Live Shows Week 5: the three finalists are revealed

Six acts will become just three this weekend as X Factor rushes in a most ungainly way towards its end. It is almost as if the producers really don't want to be here any longer. Anything to cut down the number of days' performance fees for the panel and various acts and musicians. Next years maybe they'll negotiate fixed fees with everyone and then it doesn't matter how long the series lasts and we can a somewhat less desperate ending.

What makes this crazy truncation so annoying is the sheer quality this year of the contestants we have at this stage. Any one of the six could make it. I can imagine any one of them, even Matt, standing there with the storm of silver snow swirling around as he struggles with the final few lines of the winner's single.

Matt is, though, by quite a long way the least likely to survive of the six but in another year he would have made the final. There is such talent, and a big spread as to the people that talent might appeal to, that it is difficult to know who will win. It is all down to who is watching the programme and who amongst them can be bothered to vote. All of the acts can be regarded as winners in the sense that they'll get a contract, I'm pretty sure, from SYCO and a lot of promotion next year to get them on their way. Those that don't actually take the prize are still going to get lots of good opportunities to make records and get known amongst an audience that doesn't watch X Factor.

The Cutkelvins

Another new song. They seem to be coming alive now. Always seeming to take second place to Rak-Su but nevertheless coming out with great performances. This one does seem a little messier than some they have done before but it is still very good work. With a standing ovation from all four judges they must be satisfied at a good job done.

Matt
One of my favourite tracks as well as his, Gimme Shelter, is an unusual song to hear on X Factor. It could be a good move as he must know that he is one of the most vulnerable to leaving now. Unfortunately, it all starts far too weakly and doesn't have the urgency that the song needs. Then he rushes far too quickly into the familiar chorus, probably constrained by some 2 minute rule for the whole thing. Much depends on the backing on this track and here it is good but unexceptional and the drums are just plain annoying. Good in parts but I suspect that's the end of Matt's run.

Grace
Not an original tonight but David Bowie's Life On Mars. I have a vision of this girl writing for other artists and being extremely successful in that field. She is brilliant as a writer and can also sing very well and express her lyrics but I am not sure how well she'll go down in public after the initial gloss has worn off. It's a nice version of the Bowie song and certainly gets attention and she deserved the Standing ovation that she also gets.

Rake-Su
I thought this was another original but it seems that it wasn't. Sweet Female Attitude is not a track I'm familiar with but it suits them and they present their usual extremely professional performance. The track lacks something, though, and i don't think it's up to their previous standards but seems pretty popular still with the audience who love them. I am sure they remain favourites to win the whole thing and they'll take some beating.

Lloyd
It is strange to see him as the #1 boy this year. He does seem out of place too. There is some odd booing as Louis announces that Lloyd has been unwell and had serious voice troubles. But he will still perform. I don't know what the audience reaction was all about at all. Perhaps I missed something else. Anyway, Lloyd's first line shows how much he is suffering but you have to admire how he strives to complete the performance and really ends up doing pretty damn well. He is good at George Michael numbers and that helps him have appeal to potential voters. There is much appreciation for what he does and that could make a difference to whether he or Matt stay.

Kevin
Kevin does Come Together, the Beatles' classic. He has the look and sound of a real rock star. A super performance - all spot-on and in tune, of course. I do wonder quite what the public will make of this, though. Quite a change from his previous performances but really, really good. I think this chap is the real star of the series. I would like to see him win. Really hope he makes it through.

Sure enough, in the first vote it is Matt who makes 6th place.

Dermot tells us that two will go on Sunday. That seems to be the first that most people know about that.

Part 2

In the second part of the weekend's show on Sunday it is now a serious matter of five acts being cut to three after just a single track. I think this is mad but that's the way it seems to have to be.

Lloyd
He does a cover of Coldplay's Fix You. Beautifully sung but is this 2017-8 material or an oldies collection for mums at Christmas? I admire this chap's abilities but I do believe that this is as far as he goes.

Rak-Su
They reprise I'm Feeling You', their own number which looks like it will turn into a big hit for them. They are certainly current and a complete contrast to Lloyd. On past votes I imagine that they'll get through with no problem.

The Cutkelvins

Show Me Love is not that well-known but they put on a super performance. Very professional and they deserve to do well. Relaxed, confident but I just feel they won't get enough votes with only three going through. If they were to make it then it would be in place of Grace or Kevin, however, which just isn't going to happen.

Kevin

He is playing the Jimi Hendrix track Voodoo Chile. Wow. A marvellous performance. Really, really impressive and just... wow! But... despite that being one of the best ever performances on X Factor in all time will the people who watch and vote like it as much as I do? It actually put both groups in the shade, strangely, as one guy totally took over the show for a couple of minutes.

Grace

Unbelievably, this girl comes out with another original song. Surely that has to be a big, big risk at this stage, especially with Rak-Su retreating to known territory of a tried and tested own song. Wolves is quite different from her previous stuff and is excellent and, as always, well-written. Much faster and quite commercial too, showing Grace as more of a performer than just the writer who sings her own songs. It may not have the endearing quality that her previous sadder songs have had but it is very good, none the less. The question is: is that enough? She needs to edge out Lloyd or the Cutkelvins to reach the final.

I think she will and predict the final three as:

Rak-Su | Grace | Kevin

I got that right. So next week it will all be over.

Live Shows: Week 3 Wham Sam survives

George Michael week. That should suit some more than others.

Rak-Su

A very professional performance once more but I found it a bit 'thin'. Good but not brilliant or particularly memorable. Although they're tipped as favourites to win, this is not their week to excel but they'll be hoping one of the other groups fails.

Matt

Careless Whisper as you probably haven't heard it before and may not want to hear it again. Bad start. This was really not very good. As things move along he does get more of a grip on the track and it ends in the 'OK' range but that's about it. Very average and certainly not inspiring. Sharon raves about it but I have no idea why.

Jack & Joel

They should do well as they have a definite Wham! look and sound. A great copy of Edge of Heaven. One of the pair has a great voice and sounds just like a young George Michael too. However, I suspect that voters will want something more original. For all that it was far more entertaining than the previous two acts.

The Cutkelvins

I am always impressed by this group. The girl is fabulous and possibly one of the best performers of the series this year. They do Killer / Papa Was a Rolling Stone and it's excellent. Best of the night so far by a long way.

Sean & Conor Price

They do Freedom. They were vulnerable last week but survived and made a better effort of things this week. Much more professional and confident. It's a good choice and they showed off their harmony skills well but made some mistakes in the break part and the performance, as so often has happened, fell apart. They need either more practice or less nerves or both. The crowd, however, seem great fans and they do have a lot of screen appeal so may survive.

Kevin

Fast Love. Sitting at a piano this week, Kevin gives us a very cool version of this track. Really very nice and, as the song progresses, you realise that this is the performance of the night by a mile and here is a serious contender for the whole thing. Amazingly good.

My ratings:

Overs: 1 Kevin | 2 Matt
Groups: 1 Cutkelvins | 2 Jack & Joel | 3 Rak-Su | 4 Sean & Conor Price

Winner: Kevin
Going home: Matt

Matt survives and it's Jack & Joel who go. Fair enough. They were doing well but were not going much further.

Now it's the Girls v Boys

Alisah

Praying For Time. You can always rely on this girl to sing well from the very start. Someone said that she needed to get the meaning of the songs across and this week she did try. But I would still put her on the West End stage and not on Chart albums. She would do extremely well and be very popular too in productions but, as a record artist, I don't think much would happen for her at all.
She tries hard and it is all very 'big' but there isn't a great deal to remember. She's vulnerable, I feel.

Sam

I'm Your Man Great song. Hoping to see this guy do well. We know that Lloyd will croon away and get all the grannies' votes so this is an important week for Sam to get his style across and show how he can be relevant and sell stuff too.
He doesn't do that well, though. It was another 'OK' performance but it lacked something. Just a bit bland. Good in some ways and they guy stays in tune and clearly enjoys himself. No problems performance wise but just, well a bit grey. He could be in trouble this week after all.

Grace

There have been several rumours that she has been difficult to manage and whether having an affair in the house with Matt has helped or hindered her I don't know. Her shining star from the first two weeks does seem to have fallen rather so she needs to rescue what was a leading position.

This was a powerful performance combined with a lot of genuine vulnerability and emotion. Very good. That should see her through despite whatever has been going on. She has 'star quality' which is, indeed, the 'X Factor'. Interesting comments. 'No compromise' says Louis. 'You've had a hard week' from Sharon and 'Tough week' from Dermot. To viewers not connected to social media of the red top newspapers that will have meant little.

Rai-Elle

Yet another wobbly start from this girl. She really should pick tracks, or change them so she can start with confidence. The song is a lot older than she is in many ways but once she gets under way this is quite impressive. Her voice is remarkable this week and the song just seems to suit her completely. I didn't recognise the track at all and it was not easy by the sound of it. She made a brave move there and finished with a most stunning performance that may have taken everyone by surprise. This was not expected to be a good week for the little girl. Instead it has become a possible milestone on her way.

Lloyd

A Different Corner
Nice choice of track and I have to say that this was a superb performance, a very, very classy performance of this song. It had Sharon genuinely in tears. Whilst Lloyd is still not X Factor material in my view but someone who could fill a stage production or do serious stuff somewhere, I was impressed by this and he will certainly fly through to next week.

Holly

Here is another superb singer who hasn't yet really identified with the show or the public. She does Goodbye, another very difficult song but she produces sheer quality from the first note. I don't know how many of the voters will recognise this quality or the song, though. I hope enough do to give her a chance to find herself. I feel she may only get one more chance but, get it right and she could triumph.

My ratings:
Boys: 1 Lloyd | 2 Sam
Girls: 1 Rai-Elle | 2 Holly | 3 Grace | 4 Alisah

Winner: Lloyd
Going home : Alisah

I get those right.

