The X-Factor Final 2011 - Amelia departs in stage one

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THOUSANDS had fallen by the wayside and now just three acts remained.  This weekend, Little Mix, Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily competed in the 2011 X-Factor final, infront of 10,000 fans live at Wembley Arena.

After the casual, but always cringe worthy scene entrance of Dermot O’Leary, the three finalists kicked off with a group performance of Take That’s ‘Greatest Day.’  Then it was onto the real matter of impressing the public.  Each act had two songs to perform on the first night of the final and the act that finished bottom of the public vote would be eliminated.

Making a lasting impression

For their first performance of the night, each act was given a song they had never previously performed before in the competition.  With Wembley Arena’s bigger stage capacity, each act had the opportunity to add an extra dimension into their first song.  First was Marcus, who performed Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya!’ to the backdrop of a prop plane.  To say it was amazing was a bit of an understatement as he tore the roof of the building (not literally) with his cool, calm and collected approach to the song.

So, how could Little Mix match or even beat the stage display from Marcus?  Simple, arrive on stage, riding four Harley Davidson bikes before blasting into a rendition of Florence + the Machine’s ‘You Got the Love.’  They have been without question the revelation of this competition, not only having ripped up the form book of girl groups on the show but shredding and burning it.  The question was now, could the public believe that they really could go all the way?

Finally it was the turn of Amelia.  Kelly Rowland decided to take gamble in not using extra displays, deciding just to concentrate on her performance ability.  Though that might have sounded a big disadvantage, her version of ‘Ain’t No Other Man’ by Christina Aguilera was at the same level as all of her performances since her whirlwind return. 

The bond between acts and mentors exposed

As with finals in the past, each act would next perform a song with a special guest.  This is X-Factor though and with the new venue destination in mind, the stakes were raised massively.  So for the first time in the show’s history, each act was tasked to perform with their mentors.  It was a chance to see whether they really had either bonded together throughout the competition or were at each other’s throats.

First, Marcus and Gary Barlow performed Billy Joel’s classic ‘She’s Always a Woman.’  Collins announced previously he would be dedicating his performance to his mother and both he and Barlow made the song into their own unique way.

UNISON: Tulisa was like a fifth member of Little Mix in the duet round

Next, it was time for Tulisa and Little Mix (or ‘Little Muffins’ as Tulisa has been referring them to as throughout much of the competition) to give a medley of the Alicia Keys songs ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ and ‘Empire State of Mind.’  This performance perhaps gave no question that this is the best partnership between act and mentor in the competition.  At times, it felt like Tulisa had become the fifth member of the group.

Then Amelia and Kelly joined forces to perform Tina Turner’s ‘River Deep, Mountain High.’  As much as Amelia gave it her best as she has with any other song in this competition, the overall level performance lacked the passion and dedication that was required at this point in the final.

Only the public now could decide whether the acts had done enough to win a place in Sunday night’s decider.

 

The full time whistle goes for Amelia Lily…again!

The finalists weren’t of course, the only ones to take to the Wembley stage as The X-Factor promised that the final would be littered with guest stars.  On Saturday, the fans were treated a special “super group” performance by JLS and One Direction, as well as cameo appearances from Leona Lewis and Michael Buble.

Finally, the voting lines were frozen and the results of the first stage of the final were in.  Little Mix continued their incredible run by reaching the final two and despite going in as the underdog; Marcus’ performances were enough to sway the public vote in his favour of going through.

DIGNITY: Amelia was eliminated on Saturday, but achieved her target

It meant Amelia had to deal with the prospect of elimination for the second time.  However, unlike nine weeks ago, when she refused to accept what had happened, this time she was extremely gracious in defeat.  She said that her ambition was only to reach the final and she achieved it with flying colours.  Afterwards, she vowed that this would not be the last of her and for 17 years of age, she has an incredible voice.

