after, I'm sure.
Apparently one of the Stones will be joining One Direction tomorrow night and we'll have Olly and the delightful Demi Lovato. And we'll have a winner for X Factor 2014.
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