The set for the 'Prize Fight' is fabulous for Kevin. Another great performance. But so too is Lloyd once more, possibly even better than a short while ago.

Lloyd wins the 'fight'. I would have given it to Kevin but, to be fair, he has already won a 'prize' so this is OK, apart from it being opening for Little Mix!! Not so sure how that will work but I'm sure he'll put on a flawless performance. Odd but there you go.

Live Shows: Week 2

We start with the Groups and the Boys categories.

The prize for this weekend is announced as time with a writing team who have been responsible for a huge number of successes for, amongst others, Madonna, Aria Grande and 1 Direction. This is quite impressive and relevant too.

The producers still seem to think it is a good idea to have a theme each week, regardless of the fact that it will simply not suit some people at all, but I guess they'll cope. This time it's Latino music which has certainly begun to take the charts by storm of late.

Jack & Joel

SYCO's Camilla Cabello, once of Fifth Harmony, who I raved about when they were on X Factor USA some time ago, is at Number 1 at the time of writing and so choosing that track is a stroke of genius by the clever lads Jack & Joel who are first up.

I have to say that I was not expecting this duo to be good but one of them is a really good singer and they can actually pit on a really entertaining performance. I think having brains also helps. A Spanish rap gets included too, ticking all the boxes. They remind me for a moment of Wham.

Simon suggests that the acts should try to 'make a record' each week which is pretty good advice. We learn that Grace Davies was at #2 in downloads.

This weekend we get extremely long intros before each track. I do hope they don't get ever longer as the number of contestants reduces.

Leon

He chooses Get Lucky. The backing track does most of the work in his performance. No show of his range but he does seem reasonably professional. Not bad, but not great.

Sean & Conor Price

they like to put their own spin on a well-known song. But this time they try to do something with Cheap Thrills which didn't work for me. A bit awkward, I felt but, oddly, they seem to get a huge crowd response.

They did say themselves that they had wanted to strip the song back and that they felt it was over-produced. Fair enough.

Lloyd

a good week for this fellow. He does Hero and it's quite formal rather than sexy. All very good, solid stuff but simply not current or particularly imaginative.

The Cutkelvins

They choose a Little Mix track and it's nice and very current. Quite a contrast to Lloyd and really streets better than anyone else so far. Really well-performed. Maybe not their best but it works well. They fill the stage and deserve to get through.

Rak-Su

Yet another of their own songs! Amazing. This is also a genuine Latino number too. The crowd go mad for these boys. They're looking like winners at the moment.

Sam

Difficult to follow that but Sam does well, choosing La Bamba which suits him down to the ground. Coupling it with Twist & Shout he produces a really fun performance and looks confident on the stage.

My rating:

Boys: 1 Sam | 2 Lloyd | 3 Leon

Groups: 1 Rak-Su | 2 Jack & Joel | 3 The Cutkelvins | 4 Sean & Conor price

I reckon Leon will be going home and Rak-Su will 'win' the night. Got that right!

---

Now it's the Girls and the Overs.

Grace

That was a reasonable performance of a cover. Good singing but she was not the stand-out of quality as before. Not at all bad and I hope she does get through. Judging by her popularity from last week, I imagine she should be safe.

Trace Leanne

Although she is very confident on stage this didn't work. A poor song choice that is not well-known and, whilst suiting her style, may not appeal much to voters other than her core supporters. The audience response seems pretty good, though, so maybe that sounded better in the arena than on the TV.

Rae-Elle

A little live wire and she seems much more at home with this theme than the two before. Good Spanish too. She does seem off-key for quite a while which is annoying and a pity because if she chose a different key or simply stayed in the same one it would have been pretty brilliant. She is an excellent performer.

Holly

The recent No. 1 that she chooses does suit her well although she seems to be thinking more about the words and she certainly doesn't come across as sexy as the song intends. At times she seemed a bit desperate too and she may suffer this week as a result. She looks nice and has a super voice but this was not a good theme for her.

Kevin

Totally natural, this guy, with a lovely Santana style guitar spot too. He's good, very good. It's a superb rendition of the track. A bit dated, I suppose, but quality and a half. He gets a standing ovation from all four judges. That was well-deserved and says a lot.

Alisah

Lots of energy and you have to admire the work that this girl puts into her songs and rehearsal. She lets herself go on this and the track is even quite sexy in places but it does seem like she is putting on an act, trying a bit too hard and just not natural. It's OK but I am not sure about where she's going in this competition.

Matt

the final act is Matt with his own version of La Vida Loca. He even adds a rap to it and it is all on a very strange set - just a box that opens with dancers everywhere and then he's back in a box again. That was weird but a fairly good performance anyway.

My rating:

Girls: 1 Rae-Elle | 2 Grace | 3 Holly | 4 Alisah
Overs: 1 Kevin | 2 Tracy | 3 Matt

I can see Matt going home and Kevin being the winner.

I'm right about Kevin, who also goes on to win the prize, with poor old Rack-Su missing out twice now.

I'm wrong about Matt, though, as it is Tracy who goes home.

Six Chair Challenge: madness rules OK, mostly just for TV

Now it's Simon's turn with the groups, most of which we really don't seem to have seen a great deal of so far.

Afro Swagg are first. No idea who they are. OK, some fun and they're got some appeal but I can't see them going very far.

Beau Road - another virtual unknown, although I do vaguely remember the very first audition. The first vocal was not good and they go off key afterwards several times. Not good.

The Cutkelvins - we do know them and they have been good, helped by an experienced girl lead. They're really good this time, streets ahead of the first two acts. A good length audition too. I don't understand why the auditions are such different lengths. Are they being cut back for the TV show?

Lemonade - another group we have seen almost nothing of. In fact I wondered whether they were a made-up group from entrants in other categories! They're very good and seem young and current too. The audience love them. Pretty clear that they'll be retained.

Easy Life - and another I haven't remembered, if, indeed, we've seen them before anyway. This is a replay of XFactor USA's Alex & Sierra's Say Something. Very nice but too short. Signs of talent there but they are a few years late.

Jack & Joel are in competition with the other brothers coming up. there's not really room for both, although they are different. A pretty professional performance was surprising with beat boxing and stuff which will have limited appeal. That gets stopped and they do a second song.That goes down well too and difficult not to give them a seat after that.

NQ - another new one on us viewers, competing with Beau Road and Lemonade. This is a bit boring, though. they're OK but not going anywhere. Nicole doesn't seem to be a fan and they don't get a second chance.

Rak Su - these guys we do know and they have also done well so far with very good reviews. They're doing an original track which is modern and maybe a bit boring but the crowd love them and the panel definitely want them. They get Beau Road's seat.

JBK is the Filipino group that we saw a couple of times. They're not for the UK market, though, just a cruise ship band. They could be good but they're something from the 1990s and the accents and style are not good in 2017. They get worse as they go on and end up being pretty poor. Louis, Sharon and Nicole seem to love them. Eh? Not sure why. Louis says they're the 'best vocal group'!! My God, Louis, what are you listening to? Odd indeed. They still get Afro Swagg's place.

Sean & Conor Price have been my own favourite act in the Groups category since they started. I find them an impressive talent. Louis says they're his favourite too. They do an original song. Nicole says they're her tip for the competition too. They get stopped. It seemed OK to me and far too early to know how the track might have developed anyway. They get a second song. It's a bit of a mess but I still want to see them through. They get the seat and the Easy Life pair go. Pity.

Now, Simon has formed a new girl group. Apparently they only got together at 10pm the night before so what they produce is all the more impressive. Hey Mama a Nicky Minaj track is great and really suites them well. The girls all come across as professional. It's pretty clear that they'll get a seat but there's some playing around with the viewers to come. Simon decides that they need another singer and brings in someone called Ash who was in one of the other groups. Not sure which. This is odd TV as well as you get the feeling it is not all as unplanned as it might appear.

The new girl gets to demonstrate how she can fit in at a moment's notice and they get a seat, of course. JBK are sent home. Good, although everyone shouts about that. there's a sing-off between lemonade and JBK and it's even more clear that sending JBK back to the Philippines is a good idea. Nicole is not at all happy and walks off. Louis wanted JBK too. Heaven help us.

Next we have the Overs and that is Nicole's category.

Danny Lambo is first up and I hadn't even realised that he was still in the competition. Goodness knows how that could be. They must be very short of talent. The crowd actually boo him. He's very poor but gets a seat. This is not a good start.

Talia Deane is next. She's nervous but really very good, an excellent performance, mostly, just loses track at the end a bit. The crowd like her a lot. The panel gives us their views - we didn't get that for the previous act. She gets a seat.

Bill Downs sings Songbird  through his nose mostly. A very, very short track - just two lines! Better than Danny but no point putting him on a seat, although he does get one for now.

Klavko. Oh dear. Whilst he is better than many of previous years' 'Louis Acts' it seems pretty mad to keep him. The crowd are not that impressed either.

So far this is a pathetic category.

Gary Barker is average. He has a good voice but is really not here as a winner.

Berget Lewis puts the others in the shade vocally but she is still not a winner. She can sing but she is unattractive when she is singing and not someone that seems to appeal much. She has come from Holland where she couldn't make it and sees the UK as a better market. She could get a West End part from this maybe.

Leroy is an old bloke, 70+. An enjoyable act but really?? Crazy Nicole gives him a seat. At least that sends Danny Lambo home.

Loverine is another Filipino act. There are several this year doing well. She was good in auditions and is better than all we've seen so far but is she really current or just a big club singer? Now we get the weird stuff for TV. Nicole gives Loverine Talia Deane's seat while the old man and the boring other guys stay. That is quite wrong. Surely even she can see that. This has to be for TV. Talia does, indeed, get called back and the Bill bloke goes.

Kevin Davy White is next and he is a really good singer who does deserve a seat. He's a natural, great voice and nice personality. He'll go far. An easy seat decision and Gary B goes. If Nicole really had doubts about Talia then surely she would have sent her home now?