ECSTATIC: Marcus and Little Mix celebrate their progress on Saturday

So as Amelia departed, the dream was now just beginning for both Marcus and Little Mix.  They would be back in the second stage of final on Sunday where one would win and have their lives change forever.  The Great British public now had 24 hours to deliver their verdict…

TO BE CONTINUED…

The X-Factor 2011 - The race to get to Wembley

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

ONLY two performances stood between the remaining four acts and place in X-Factor’s biggest final yet at Wembley Arena.  With only the public getting the say last week, it was going to be a tense weekend for the semi-finalists, as they sang their hearts out to convince that they should be on the big stage infront of thousands of people.

In this year’s semi-final, each act performed a Motown classic and a song that they believed would be enough to see them get to the final.

Misha B – A true survivor

On the public vote alone, Misha has been very lucky to still be in the competition.  No act has ever reached the semi-final through three Final Showdown wins during their time.  What can’t be mistaken though is that Misha is the real deal, the voice, the personality, you name it.  Her motown song ‘Dancing In The Street’ had everything about her talent crammed into it and her second performance, ‘Perfect,’ showed off why many have rated her as having the best voice in the competition.  Having had to sing for survival three times, the chances of her winning the competition, as mentioned by Gary Barlow, were slim to nil.  However, she has been a true survivor and in these shows, anything is possible.

Amelia Lily – The real comeback girl

COMEBACK: Amelia has become a serious threat in the latter stages

Three weeks ago, Amelia Lily was at home in Middlesbrough, perhaps reflecting on her shattered dreams of being a superstar.  Then when a certain karaoke act from Brighton got kicked off for breaking a ‘golden rule,’ the public seized their opportunity and gave her a second chance.  She has taken that lifeline and changed the course of the competition.  Her performances of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘I’m With You’ once again showcased Amelia at the highest level possible.  The chances of Amelia being here on this night were never imagined early on, let alone the final and her return to the competition have resulted in the others having to work harder and prove that they should be ahead of her.

Little Mix – Truly living their dream

When the live shows began, Little Mix were the odds-on favourites for the chop.  Now, having broken the girl group jinx, they are the first girl group to reach the semi-finals.  A sudden surge of popularity has put them as bookmaker’s favourites to win outright so for the girls, it was a case of no pressure on the night.  Unfortunately, the pressure did get to them and their first song, ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’ was uninspiring and then they failed to better it with ‘If I Were a Boy.’  Both Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow were unimpressed with the group’s performances and it, of course, led to Tulisa to making a passionate plea for everyone to vote for them.  She was lucky to escape receiving a bill for damaging the judge’s desk.  Certainly, on a night like this, Little Mix needed all of their supporters now.

Marcus Collins – Impressing with all his abilities

There has been no other act that can handle the pressure of performing an upbeat classic than Marcus.  The order for him was the same as pretty much every single week in this competition; another two songs with an up-tempo theme to prove that he is, as Gary Barlow has been marketing him, the most versatile act in the show.  In his first performance, ‘My Girl,’ certainly worked out for him, as did ‘Can You Feel It.’  Louis believed it was the wrong song choice for him, but this is what Marcus is all about and if that was the song that both he and Gary felt was enough get him to the final, then they certainly were both doing the job right.

Meet the finalists…

This time, unlike last year, ITV kept their promise.  No surprise unannounced involvements from the judges, the three finalists were decided purely on the public vote.  After an agonising 24 hour wait, the acts were now about to hear the verdict from the nation.

FAREWELL: Despite her talent, Misha struggled to win support

Screams and tears of delight were heard when Little Mix, after a disastrous semi-final round, made to the final.  Their faithful had responded just when it was needed the most.  Marcus was perhaps the only one of the acts that believed he could go through, so both he and Gary were ecstatic when he did.  That left Kelly Rowland’s two girls in the firing line Amelia Lily and Misha B.  One would be given a ticket for the Wembley final and the other would be crashing out at the worst possible stage.

Finally, the girls were put out of their misery and it was, as widely predicted, a visibly stunned Amelia was the last act to get to the final.  So after three fights for survival, sadly this time there was no comeback for Misha.  She certainly didn’t go out quietly, closing Sunday’s show with an amazing rendition of ‘Who You Are’ as the judges gave her a standing ovation.  Misha will surely bag herself a recording deal from here on in and if anyone doesn’t feel that way then they don’t know what being a popstar really is.

CHOSEN: It is Amelia v Little Mix v Marcus this weekend

So having beaten off thousands of competitors, just three acts are now standing.  Teeside student Amelia Lily, Liverpool hairdresser Marcus Collins and girl group Little Mix.  Next week, one will win The X-Factor 2011 and a “life-changing” recording contract in front of a 10,000 strong audience.  This series might have not proven as popular for well-documented reasons but surely next weekend’s finale has to be a ratings winner.  If it isn’t then something is seriously wrong!

The X-Factor 2011 - The battle hots up

By Jason Wright (Entertainment expert)

FOR the first time in quite a while, the remaining acts in the competition were all genuine contenders, with none really being classed as ‘joke acts.’  Here is how the latest drama has unfolded over the last two weeks…

WEEK 7

The Ultimate Saturday Night Blockbuster

THE X-Factor met Hollywood for a night of movie themes.  The name’s Colton, Craig Colton. (I mention that way because he was assigned a classic Bond number ‘License to Kill.’)  Showing off his great vocals once again as he has always done, he came under the firing line however for the first time with questions over whether the song was wrong for him.  After two weeks of mediocre performances, Janet Devlin somewhat returned to form with a simple yet effective rendition of ‘Kiss Me’ from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

     The other two Girls also had strong nights, even if it wasn’t their best to date.  Returning act Amelia Lily’s performance of the Bridget Jones song ‘Think’ focused more on a stage production than just the voice but was still very competitive.  After a second stint in the bottom two the previous week, Misha B went out and proved she can still compete with the best in the competition and her take on ‘I Have Nothing’ from The Bodyguard had Gary Barlow calling for people to start supporting her again.

     The one remaining group in the competition Little Mix tried something different this week.  ‘Don’t Let Go’ from Set It Off was a song that might have been upbeat but more stripped back with more emphasis placed on their vocal abilities.  In a nutshell, it paid off handsomely again.  Finally, Marcus Collins also went down the stage-show route (again) for his performance of ‘Higher and Higher’ from Ghostbusters, this time with the help of a gospel choir.  It just proves that he is the real deal and it would be a travesty if he at least didn’t make the final.

Curtain Closes On Craig

After a surprise appearance from legendary icon Bryan Adams in the finalist’s group performance, and somebody nicking his guitar without anyone noticing, it was time for the latest round of results.  With Misha B, Little Mix, Marcus and Janet all having done enough to go into the quarter-final, it left Craig, expected on his performance level, and Amelia, just a week after coming back, battling for survival.  Both acts gave it 110 per cent and this wasn’t going to be an easy decision.  Both Gary Barlow and Kelly Rowland stood by their acts but Barlow was bang out of order in saying that Amelia “shouted her way” through her sing-off performance.  It wasn’t shouting at all, it’s the way Amelia performs.  Tulisa based her decision on the sing-off performances and decided Craig had put more passion into his before Louis Walsh decided that Amelia was a better all-round performer than Craig.

DEADLOCK: However, it was the end of the journey for Craig

     That meant after seven weeks, a Final Showdown finally had the judges torn over their votes.  The Deadlock situation was called into play for the first time this series and not to anyone’s surprise, Craig finished bottom of the public vote and his time on the show was up.  A bitter shame as he had performed beyond everyone’s expectations but in a competition so close, it was a case of one bad night and you’re out.