John Lilygreen is next and sings his own song. Good, very professional, although, again, what we see seems much too short and it has to have been edited, surely! I'm not sure how far he'd go but he is better than the old Leroy chap so needs to be kept for now at least. He gets the seat but it is Loverine who Nicole sends away! This is really quite odd. I do not know what is going on.

Matt Linnen comes on and you can see that Nicole is a major fan of this guy. He's a bit like Bruce Springstein used to be. One of the best of her category and a definite contender we could see in the Live Shows. His song was a bit of a mess but he's in and finally old Leroy goes. Fair enough.

Tracy Leanne Jefford is the one with the accent and very black hair. she has a good song in You Don't Own Me but Simon stops her as she gets going. She struggles with high notes. She offers to do it a capella but still doesn't make the notes. Seems that she has chosen the wrong song, key or something. Simon says that she really should still get through, despite all that. I guess they must have seen her in rehearsals or something. Anyway, to everyone's surprise she gets a seat and John Lily green goes home, not looking that pleased about it, either. I suspect that he won't be supporting the X Factor in future.

A very messy set there but eventually the Overs get their six contestants and Talia survives.

The last category to be sorted out is The Boys and it's Louis's turn.

Lloyd Macey is first on. he has a very fine voice but is just a little too old style for this competition with his auditions. Nice chap and gets an initial seat which makes sense.

Leon Mallet is one of a duo that I don't recall. They got split and enter now as individuals. This guy is good and the girls will love him as he has some kind of appeal. He's modern and that went down very well. Louis drags out whether he should or shouldn't have a seat and it's all a bit silly. It's obvious to everyone that he'll get one so let's just get on with the show, Louis. Please.

Leon's brother Alex is not so good and he gets sent home. Fair enough.

Anthony Russell is the Liverpool lad who was always leaping around and seemed a bundle of nervous energy. He's very likeable and now appears in a dark suit! Very smart but not what anyone expected. He says he's £80 overdrawn and shows us the tags are still in the jacket! He's a great character. Not sure how much of that I believe but more than maybe I should! Anyway, he does a nice, calm version of You're Beautiful. Not the best of tracks and he did start wobbling at the end but the crowd love him and he deserves the seat he gets.

Spencer is the guy from Ohio who wished they were still doing X F actor USA. He tries Don't Cha which is Nicole's old group, Pussycat Dolls' track, so risky. He does a great version. very talented. More terrible acting from Louis. Gets the seat eventually.

Enesi is another new one to me. He does Human Nature really quite well. They need a black guy on the show but Louis says no. That's a surprise. Enesi is not going to be a fan of X Factor either.

Benji Matthews has been very good so far. A bit quirky but the guy can write excellent songs and I can them being picked up by SYCO so he'll get a contact one way or another. It's a too short audition for viewers again but seems very good. Nice personality. Simon didn't like the song but Louis gives him a seat after the usual pathetic acting.

Gregor Coleman sings Yellow. Great song but not well performed. Not a good enough singer and this is one of the few times I've disagreed with Simon Cowell who reckoned he was one of the best. He gets a seat.

Aidan Martin plays the piano and songs what I think is also an own song. An emotional performance and he puts a lot into this and we get a decent length track for this one. Big audience response. Now the crazy stuff again. Louis wants to give him Leon's seat. No way. Louis brings Leon back after an age and all sorts of TV nonsense. I can't remember who he sends home instead. All a bit silly.

Russell Jones is on and is distinctly retro and a bit weird. He is a bit embarrassing and gets sent home pretty quickly.

Last up is Jack Mason, the red cheeked slightly chubby chappie that X Factor always seems to find for the grannies. He sings Rise Up which is not an easy song to do. He works hard and maybe goes a bit OTT with this but at least you can see he cares. He gets his pace but silly Louis says it's between Spencer and Benji who should go home. Eh?? What's going on?

Spencer does a few lines of A Change Is Gonna Come and is superb. Benji is much less confident with a few lines from Some people and he struggles with the notes so the decision would be obvious. But now Louis wants Lloyd to sing too. He seems pretty mad. Lloyd is actually extremely good under pressure and is better than both of them in that sing-off! So Louis sends Benji home. Sharon and Nicole are very annoyed but that's the way this crazy show goes at this stage.

A mad time, not helped by some made for TV moments and some weird editing. at the end, the six people going forward seem Ok and not at all bad as a selection with no majot omissions I can think of.

You can see a summary of the Top 24 at the page linked in the menu.

Six Chair Challenge: The Girls. No More Annoying Mums.

The last auditions in the second (and slightly better) part of Boot Camp continues with people performing on a decent stage in Wembley.

The Clique did a very messy version of Scrubs which could have been good but this group we shall see no more.

Daniel Quick is a tubby lad who the grannies will love. He gets too much TV padding too, with a whole load of stuff to extend his session. He is off-key despite a good effort and a generally good voice. He does try hard to get through but Simon, seeing quite a lot of sense this year, says no and that's his chances gone for another year. There was a hint here that Nicole might get the Boys.

Scarlett Lee is the orange girl. She puts in quite a decent performance but still insists on mangling words unnecessarily. There is some talent there and she is confident and takes her own way forward rather than copying others. The make-up, though, is dreadful and she is not at all pleasant to watch on a big screen.

Anthony Russell can only come from Liverpool with that accent. Likeable chap but you do wonder whether he has some disorder with all the bouncing around and need to talk all the time. He is 'manic' as Simon says and gets asked to do something a capella. That's much better as he tends to stay put a bit more and you can see he has a great voice and you can't help liking the chap and his attitude. The crowd love him and he's entertaining too. A possible dark horse.

Another group comes on. Could be Rack Su. They clearly know what they're doing and we just get a glimpse and they're through.

Tracey Leanne has a great song in Be My Baby which, whilst old school, works magnificently for her. She is quite talented but still has a bit of the cruise singer about her and I don't see her going much further despite getting through this time.

Slavko is the guy from Montenegro's Eurovision entry that Nicole loves for some reason I fail to comprehend. He looks like being the 'odd ball' this year. In fact, this performance was not at all bad as he didn't try the silly stuff with his pony tail which fell off anyway, destroying quite a few publicity shots and his reputation for having the longest one in the business.

Deanna sings Thinking Out Loud and always seems to choose quite tough songs. She looks fabulous and is a ready-made star in my view. She was not as good this evening as she has been but I am pretty sure she'll be in the Live Shows and in with a good chance of winning.

Talia Dalorto is nervous. Mother calling out is annoying. She is OK but not spectacular. I would drop her at this stage.

Nicole Caldwell is really nervous and Nicole S gives her a hand. A very nice touch that didn't seem rehearsed. One she gets going the second time she is much more alive but I still feel she could be a bit too limited for the show.

Grace Davis ends the evening with something a  bit special. This girl is really, really good. Not only does she come across well but she has an extraordinary talent in writing as she does yet another of her own songs and brings the house down. She is a star, for sure, whatever happens on this programme.

We learn at the end who gets which category. Simon has the groups, Nicole the Overs (surprisingly), Louis has the Boys and Sharon the Girls.

Now we move on to the Six Chair Challenge.

Sharon starts with her choices for the Girls.

Scarlett Lee has even more shades of orange now. She claims to be a make-up artists but really someone needs to give her some advice in that department. As for her audition, she puts in a good effort but I fear her mangling of words will get annoying and she is definitely not pleasant to watch. However, there is talent and she gets a seat to start.

Hayley gets about two lines of Come Together and doesn't get a chair. She wasn't at all bad in what we did hear but I guess she was never going to get far anyway.

Sky Sarong-Hermaline may not be her correct name but that was all I could read quickly. I don't remember this girl at all. Who is she? Another very short effort, though, and too little to get anything from. She seems a nice girl but a bit average. She gets a seat.

Rae-Elle is the little girl from Croydon. Just 16 and looks just 16. She does Bridge Over Troubled Water with no backing track. Very good and the crowd like her. She seems quite smart for her years and deserves that seat, albeit still a bit average.

Holly Tandy is also very young but immediately comes across as so much better than all we've seen so far! Just spot-on straight away. She sings Lady Gaga's On The Edge really well. A brilliant, if too short, audition. Thoroughly deserves the seat.

Nicole, the nervous one from yesterday, has a very good audition with Praise You and seems to have found herself at last. Nevertheless we get the feeling Sharon is not a fan and, despite being far better than several already sat there, she is out.

Shanayah, in contrast, is off-key with a bad start to her song. Quite painful listening to her and she has a very annoying mother in the audience. This is awful. So is her make-up. She gets a seat, though. God knows why.

Elysa V is from Australia and we haven't seen a great deal of her to date. She does a modern Meghan Trainer number well, the first real 21st Century track really. She can perform and is quite different to everyone else. She gets a seat.

Talia D is back with another excellent start. She is a good singer and better than several already seated. She gets a seat.

Alisha is the girl from the Philippines that gets lots and lots of coverage - she is like the poster girl for the 2017 show. A very popular act and she has a great voice. In some ways she would suit the West End better than the charts but I can see why the judges and SYCO would want to keep her on board and get her onto the Live Shows anyway. She has a decent length audition too, interestingly, compared to most others. She gets Talia's seat.

Jenny Ball is, again, better than any on seats and gets Shanaya's seat which is a good move. I still don't see Jenny making the Live Shows though as she seems a bit average really. Nevertheless it's good to see Shanaya out. The audience didn't like that, though.

Deanna is next. This is my prediction to go a long way in the competition and I can imagine she'll get a contract anyway. She is brilliant again. Her range, appearance, presence and attitude are all faultless. Tonight, though, I still give Holly the edge but, of course, Deanna gets a seat and Jenny goes.

Grace Davis produces yet another original song! This girl has so much natural talent. She is a fantastic find this year and ought to be a sure-fire Live Show contestant. Quite a risk to do an original at this stage but it works really well. Great notes, control and the song shows off her voice and range very well, as one might expect, of course. She is a force to be reckoned with and a guaranteed contract, whatever happens.