WEEK 8

Everyone has a guilty pleasure

WITH five acts now left standing, it was now double the pressure as each one had to perform twice for the support of both the judges and the public.  In the first round of performances, each act performed a song of Guilty Pleasure.

Little Mix went first with Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ and although it was made to perfection, Louis wasn’t impressed by the choreography involved in it.  At least they coped better than Janet who tried the tested and failed formula of an up-tempo song, ‘MMMBop,’ and yet again, she fluffed the lines and this time blamed it on being about to vomit.

Misha B played it rather safe but effective with Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ before we got the rather usual spectacular from Marcus, this time putting it together with the Wham! Hit ‘I’m Your Man.’ Finally, Amelia Lily brought the first round to a close with a mind-blowing rendition of T’Pau’s ‘China In Your Hand’ with Gary claiming it to be better than the original version.  It of course didn’t go down well with the original artists of the track.

And everyone does need a hero

With the Guilty Pleasure numbers done, it was now time for the acts to showcase one of their big musical idols.  Little Mix got an opportunity to showcase a completely different side.  This time, there was no dancing, no gimmicks, just the four girl’s voices of ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera.  It was an emotionally-captivating performance which helped them on their way to becoming the new bookmakers favourites to win.

     Janet fared slightly better on her second song, Red Hot Chilli Peppers ‘Under The Bridge’ but it was evident that the damage from the first song had already been done as the judges didn’t really warm to this either.  Misha B meanwhile was having a rather predictable night but still remained on the top of her game with Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing Me Softly with His Song.’

For his hero’s song, Marcus also decided to strip things back with Stevie Wonder’s ‘Lately.’  A very difficult song to conquer and although it didn’t prove to be spectacular, it was still proof of why he deserves a chance in music.  Having mastered a power ballad in her first performance, Amelia Lily went for a rock style in her second outing with Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone.’  Her first song of the night was better but nevertheless, it summed up her intent to take on the opposition since her return.

Janet bids farewell – but not in a dignified way

With three of the original four girls left at this stage, surely the odds were strong that one of them had to go this week.  Despite five acts being left, a Final Showdown was still held, signifying the rule changes in elimination made last year were no one year fluke.  In the public vote result, Amelia was spared a second consecutive sing-off, Marcus continued to flourish under his growing fanbase and Little Mix made X-Factor history in becoming the first girl group ever to reach the semi-final.

     That left Janet and Misha B; the latter in the bottom two for the third time in six weeks, having to sing again for the one remaining place in the semi-final.  They once again, showed why they were great competitors but Misha’s ability to deliver under the pressure was what swayed it with the judges.  Even Louis, the biggest fan of Janet, decided to send her home and when Tulisa sided and sent her home too, it was game over and her mentor Kelly sealed it – by deciding to opt out of voting!  Despite being warned by Dermot O’Leary about the consequences of her considering actions, she stuck by her decision to refuse in casting a vote.  Cue the jeering from the audience and the typical explosion of angry and furious comments on Twitter and Facebook.

SLUMP: Janet struggled to recover in recent weeks and it has cost her

      Regardless of the outcome, the truth is simply that Janet’s decline began in the fifth week of competition and her failure to recover from this slump has finally led to her paying the ultimate price – a shot at winning the competition.  However, there’s no denying that this is the last we will hear of Janet; she surely will be selling records and albums in the future.

     So, it’s now down to the final four – Amelia Lily, Little Mix, Marcus Collins and Misha B will battle it out in next week’s semi-final.  The prize, for three of them is a place in the showpiece finale live in front of 10,000 people at Wembley Arena.  It doesn’t matter whether this series is trailing in the ratings, this has surely got to be the closest semi-final field yet, anyone can well and truly miss out on the final.

The X-Factor 2011 - A week no-one will forget

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THE past week’s events on The X-Factor have perhaps been more akin to an average episode of Emmerdale…

Axe Falls On Shamed Frankie

SHAMED: Frankie Cocozza's axing ends his crazy journey

THE drama first began last Tuesday when less than 48 hours after the events of the previous week’s shock double elimination were sinking in, Frankie Cocozza had been axed.  The reason was for breaking one of the show’s ‘Golden Rules.’  The exact rule that had been broken has not been named for legal reasons but it is worth stating that the show runs a strict policy in order to get the best out of the contestants.  This is why last year, they introduced a set of Golden Rules; 10 rules that must not be broken by anyone – such as no leaving the contestants house without permission and no intimate relationships with fans.  Contestants are warned that they will face disqualification from the competition if any of these rules are violated.  Tabloids have speculated that Cocozza broke rule number seven on the list – Zero Tolerance on Drug Use.  What truth it is, Frankie has blown a golden opportunity, his chances of becoming a popstar crushed.

Frankie’s Loss Is Four Acts Gain

THE simple logic could be that Frankie would be replaced by one of the eliminated acts from the previous week.  The X-Factor has a reputation for pulling tricks out of its sleeve when nobody notices and it did it again last week.  At a special press conference on Thursday afternoon, it was announced that the public would choose one of four acts to return to the competition.  The four acts in question; they were the foursome that had been unceremoniously dumped by their mentors on the first live show.  Recalled from their homes across the country; Jonjo Kerr, James Michael, 2 Shoes and Amelia Lily were back and hoping the public would get on their side.  A 48-hour phone-only vote would be used to determine who would get the ‘wildcard’ or ‘lucky loser’ place on Saturday’s show, with all profits (minus the VAT rate) being donated to the Help For Heroes charity.  In some people’s mind, it was criticised as they technically had four weeks off from the competition but these contestants never got the chance to see what the public made of them, so in a way, it’s actually a win-win situation.

Lights…Camera…No Action!

SIX acts, plus whichever one got the reprieve, were tasked to perform either a Queen or Lady Gaga song.  Everyone was now set for Saturday and when it came to 8:15pm that night…nothing!  A powercut at the BT Tower, which supplies power to the programme’s studio in Wembley, meant the set was plunged into total blackout!  Viewers were left having to watch reruns of auditions whilst everything was being hurriedly repaired to prevent severe disruption to the evening’s TV schedules.  Incensed people took to Twitter to vent their frustration and as ever with these social networking sites, crazy rumours began to fly around for the delay.  As the audition tapes continued to play, there was a possibility of the show having to be cancelled.  Still, watching the clips was perhaps better than having to sit through several minutes of staring at a blank ITV1 slide with depressing breakdown music……but the viewers were waiting, the audience was waiting, the acts were waiting and as far as ITV was concerned in this day and age, the advertisers were waiting.  So, after an enforced ad break, the gremlins were finally fixed and The X-Factor went on air, some 16 minutes behind schedule.

Better Late Than Never

FOR the first six acts of the night, no more delays, they now had to take to the stage.  Louis Walsh’s last act standing Kitty Brucknell was first but she was already feeling upset.  She wanted to perform ‘Born This Way’ but Misha B was drawn ahead of her on the week’s selection and took the song.  This left Kitty with ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’   The vocals were better than last week but it was an underwhelming start.  Next out was Craig Colton with ‘Paparazzi.’  Potentially, it was another song which in all honesty should have sounded out of his depth.  Once again, Craig proved everyone wrong and this performance was perhaps his best to date.

It was down to the final territory in the Groups category again, but this time it was girl power left.  Little Mix has already been the surprise package of the show and they wowed yet again with a Queen/Lady Gaga mash up of ‘Telephone’ and ‘Radio Gaga.’  Louis though did feel they were becoming too one-dimensional.  It was a fair point because they have yet to sing a ballad and if they have serious intentions on winning, it’s something Tulisa has to explore sooner rather than later.  After last week’s Club Classics disaster, Janet Devlin returned to her roots with ‘Somebody to Love’ and it backfired.  The performance of the previous week seemed to have taken its toll and she looked weak and vulnerable.  Janet’s tag as favourite at the start of the competition has definitely loosened.