Now the fund starts and you wonder whether we're just being played as an audience. Sharon gives Grace Alisha's seat. This has to be for TV as I know that Alisha does actually get through!  So the crowd and other three judges complain and moan and shout for a while.

Poor Kelsey Gill has to cope with all that which seems most unfair. A pretty blonde that we have not seen much of, she also does an original and that's a very nice audition. I'd definitely give her a chance but Sharon doesn't. Simon makes a comment that he has seen several girls rejected that he would like to see in the show still. He says to Louis he can see a girl group being put together and, of course, he is in charge of the groups too.

Georgina P is pretty good. We have seen a lot of her before and she is a Top 6 girl for sure. She wobbles around some of her notes but is a great performer and better by far than Scarlett. Georgina gets the seat but who goes?

Sharon asks Scarlett, Rae-Elle and Alisha to sing again for the fifth and sixth seats. Scarlett's bad habits all returned. Quite painful to listen too and watch. Rae-Elle is so composed for her age. Far better too. The Alisha seems to find a completely different side to her character, producing rap, modern, totally 21st Century performance and making everyone wonder where on Earth that came from! So it's pretty obvious that Scarlett has to go.

Good. No more noisy mums.

Boot Camp. Glad that's over.

This is Boot Camp. It is not the most pleasant section of X Factor to watch and I really do think they should make some major changes to make this weekend's viewing rather more pleasant.

The Wall Of Songs seems a strange concept to me. What on Earth has the ability to run across a room, read song titles and grab them before someone else have to do with one's potential to entertain and delight an audience?

Oh well, it's over fairly soon and the slightly better Wembley Stage auditions are much more appropriate for those who reach them.

First there are 124 acts that have to get reduced to about one-third the number between now and the Six Chair Challenge coming up next weekend.

There isn't a great deal one can write about what happens in the first stage so here are one-liners for those who deserve them:

Kevin Day White just sings and gets on with it. Expect to see more of him.
Anthony Russell bounces around rather desperately but could be OK.
The Cutkelvins are nicely energetic.
Georgina P gets lots of praise but seems to be all over the place, notes-wise
Talia - not enough to be able to comment
Scarlett Lee - annoyingly OTT
Daniel and Harvey - very unexceptional
Rack Su - excellent again. You'll see more of them.
New Dynamix - also good.
Holly T - one of my favourites except for her serious face which doesn't make her quite as likeable as she may need in the Live Shows which she could reach.
Chloe - I couldn't hear her
FAE - never seen this group before?
Aidan - is he really 27? Stood out but a bit off.
Jodie - she is very annoying and actually not at all good. Not worth the tv time she's getting.
Mother & Daughter 'Descendance' - as expected the mother is pretty useless and doesn't stand a chance whereas the daughter could do well and we get the 'arranged for TV' will-she-won't-she thing and, after far too long, Hayley, the daughter, goes forward alone.
Russell Jones - good but in totally the wrong company!
Alisah B - the girl from the Philippines is very good, although just a little bit too desperate, I feel. It is odd TV when they say she is not through when one considers the paucity of talent in many of the acts they have put forward to the Wembley round.
Rae-Elle - another good girl we'll see more of
Deanna - my potential winner. Excellent audition again.
MQ - couldn't tell who or what they were.
Lloyd - very good.
Grace - very good, excellent in fact.
Spencer from the States is also excellent
Gregor - OK, I suppose but that's all.

Now we get Part 2 and some single auditions on stage - much better idea of what the acts could be like.
.
Matt Linnen has a pretty solid audition with a slightly weird If I Were A Boy. He's reliable but i don't see him winning.

Shanaya is very popular with the audience but she isn't very good. Massive applause but too many bad notes for my liking.

The annoying and not particularly attractive Jodie makes a return. Very modest audience welcome and virtually no applause. She's out, thank goodness.

Alisha is back again. Simon says You got so upset. Well, naturally. You chucked her out. She performs Gravity. She is a potential West End star for sure and really should get some offers there. She could be a bit old-fashioned for X Factor 2017 and also does actually miss rather too many notes along the way. She has a nice personality and does make good TV in the meantime.

They continue on Sunday:

Sean & Conor price were one of the best at the first auditions. Begging seemed OK to me but Sim asks for another. That also seems good. The crowd love them and I'd definitely want to see them progress. They do, eventually, get put through but you do have to wonder just how much of the deliberation and doubt was purely for the viewers.

SJ Hill is simply boring and forgettable.

Jack Mason - I don't know if we saw his first audition or Boot camp efforts. He is a very good singer. Not sure I want to watch him but he certainly sounds good. Is he modern enough, though?

The Cutkelvins are back again. It really is the girl who does it all at the moment. Very professional.

Gary Barker - another not visually someone I want to watch but a fair voice. I don't see him going far, though.

Holly Tandy is 16 today! Well, the day of that audition. Marvellous. One of the best. Just too young to know what the words of some tracks really might mean, that's all.

Sam Beck sings Runaway. He did something like that before too. Great 1950s style voice and I can see him doing well in some West End shows along those lines. He doesn't make it through but does propose to his fiancee on stage!

Berget is the Purple Rain lady and is very professional again. She deserves to go to the next stage but I am not sure she is up-to-date and likely to sell records.

Karen Kennedy is similar. Good, professional but just out of date now. No-one is going to buy her records.

Jordan sings his own songs. Neither are great. That's it for him. Bad move.

LT from Essex, whoever he is, does actually have a decent song of his own. He is through but I am not sure he'll catch people's attention.

Benji from Cornwall is a pleasant chap. Patchy performance in places and I don't see him going far but the sort of contestant to have around a while.

Georgina P is back. She wailed last time and was all over the place but seems to get tremendous backing from the judges. This time she did much better. She is quite the performer and seemed more at home on the big stage. One to watch.

That's it. An odd, not very entertaining weekend of X Factor. They did cut many of the bad acts which is a good sign but still a scrappy programme visually.

Week 4 and it is all very disappointing. Where are the stars?

We're told this is the penultimate round of auditions which means Sunday will be the last. That's good and bad news; good because these have generally not been a great series of auditions and I have not been looking forward to seeing the show anything like as much as I used to and bad because I cannot imagine we could possibly have seen enough star quality people to populate twelve or more spaces on Live Shows.

Seriously, has anyone really stood out and made you think Now there's a potential winner? Not for me.

We get the fuzzy recaps again and I wonder whether there'll be more groups, noticeably absent so far. It's a theme park, again. X Factor must have done a deal with Alton Towers or whoever the other one is.

Spencer Sutherland has come from Ohio. Maybe they need to resurrect X Factor USA. It's Nicole's old school town and this is the first of at least three lads she genuinely fancies during the weekend. He's OK. The collar adjustment at the start is a bit dated, though, but I guess there's some hope he could improve and be entertaining.

Alex & Leon are ITG. Great Yarmouth. Bingo. Oh dear. Grannies will love them. I don't. They do an Ed Sheeran number and may have some potential but are a bit tedious. Simon agrees and says no. The others put them through, though.

Matt Linnen is the second chap for Nicole. He sings Trouble in a lazy way. It's OK and worth putting him through as he could do a great Bruce Springstein number.

Scarlet Lee is extremely tanned, embarrassingly so. Awful. She hails from Surrey and its seems Essex has spread west. She claims to be a make-up artist but I feel sorry for anyone getting made up by her. She way too much hair and that colour face! This is one of those extended auditions, supposedly for our entertainment as she gets to do another song. She has drawings of the judges that she did ten years ago. T shirts, banners get waved by her relatives outside. Jeez. This is painful. She could sing but needs an awful lot of advice to get out of bad habits and I still don't fancy seeing her on my screen. She just makes it through.

Rayelle is next. 16 and from Croydon. She's pretty good and the first modern act of the evening. Good performer too but hardly a future star at this point of the game.

Brad Howard is a model and knows he's good looking. Nicole's attracted for the third time. He does look good but he has no chance. nevertheless he makes Boot Camp. How?

Now we get the crazies. Peter Warwick is an actor. Louis likes him. Afro Swagg. Oh dear. Awful. Another Louis group. Salvco Kalezic was Montenegro's Eurovision entry this year. He has a ridiculously long pony tail that I vaguely remember being part of his act in Eurovision. He is weird. A good performer but really not someone anyone will want to vote for. Montenegro didn't even make the Final either.

Alisah has come from the Philippines and gets a lot of build up. You expect something very special but she is disappointing. No bad but it's a nervous start and many notes are not great either. In places it is painful. All very emotional, though, and as she's a sweet girl she gets through. Of course.

Having ended Saturday's show with someone reasonable you kinda hope they'll continue on Sunday as there really is a need for some good acts. Have they been saving them all up for us?

No, Oh dear #2. Two blokes in white suits. Bros but far worse than Bros. Awful. And they wonder why viewing figures are so low?!

Next we get two halves of a professional duo auditioning separately.

Johnny Wright is not very good at all.

Jenny Ball is much better. She tries to sing Titanium. That was not that great either. Maybe better than many who have been put through but i don't see her gong very far. The judges like her but she was hardly 'amazing' as they all claim.

I'm still waiting to see someone that I look forward to seeing again. This is not a great start.

Suzi Shepherd wastes most of the programme. Pathetic - very poor and obvious set-up for tv, getting her to do another number that requires some sort of change of clothing. What on earth was the point of that?!

Rueul Elijah sings This is how to do it and finally we get a reasonably good audition. His range isn't great but he has bags of personality.

Danny Lambo has three Lamborghinis, apparently. Oh dear #3. He's followed by an equally idiotic Simon who is dressed in gold and is also rubbish. Then we get Just Us. Oh dear #4. Even worse - Louis and Nicole seem to feel they need to get on stage to join them and Simon is booking the act for UK's next Eurovision entry. I am about to give up on this show. It isn't even funny. Dreadful televsion.

Berget Lewis is a big lady from Holland. She used sing in church so you get the idea of where she's coming from and where she's likely to go. She does Purple Rain and is quite professional, having been a backing singer for many years. She isn't 'fantastic' though, as the judges say. I guess after all they've had to put up with she might have seemed fantastic in comparison. She's just old style belt it out.

Well, that's all folks.

God help us.

Week 3 All Along The Watchtower gets the Price Brothers a contract

I am beginning to think that some of the Just Eat people are as good as many of the people auditioning this year. We get a fuzzy intro for the Saturday show and it all has a distinctly 2004 feel about it. Fortunately, although there are the ageing Simon, Louis and Sharon, there is no Steve Brookstein.

Once again, I have a feeling many viewers may have switched over as the start featured some chap called Amrick, a male Asian Honey G who is dreadful to watch as well as listen to. Yet, somehow, three of the four judges ruddy well vote him through. How can that possibly make sense?

Beverley follows and is awful. Young Benji is just 17 and it's one of those set-up auditions where he gets stopped after a short time in the first song and gets asked to do another. He does and makes Boot Camp.

Tracy Leanne Jefford has a classic Essex accent, although, as a 'traveller', she may come from many places. She's interesting, at least, but not spectacular. Simon gives the game away a bit by remarking afterwards that she's the kind of act that people will like to see on TV.

Two more come and go dreadfully badly and I am beginning to think about giving up on this audition stage and just waiting for the Judges Houses round. This is turning into some sort of Oldies Entertainment Show.

Russel Jones arrives and he sings in Old People's Homes, which kinda continues the theme! He is, however, the first good act we see tonight with a performance of I Wanna Be Like You which sounds like it should have been rubbish but wasn't. I can see him doing well as the jazz thing could work well. Remember Ray from around 2008?

We are now in Edinburgh and Alysha Dixon has replaced Sharon. Gregor Coleman gets the stop treatment and we know that he will come back with something much better and get through to Boot Camp.

Nicole Simpson is a genuine professional and sings almost perfectly. Quite where she fits in for the 2018 charts, though, I'm not sure but, at least, we get some decent notes and a nice performance. She almost takes it for granted that she'll make Boot Camp. She's probably seen the others.

Gregor comes back and reminds me of Paulo Nutini. Very good and very current. We'll see him again, for sure.

Sean & Conor Price are a very young Irish pair. They do All Along The Watchtower. Wow. That makes the programme worth watching. Marvellous. I wouldn't be surprised to find that this is already a YouTube hit. SYCO will have them signed whatever happens and Simon says that they shouldn't let anyone change the way they dress, perform etc.



Sunday now and the Production Team have clearly got a thing about the intros as this time we get some high voltage effort for no apparent reason.

We're in Liverpool and you expect good things. Megan Byrne is quite good. Quirky, strange singing style but she could be interesting with some work.

Now we get the sad cases. A very annoying old bloke, a sad funny blonde lady and some idiot called Jamesy. Oh dear, why show these people?

Finally we get someone decent. Chloe Rose Moyle is 16 and has an Ellie Goulding sound. She's excellent.

A couple of just OK people, Harry Holmes and Imogen Harrison who get through to Boot Camp easily but may not be obvious candidates to go too much further.

Descendance are a mother and daughter pair. The daughter's great, very modern and good to watch. The mother is a waste of space. If the daughter can appear on her own she'll be around for a while.

Some woman called Ashley who prefers to be named Queen A is just sad and has an annoying personality and very wide cheeks.

The Clique call themselves The Click and are very camp. Louis likes them a lot. One is extremely tall, even taller, perhaps than Rylan Clark.

Talia from Essex is good, natural with a strong voice. I like her.

The show ends with Gary Barker and he also gets the 'Have you got another song?' treatment. Of course he has another song. It's on the list in front of you as they all submit a few that they'll perform if asked. His second song is the classic Change Is Gonna Come and he has a great earthy, bluesy sound but I still don't see him getting that far, despite the last spot for the weekend.

If Deanna wins, Syco should donate profits to Anguilla recovery

Week 2 Part 2 starts with us being told that it's the hottest day of the year which doesn't exactly bring a sense of how up-to-date we are in what's been happening in X Factor Land. For all we know the final 24 are already at Judges' Houses.

The producers still seem the same bunch despite my recommendations that some get sacked after the first few efforts at entertaining us and we get to watch some big girl in a yellow dress sing surprisingly badly. People are already looking at the TV guide to see what else they can watch.

Fortunately a girl from the once pretty successful Neon Jungle leads a new group called Cutkelvins in a great audition and I would expect them to have made the Judges' Houses as they're ready to go in many respects, modern and could appeal widely.

We get glimpses of someone called SJ Hill and Harrison Styles who seem pretty good but we can't really tell and you wonder what the point is in even showing the clips. Then someone called Daniel Quick gets a very long intro and occupies a complete chunk of programme between adverts. I don't see this guy being a great advert for the X Factor at all as the only people who would buy his stuff if he did make the final would be grannies at Christmas. He may be talented but more in terms of ballad singing in 1973 or thereabouts.

A group from the Philippines called JBK bring their Pino Pop to the UK. They can take it back again. You just get the feeling they are a sort of karaoke machine themselves. Odd. Another glimpse of a Spanish girl, Elyza, I think, who was OK and then some classic unfortunate phrases as a young lady from Anguilla appears. All week we have been hearing how Hurricane Irma has devastated the island and the extraordinary, massive destruction that has occurred there and in other parts of the area. So It's beautiful there and  I want to put Anguilla on the map have a distinctly hollow ring today. Quite sad, too, was her song title  I have nothing. Let us hope that the island communities can be rebuilt quickly and life restored to what certainly was a beautiful place and perhaps the adversity may tilt to Deanna's advantage. She is, genuinely, good and has the look of a potential winner already. Her voice is a bit tinny at the top of her range and I've heard that song performed better but she is good and could be a serious contender with the right material.

In complete contrast is Andy Holloway from Scunthorpe who appears at first with some very strange looking bloke called Scott who is quite scarily lanky and morose. Andy sings an original which is still well out of tune. Why show these people, especially spooky Scott?

Aidan Martin is the last of the night. A nice enough chap, back again after 10 years. He has written a very good song, packed with emotion and seems to reach to Sharon in particular with his emotional lyrics and expression. His voice is a bit nasal and his breathing needs some work but it'll be worth seeing him again.

The show then just closes as the competition is advertised. It was like there were no more auditions that could even vaguely be entertaining. That doesn't fill us with confidence. So far we have just about got enough for a reasonable final and that's all. Twelve live shows could be difficult without a few more.

I am really hoping they do something about the sad trestle tables next week and just make a bit more of an effort to make things look better on screen. They may have chosen to return to 'old style' room auditions but they could, at least, bring a bit more professionalism to the framing, furnishing and backgrounds in the room.

Drop the pilot. You feel sorry for the few good acts to have to go through this.

Week 2. Saturday's show is now up against Strictly Come Dancing and viewing figures fall off quite dramatically. Even those who did turn over at 8pm may not have stayed in one of the poorest shows I can remember.

There are some very badly presented tweets about last week's show displayed erratically on screen at the start. This is an extremely amateur job and looks like some last minute attempt to drum up some enthusiasm and counter the low figures. Just looks terrible. Anyway, once that cut and paste job is off the screen we find ourselves at Thorpe Park. I guess the owners of the amusement park may have offered to help make up for a predicted the loss of advertising revenue.

At least we get into the auditions fairly quickly again. The room and set generally look dire and half-finished and any attempt at branding has failed. This is not a good scene although I guess eventually the show will be in big glitzy centres and they're just saving as much cash as they can in the meantime.

First up is a pair from Greece called Pretty Boy Karma who seem more interested in selling their clothing line than singing. They do neither very well. All I can remember now is the massive 36 on one T shirt. Louis Walsh comes out with a classic line: You make JEdward sound like Simon & Garfunkel. Brilliant!

Talia Deane is better. She works at an airport in a VIP service area and she has worked with both Sharon and Nicole, neither of whom seem to remember her at all. She's all enthusiastic about how nice they were and how one or the other had encouraged her to do this and one or the other had a selfie taken with her and you feel a bit sad that no-one is that bothered. She does, though, do a great job with I Put A Spell On You and she is one I'd like to see get further.

Then we get Leah. She waves her hands a lot. Drew Wedlake who busks in his spare time and sounds a bit like yet another average James Arthur. Then New Dynamix, who probably will have to change their name as they may want us to emphasise the second syllable but most will choose the first and that sounds like some sort of breakfast cereal. They are a vaguely fun group of five that I don't see going that far.

Kevin Day White, on the other hand, is one of the reasons for watching the show. A musician from Paris who came over to London a year or so back to try and find some success may just have done so. A great voice, reminds me a bit of Gregory Porter but not as annoying. He sings It's A Man's World which is all familiar stuff but classy nonetheless. Plays a cool guitar too. I love this guy but do wonder whether he is 2017 or just someone we might have bought in 2007?

You'll see a lot more of him, for sure.

We see far, far too much, though of Nathan Sailsman. The producers must have been really short of entertaining auditions as he gets a whole load of time and really does not do well. For some reason, possibly urged by the producers, the judges seem to have great difficulty making up their minds. We've seem them put complete rubbish through in an instant and now they're 'umm'-ing and 'ah'-ing about this chap who, whilst pleasant enough, is not going to go far even if they push him.

Topher Balne, Sami Shepherd, Izzy Price, Nathan again come and go. Not worth writing about. Nor are some attempt to make something of a scary train ride the judges had when we get bizarre acts Ginny lemon, Doctor Woof and Holy Penfield. All not at all memorable and just bad tv.

We end with Rebecca Grace who is not easy to watch with some of the expressions she makes but at least she can sing and has an early Adele feel about her. At least the show ends well but, seriously, after an hour we have just three people who may be worth watching again.

Not a good start. Perhaps Sunday will be better. Ideally with someone else at the helm producing this thing.

X Factor Series 14 begins. Simon looks rough but we do get full length songs.

The X Factor returns for Series 14. Fourteen years! That's quite an impressive run, with precious little change in the basic format, yet still seeming quite fresh this time.

One of the first sights is Dermot's trousers. He's putting on weight but seems to think he can manage with the same pairs as last year. Wrong.

I think I recognise one of the first people shown in the intro. Probably someone returning from a previous rejection. This intro, though, is mercifully short and within a matter of seconds rather than minutes we're into the audition area and the first audition is under way.

Rack Su (or something like that!) are a cool group of 21st Century style that'll go down well with the kids. I didn't like the rather staged switch of song at the very start of the show. But they get a decent length audition for the second track and that gets them very good reviews. Simon says "We haven't had a good group since Little Mix" which wouldn't be something Reggie & Bollie, 4th Impact or Five After Midnight would be too happy to hear but it's probably fair enough when you think about what's happened to them.

On the panel Simon is joined again by Louis, Nicole and Sharon - just like last year. Sharon and Louis do seem quite ancient now for this sort of thing and there isn't the edge to this show that it once had. You tend to feel that it may find a decent ballad singer, a possible temporary pop star or perhaps a significant future West End theatre star but that's about it. However, I have a feeling that the producers will be looking for a group this year, unless someone exceptional has come along.

Nicole is a great member of the panel and is the one that every chap, and even many girls, seem to be blown away by.

Sam Black does a great copy of Del Shannon's Runaround Sue. A nice guy but I wonder whether he can sing the range of commercial material needed.

Joanne Mason is the first obvious candidate put on screen for our amusement more than anything else. Luckily, that's the only one. Someone has taken notice of the comments about crap auditions being annoying.

Kayleigh has a great personality and she can sing. Nice voice - quite different. We may see more of her.

Jack Smith comes and goes. Another not so good one. Then we get 2 seconds of Ruanda or whatever her name might have been before Tony Russell comes along. He was there in 2007. An interesting performer. We've Got Issues certainly seemed to suit him although I'm not sure he's what people will be voting for in the Live Shows several weeks ahead.

A weird dancer called Elisangela shows us some extremely long legs. She can sort of sing but I doubt she'll be around for long. Jack & Joel do a brilliant mix of Ed Sheeran numbers. They're a talented pair. Odd but certainly talented.

Holly Tandy is 15 going on 35 in terms of how she performs and maturity when singing. She has a very difficult song and starts very nervously buts gets better as she goes and there's one of the first I'd say we could see again more than once.

Grace Davis is another who'll make it through Boot Camp. She seemed plain at first but sang a most impressive song she'd written herself. 1st Class talent in a good length audition of the whole song. That is so much better for us too.

Sunday continues along the same theme and pace. Now in Manchester, Alesha Dixon replaces Nicole on the panel.

Lloyd Macey has one of those traditional Welsh choir voices. His song is a big ballad and shows off his talents well. He's a bit boring, though, but it was good to get the whole song.

Jordan Rabjohn has a jolly number about Mexico that he wrote himself and it is seriously catchy! It sounds familiar and will probably turn out to be a combination of a few other tracks we already know. He's got an Olly Murs sort of feel. Great personality and good for TV.

Georgina Parton is GG and another good singer. She seems experienced too with strong control and good presence. She performs Rihanna's Love On The Brian which is not easy at all. She owned that. Sharon calls her 'fearless'. Impressed. Hope to see her again.

Now the scene moves to Edinburgh and we get ruddy bagpipes. I could have done without them. There are other things that Scotland is famous for. Alesha is still on the panel, replacing Sharon this time. The two younger girls get on well and make the panel feel slightly more exciting and more in tune with today.

Nicole Caldwell has sung in pubs and clubs but still seems very nervous. For Purple Rain she shows a rough edge to her voice and turns into a sort of rock chick. Very attractive and totally natural. That worked well on that song but I am not sure how well it would for some others she may have to tackle. I liked her and really hope to see more of her. Simon says that She is one of the special ones so I guess we shall.

Gaga Lord is a Filipino singer and you expect her to be disastrous but, actually, she's in tune and not so bad at all. She has a much deeper voice than we expect. A bit of a ballad singer and I don't think she'll go far unless Louis gets her category.

Shanaya Atkinson-Ford has a massive mop of black hair that you can't help noticing and it distracts one from her singing. After a weird start, though, she improves and you become more accustomed to her style. She's certainly different and deserves a place at Boot Camp.

That's the end of the first weekend and it has been a great relief to have had quite a few full length songs in the auditions and, apart fro the very first, no more of the Do you have another song? switches or lengthy stuff about their background, weeping mothers or babies. Precious few bad auditions too. Overall, not the most exciting show in the world - and I am not sure we saw more than one or two potential Live Show acts - so a modest, friendly and quite warm start to the series. It will not have brought them record-breaking audience figures but hopefully enough to last through to December!

And the winner is...

Matt or Saara. I am predicting Matt but I have a feeling that it could change from performance to performance. Matt may well not be able to match the amazing Purple Rain, so much inspired by Nicole on stage with him at her very best. Despite having the remarkably good Adam Lambert with her, Saara marginally lost Part 1. But there is little in it and what they do tonight could easily change the outcome.

Matt starts ahead with the bookies. 11/8 on v 11/8 for Saara.

The first is Saara, re-inventing Oh So Quiet! from Bjork. She is a very talented performer too, a real entertainer, every choreographed move delivered to perfection but without loss of any emotional input. You can see that she enjoyed that and that makes a big difference.

Matt next. On his own. He's doing Sam Smith's Writing On The Wall - the Bond theme and something he does well. It suits him visually but it isn't any stronger than Saara's choice. It seems likely that it will resonate just that little bit better with voters and was enough to push him a further ahead in the betting odds.

It's now 2/1 on and 1/2.

After Madness (earlier we had Kylie) and a crazy thing from a load of also-rans it is almost time for the last ever performance. This will be the 'Winner's Single' release which I understand was written by Ed Sheeran.

No, that must be still to come. Matt sings One Day I'll Fly Away, another reprise from the series. I wonder if it is not too similar to the Sam Smith track. It's good but a bit old. It is still all to play for. No show stopper there. Good but that's all. I guess I can't forget Purple Rain with Nicole.

The odds are evening out a bit. The crowd have been impressively behind him.

Saara now. It seems that there will not be them singing the single after all. I must have got that wrong. Saara chooses Chandelier the impressive Sia song. She is good at this. That was a phenomenal performance and the best of the night. It might be enough. The votes will be close. I can't call this.

The odds are now actually exactly even, changing just in Saara's favour again after Matt had been in front since last night. I now check again after the reprise of their four tracks and it has reversed again! Matt is now ahead.

Little Mix return while we wait and entertain as they know best with some pretty sexy outfits and a Charlie Puth number about being in bed with an ex followed by their new single Touch about, well, being touched so you get the idea of what tends to be in their songwriters' minds most of the time! I do wonder how parents cope with 10 year olds singing along to this stuff. They are a great group, though, and have kept out of trouble and in the limelight for a while now. All credit to them.

So who does join them as 2016 Winner? I reckon it will be Matt. It is - and now we get to hear how he handles the Ed Sheeran number. It is. The single is a Christmas number. He pulls himself together very well and manages the plesaant Ed ditty (which suits him to a tee) extremely effectively. Nice.

The Final Pt 1. Prepare for two remarkable performances.

Big Intro with the Live show contestants doing the quite cleverly titled Shout Out To My X!

Five After Midnight

They start with the Beyonce number - cool idea - and well done. They start off at about 7-1 but I reckon they must have a lot of support and certainly get a very good crowd response. The boys were a bit drowned by the backing and other dancers which was a shame because they actually sang and performed pretty well. I would have expected that to have shortened their odds but they seem to have lengthened to 8-1. I'd place a bet but I have always reckoned on Matt winning and now suspect that Saara will take the crown.

Matt Terry

Favourite at the start to such a degree that the bookies were offering odds for the 'Winner w/o Matt Terry'. he starts at about 3-1. Five After Midnight have extended further to 9.5-1

 have to say that Nicole Scherzinger has put everything into supporting Matt. Compared to Louis wandering around with the 5AM boys her TV shots were pretty impressive - appearing in Matt's old onesie at one point too! In Bromley she was on stage with him and that was a big crowd.

He sings Take Me Home (I think) beautifully. A very, very good performance that was faultless and just the right sort of number for his fans and maybe some others who might be considering voting for Saara. There might lie the rub. Will Matt and Saara end up sharing some votes and let Five After Midnight through?

The bookies say no. He stays at 3-1 and 5AM stay at 9.5-1. Nicole asks all of England to vote for him. Dermot adds that Scotland and Wales can vote for him too. Not sure who Northern Ireland can vote for.

Dermot says The bond between yo and Nicole is something else, isn't t not really meaning to ask the question. That was quite funny! There really is quite a thing between those two. I am sure Nicole could well finish up as a partner if he were that way inclined.

That song ought to put him in the Final. I wonder who with?

Saara Aalto

She has done well, really well, with some amazingly good singing. Dermot had to go with Saara on the bus trip as Sharon had some engagement in the States. Finland looked black and white but there was a massive turnout in the capital. Dermot says he had never seen anything quite like that reception in all his years on X Factor.

She also had a go at singing to entertain the thousands. She starts at 9/4 on, Matt at 3-1 and 5AM at 8.5-1, improving slightly.

Back in Wembley, she does Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Not a song that instantly lends itself to her rang and power. An impressive set and a brave effort and she put her heart and soul into that. Remarkable. She deserves that Final place. Seriously good.

That put her further ahead, nearly 3-1 on, Matt drops to 3.4-1 and 5AM back at 11-1

We didn't get to see her fiance in Finland. Just mum and dad on a couch.

When you watch her you do feel as if you're watching something a little special. I still don't think that her 'X Factor' is what the 'X Factor' is supposed to be finding in that she is going to be a major West End Musical star, probably winning over the States and Broadway too and she'll soon be worth a fortune. I don't see her as a single or album artist other than an inevitable Christmas number and perhaps a release of one of her remarkable performances later.

Next they get to do duets. First we have Louis Tomlinson, bravely, very bravely doing a solo act without his 1D buddies. He gets a lot of love and support with an Ibiza-style number in partnership with Steve Earl on the turntables and magic mixing boxes.

Matt and 5AM are both moving out in the betting, Matt reaching 5-1 and 5AM closing slightly on him but still out at 9.5-1. Interesting. Not over yet between those two and a brilliant performance could make all the difference as Dermot reminds us - Alexandra Burke with Beyonce transformed her last minute chances.

Five After Midnight

So who are they with? The clue should be in song but I don't recognise it. They're a bit nervous. It's Clean Bandit and Louisa Johnson. So they all do Tears On My Pillow which has the very attractive Louisa sounding quite earthy. An odd mixture, to be honest. The group put on a pretty good performance but it lacked something and was all a bit muddled. The bookies were not so impressed. They are further out at 12-1

Matt Terry

Cool song. Purple Rain. This should be good. It could be the song of the Final. He is singing with Nicole. That's a surprise! She's amazing. She may well lift Matt here.

Wow! That was incredible. Nicole was fantastic but Matt stayed with her. For me that puts him back on top as it was so relevant and there is something quite touching about Nicole's role. I guess that is just Nicole being very smart indeed, genuinely smart as she clearly does care for the guy but it is him on his own in the future. One of the best X Factor moments for me.

That brought Matt back below 3-1 and sent 5AM out to 40+

Saara Aalto

OMG! She's doing Bohemian Rhapsody. Does that mean we'll see Adam Lambert? Yes! Oh boy. Is this a good evening.

Speechless. Adam does rather steal the show when he starts standing on the piano that she is simply playing. Eventually she gets some balance and is up with him and they blend beautifully. Adam is one of my all-time favourite acts - coming from my American Idol blog days.

Very, very impressive but it was the Matt and Nicole performance that won this round for me.

After that Honey G didn't get the best of receptions as the act that came 5th gets her own quite big slot. Odd. I think Emily should now get a spot to redo Creep or something. The crowd were really not at all happy about so much plugging of her new single either. Dermot handled it all well but looked a bit frustrated as she ranted on. All over eventually, though. I do not really understand why she was there at all.

Back at the bookies, Matt is down at 11-8 now, Saara at the other way round, 11-8 on and 5AM appear to have bagged the third place at nearly 50-1 now.

Listening to the short recaps, I do feel that Saara didn't quite capture the magic that she found in previous weeks. The Nicole thing will last many years I suspect and I reckon it could switch some votes.

While votes are counted we get The Weekend. I usually confuse this guy (I presume it is just the one of them) with Years And Years. Nice performance and great set. Watching him, I could imagine Matt doing that stuff.

So, who makes the Final Two? It's Saara v Matt.

I feel that is how it should be. Five after Midnight made 3rd - that's a fine finish for them and they'll get a contract for sure. In many ways they are the most likely to have chart life.

Semi Final Results

A reasonably good version of Do They Know It's Christmas? is the sing-a-long start. So much better with these remaining acts. You could almost see that as a single for the third or fourth issue of the Band Aid classic.

Looking back at the performances again, whilst I do find 5 After Midnight quite weak I am expecting them to beat Emily in the votes. They will still have to sing for the Final place, though, and the last time they ahd to that they were decidedly weak. That still wouldn't help Emily in a deadlock situation so I fear for her chances.

Zara Larrson entertains us in the meantime. Some body suit that. the lighting made it appear like one of those sheer body stockings and not a great deal else. The camera was miles away for quite a lot of her performance. Maybe the producers were worried about some of the shadows. They got pretty well told off for a raunchy performance earlier in the series by Little Mix. Not that it did Little mix any harm as the single dived in at No.1 and is probably still there for all I know. If not it will be wandering around the Top 20 for several years as most of their singles have been. They've done well and I am thinking that they may be overtaking One Direction in terms of sales and chart success soon. The boys have won over America, though, so that probably keeps them ahead.

This is the all important night for votes really as the last three get great publicity. The two safe acts are now getting announced.

Dermot reads out the names: Five After Midnight make it! Wow. That's a surprise. The other one through is Saara. So it's Matt v Emily to sing off. Oh boy. That has to mean farewell Emily. I had expected her to go but not that way.

Louis will save Matt. Sharon is the decision-maker this time and I feel she favours Matt too.

Lady Gaga is next to perform before the Matt v Emily thing. She's good. I remember her performances on previous shows, especially On The Edge. This must be her new single, the first for a while. A fabulous set sees her silhouette against the moon or, maybe the sun. As impressive as ever from this very talented young lady.

Matt goes first with a track I don't recognise. It sounds a very hard song to sing but, as always, he does a superb job of this. Extremely good. Some sign of nerves but really that isn't going to be easy to beat. In many ways, we might have expected this to have been the Final, really.

Emily does a really nice version of If These Wings Could Fly and, whilst not as obviously impressive as Matt, I still see her as the more likely to make the charts and stay there. Hers was also a faultless performance.

Louis saves Matt as I expected. Sharon praises Emily so we can guess that she'll save Matt.

I have a feeling that Emily will be getting some Syco support anyway.

Louis Loves Week.

Quite what Louis Loves really means I have no idea. Basically, I reckon the five remaining acts could choose anything they wish. That's fair enough at this stage too. But we can smile at the Irish dancing and the effort made to bring reference to him each time.

Matt

Matt starts off this week. He is following a remarkably successful week, singing Secret Love, a Little Mix number. You have to admire how Simon earns money even from Nicole's acts. It's a difficult song - technically as well as because many people will know it and four girls can cover each other's mistakes which one guy can't!

He is superb, all the way through. Just one slip with a high note but I don't think that will have any effect at all on his chances. He will be very hard to beat. Knowing that Ed Sheeran has written the winner's song this year which is likely to suit Matt.

Nicole's lipstick is ridiculously dark and I don't find that at all attractive. Puts years on her. Strange.

Saara

Abba's The Winner Takes It All is one super song, one of my own favourites of all time. So she had better do it well! A beautiful, soaring voice is as impressive as ever but she does not look so good in whatever Sharon has dressed her. Her capacity to launch a note is amazing. Very, very good in many respects. I think the performance did lose the sensitivity of the original. Apart from that, she had what Simon said was a 'moment'. Louis says that could have been one of the best vocal performances ever on X Factor. Note that Nicole also, quite emotional, put her as the winner of X Factor 2016. Remember that she is Matt's mentor!

Certainly, deserving all the praise, Saara is very, very impressive and looking like the big unexpected surprise of the series this year.

Honey G

A weird intro with her mother on a piano. Oh well. MC Hammer's Can't Touch This is a nice commercial number and not the heaviest of rap numbers around. In fact it sounds really old-fashioned now. She's confident and it rumbled along well enough but, really, after the first two, it sounds like it's her time to go. Or maybe the group will keep her in.

Some guys invaded the stage and, for reasons best known to themselves, tried to show that they can touch this, or that. All we saw was Simon quickly spring to action while Louis and the others kept the judge commentary going, after a fashion. the camera stayed on them but we could tell something wasn't right and Dermot was silent, presumably wrestling someone to the ground. There is usually some ugly bald head bouncers pretty close to Simon. No doubt we'll eventually discover who did what.

Anyway, a good commercial choice by Honey G.

5 After Midnight

I still call them 5AM. They have Uptown Funk which can't help but go down well. That might have suited Honey G actually, now I think about it. This worked wonders for Fleur East last year and it should help get this group into the semifinal. That was a neat performance, very together and it gave each of the three guys the chance to show what they can do. That was just the sort of stuff that the group should be doing. It was a bit of a copy but I can't see how they could do much else with that classic.

Sharon sees them in the final. Some fine acts would need to fail if she's right. It is possible but much depends on the public vote again as I suspect they'll be in 4th or 5th position.

Emily

Toxic is the Britney Spears number. Emily puts a very different slant on it. I don't think it worked, however well she sang. She is very confident but she neither looked nor sounded like a winner this time. At the moment, I have to say that she may finish up in the Bottom Two. There is another song to come, apparently, so that will be quite a relief. She could well be a star, and she would make a great job of an Ed Sheeran winner's song if she gets to the Final to try it. But she has to get there.

So far Matt and Saara share the Top 2 places. 5AM might just make 3, leaving Honey G v Emily in the sing-off. Much depends on the second songs, though. They'll also be the ones that the voters are more likely to remember and act upon, or not, as the case may be.

Matt

Sia's I'm Alive is a current classic and Sia does it amazingly well. Matt tries hard but can't match her on this one. Good effort but I might not have suggested he attempt that. Not bad at all but something wasn't right. He lost a few points there to Saara.

5 After Midnight

Now this a 2016 track and a half. Mashing up Sorry with goodness knows from Drake what else the backing track was excellent and the group do a super job vocally on top. That makes them definitely contenders for the Final and lifts them to 2nd place at the moment, overtaking Matt, just.

Honey G

She says this will be 'hardcore'. Let's see. Push It is more 1980s. She does it well, for all that. Then, just as she was entertaining well, the pace and atmosphere changes completely to what I think she said was a Black Beatles number, whoever they are. Interesting but I can't see that appealing so much. She included the mannequin challenge currently all over the place too. She does seem clever, choosing the songs rather than Sharon. She has to stand a chance, although I still place her 4th.

Emily

She so much needs this one to go well. I do see this as a 'make or break' song. It could be that important as her opponents have done so damn well this week. She has been top in my charts for many weeks and seemed a natural to make the Final. Now, she is at risk of leaving. With Saara closing the show and you can guess how dramatic that could be, there is a danger of Emily getting lost between the opportunism of Honey G and the Show Stopping Saara's sheer brilliance, if not actually X factor type of brilliance.

Simon says she will take a big risk. The song is Rag & Bone Man's Human. I don't know it and I suspect many others won't. Wow, that was good. I did recognise it. Louis says that it is a recent release but hasn't yet made it. Maybe her version will do. That was excellent and she covered a whole range of emotions with it. When she sang more strongly she was excellent.

I hope it pays off for her. It was very genuine and, as we discovered, she sort of changed it as she went.

I feel that puts her on a par with Matt in 3rd place so far. She is unlikely to have overtaken 5AM in the public votes, though, so perhaps it will stay as her v Honey G to sing off.

Saara

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend was extraordinary. A real West End performance. Cheesy and I really don't know what it was doing there. She was very good to do all the performance things that I cannot imagine anyone else succeeding with. It was a bit bizarre.

That might not mean she finishes at the Top and I don't know who does after that. For sheer talent I guess she has to stand out. Matt 2nd. 5AM 3rd and Emily 4th, Honey G 5th.

What that means is anyone's guess.

It is another chance for Honey G to be eased out of the series before it gets difficult.

Dull old Disco from most of the Top 7

Disco night. That'll suit some more than others. I don't see Sam or Emily as Disco girls in their natural performance style and yet it could be refreshing to see them coming alive. I just hope that it isn't just 70s Disco which was annoying at times.

Cue Sister Sledge. Good grief. They're either very brave or need the money. I guess they couldn't get all the Bee Gees. That's still an improvement on the compulsory sing-and-dance thing that they get the contestants to do.

From here on there is no saving of one of the Bottom Three. So whoever comes 6th and 7th in the public vote will have to sing again. We don't yet know whether Ryan was 6th, 7th or 8th but he may have been 8th but got rescued, dropping a possible 6th place 4D out of the competition. Having said that, it might have reflected the actual votes. We'll see later.

Saara starts on a podium in silver wear and looking decidedly odd. Enough Is Enough is brilliantly sung and performed. This girl is very, very good. You can rely upon her to hit exactly the notes you want and just a few days rehearsal produce a genuinely first class show. I was very impressed with that. A cover, yes, but a fabulous one at that. She deserves a deal from someone. Whatever the outcome in this competition, she is such a fine performer who needs to be snapped up by Andrew Lloyd Webber or someone.

1

I hope Finland don't choose her for Eurovision.

A strange group of dancers with huge judge-image heads dance behind Dermot as he tries to get us to concentrate on what is coming next.

Sam is singing I Will Survive. That has to be the ultimate 70s tedium disco song. Simon has obviously decided to emphasise her only being 17. It is still an old woman's song now, though. It could appeal to the voters. I don't know. She sings really well but it loses its disco beat completely. Not a bad thing necessarily but she may need some luck to carry on. I like her a lot and still thing she'd make a deserving winner but I am not sure that will work for her.

2

Ryan does Play That Funky Music White Boy which sounds like Stevie Wonder's Very Superstitious for a while. I don't like either song anyway and that didn't do anything for me. He did it well but it just seemed a bit strange. I have no idea where he'll finish up with that.

6

5AM really should be in their element. They're a dance group, they sing up tempo stuff and this ought to be a very smooth run through to the Top 6 for them. They could do a Stylistics number or something by Michael Jackson. Yes, Boogie Wonderland is about as 70s Disco as it gets. I am thinking Earth Wind & Fire but I'm not sure. It is one of those classics that you just hear without bothering about who sung it. They do a good karaoke version which is all you can expect o really need I suppose.

For all that, it just seemed a bit flat and predictable to me. The audience liked it so I reckon it probably went down better on stage than on the small screen. That is by far the best audience reaction for anything for a long time.

I'll put them above Ryan but I preferred Sam and Saara even if the audience had them at #1.

4

Matt has not yet opened or closed a show I don't think. I am pretty sure Honey G and Emily have, though, so one of them will get a second bit of advantage this week. I guess Matt has been coming top of the polls so far and so the producers don't think he'll suffer. I also don't see him getting a standing ovation for a 70s Disco number.

He starts outside. Well, Little Mix did that and got to No. 1 that week so maybe it's not as odd as it seems. I think the track was You Got The Best Of My Love. So he got to show off some fine falsetto and it all went to plan. Lots of applause for a difficult song to sing. It was OK. Nothing spectacular.

5

With Emily next, Honey G gets the pimp slot. Emily is another that could struggle with a disco number or do something remarkable with it. She has had several memorable performances so far this series and you could make a nice album from her tracks alone that would sell very well.

Wishing On A Star starts a little nervously which is not like her. You sort of hope it'll speed up quickly so she doesn't get int more trouble. The beat sets in but it is quite slow and that makes it a bit dull. In fact, that was dire. Very disappointing. She could well hit the Bottom Two with that, which will be bad news for whoever she shares the sing-off with. No. Not good.

7

Honey G puts on yet another impressively grand performance, based on Staying Alive  although only the backing singers sing that. She raps away in her own way and that was pretty damn professional. Not my sort of enjoyment but she'll get plenty of votes I think. She gives it 100% as Simon pointed out and I do wonder now that she might do really well. As a track that was pretty much rubbish and I will forget it by next week but I suspect she will get through easily to the Top 6.

3

So I see Saara, Sam and Honey G flying through.

5Am and Matt should be safe with a bit of luck.

Ryan and Emily are in trouble. Well, Ryan is.

Fright Night For the Top 9.

It's Fright night so there's make-up and scary-looking people everywhere. The songs are likely to be a bit predictable too so t's probably a good idea to get this stage out of the way sooner rather than later. As it happens, just about all the acts manage to bring their own individuality to the show - all credit due to them, with not one bad performance tonight.

Gifty

You can absolutely rely on this girl to perform well. This was not particularly memorable but precise and entertaining. She could do well with her own shows. Not amazingly well but, maybe with a good writer, she'd hit the charts as she is quite current.

I'm In Love With A Monster is what I am guessing the title is. Neither Louis nor Sharon know the song but that shows up their knowledge rather than any comment on Gifty's talents. It was a Fifth Harmony song, by the way.

1-2-3-4-5

Matt

Looks like they're starting with the two acts who can be relied upon to keep viewers rather than risking people wandering back to Strictly. Actually, I am sure most people will record this and watch it slightly delayed.

I Put A Spell On You is a great number. If everyone chose tracks as good as this then having a theme wouldn't be such a bad idea. (It is a bad idea still because the idea is to find an act who can steal the charts and also have a go at making it across the Pond too, rather than entertain in a set genre for one week at a time, switching in and out of what they like doing best).

Going back to Matt, though, this was really very good indeed. He should have had  four standing ovations for that. Everything about that performance was first class. Maybe not a chart hit but I can see him getting some great stuff written for him that would hit the charts. He'll make the final.

1-2-3

I do like the di di ra la la bit stripped from Whigfield that we get in the intervals.

5AM Five After Midnight

Thriller is, of course, a natural for these guys. They can sing the song and dance the dance. Good harmonies and well presented. That looked pretty faultless but it didn't sound as strong as it ought to have done. Not at all bad but I would like more depth and less tinny stuff. It seemed to go down well, though, and they may have played safe but that's understandable. For sheer quality and the fact that voters will remember that, I reckon they'll make it through to next week and I'll rate then above Gifty this week.

2-3-4

Honey G

Men In Black works really well for this girl. She is the 'comedy avt' this year but I have to say that she is getting better each week and this time she looked and sounded very professional. Not my style but it will be popular. Tremendous stage show. Impressive week for her. She may well survive another week or two yet after all! She clearly has been working hard. It would be a shame if she went this week, although I would have to place her 4th out of 4 so far.

4-5-6

Ryan

Another make-over this week and it suits him better, a rougher image. Rock Your Body is normally a big heavy number and this is a bit light in places but he tries to make it meaningful. Not a bad effort but, because the others have done so well so far, I feel that he will still struggle. As Louis says, that was his best performance so far but I don't know how much support he'll get. It was odd hearing Sharon, who had championed Nicholas Macdonald, saying Ryan had been a bit wet in previous weeks. Still vulnerable, though.

5-6-7-8

Sam

Super start to Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Her voice suits this sort of song well. Crazy range in the song and she manages. Just. That was impressive. Her voice is amazing. Instantly recordable. Find her a writer now. She probably just pipped Matt again.

1-2

Saara

Lady Gaga's Bad Romance sounds good. She puts on a great show, much to the credit too of the guy planning it all in the background but seriously she is excellent on stage. This could have been her own show again and that is very much to be appreciated. Where that will place her in the hearts of the voters here I do not know. I don't know whether she'll survive but she will be remembered and I do expect someone will take her on and give her a contract to do something in a show somewhere.

6-7

Four of Diamonds

Ghost is an odd choice. You almost wonder if Louis chose it because it had the word Ghost in it. The start is not good at all but once they get going it works quite well. I fear that it will not have worked well enough, though. That was not a great example of what they could do. Pity. They will be at risk this weekend. They may survive but they'll need some luck, and probably another good sing-off track.

8-9

Emily

Closing the show is another genuine contender this year. It's a good slot because people tend to remember the last one and a good performance here can garner more votes than it might have done in the middle of the show. Odd but that's just how things work. Both Sam and Matt can be beaten still. I can't imagine her failing and falling into the Bottom Three - she is Top 5 material.

This is amazing. It is Creep, the classic track that some people just excel at. This is different with a very slow and carefully phrased track that is not at all simple. It would display each and every fault but Emily makes none. Wonderful. She takes #1 spot this week for me.

1

So, safe this week, should be:

Emily | Sam | Matt

Needing some luck with the voters:

5AM | Gifty | Honey G

At risk:

Saara | Ryan | 4 of Diamonds