Whilst Janet’s stock was plummeting, rival Marcus Collins saw his continue to rise.  After last week’s show-stopper, he continued the upbeat theme in his performances with ‘Another One Bites The Dust.’  Ultimately, it was not as strong as last week, but still enough to cement his place at the top of the bookies odds.  Misha B hoped to prove Kelly Rowland that she made the right choice in giving her ‘Born This Way’ and it paid off handsomely.  We have seen better from Misha in this competition but out of all of the remaining acts left, she had the best week in terms of performance level.

Who Clinches The Lifeline?

SO NOW it was time to see who was going to get the chance to rejoin the show?  2 Shoes, Amelia, James and Jonjo had each prepared their own version of ‘Show Must Go On’ but only the act that had topped the vote would get to sing it.  With all the tension already created by the mishaps at the start of the night, STV (ITV1 in Scotland) got too carried away in excitement and accidentally posted a pre-prepared story of the result on their website.  Immediately people cried ‘FIX’ but this time, there was no case to answer as this was ‘genuine human error’ and STV honourably put their hand up straight away and apologised.  The individual who posted this though will still probably get fired!

When it came to the official result itself, there was ever only going to be one outcome from the moment the vote opened.  With a 48 per cent majority decision, Amelia Lily was back in the game!  When it came to her performance, she showed why she deserved a second chance and why Rowland should never have gotten rid of her in the first place.  Gary Barlow was certainly optimistic of her chances by saying that “the Great British public love a comeback.”

Finally…After A Chaotic Week…Another One Bites The Dust!

NO SUCH hitches were reported on Sunday night and everything ran smoothly as another act was sent home.  Marcus and Craig were deservedly sent through to sing again and Little Mix kept Tulisa in the running for another week at least.  Janet’s supporters came out in response again for their troubled star and the public were prepared to see another dose of Amelia.  It left, arguably the two best acts in singing ability; Misha B and Kitty fighting for survival in the Final Showdown.  What a sing-off it was as both acts performed like they never performed before and it was going to be very difficult for the judges to split them apart.

FITTING: Kitty left the competition in style

With Louis and Kelly predictably standing by their own acts, both Tulisa and Gary overcame their difficult decision and decided that Misha should still be in the competition on the fact that Kitty had been painted as a villain, perhaps unfairly in recent weeks, to many people.  The Next Generation of judges had teamed up to eliminate the veteran Louis who became the first judge to be ousted out of the competition, AGAIN!  For Kitty, it was the end of a long and turbulent journey, but she ended it on a high by being able to perform the chorus of ‘Born This Way,’ leaving host Dermot O’Leary petrified at the end.  It got better for Kitty, when during an emotional interview with Caroline Flack and Olly Murs on The Xtra Factor; Lady Gaga raced onto the stage and gave her a farewell hug.  It was a touching and moving moment and Kitty does have a future in showbiz, especially if she continues to be inspired by the biggest popstar in the world.

BANG: Amelia Lily is well and truly back

It is one week that The X-Factor will not forget in a hurry.  Congratulations have to go Amelia for getting her chance to impress the public.  Of course, people are saying that if she goes on to win it would be unfair on everyone else and you expect those kinds of opinions.  Let’s not forget, it wasn’t the public who chose to get rid of her in the first place.  One thing is for certain though; Amelia Lily has well and truly blown this competition wide open!

The X-Factor 2011 - An explosive start to the live shows

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

FROM the thousands and thousands acts that had aimed to become ‘The Next Big Thing,’ just 16 acts now remained in the running, ready and raring to kick off this year’s X-Factor live finals.

     With new judges, new attitude and a new opening title sequence (long overdue but I’m not too keen on the remixed theme), everything was in place for the perfect beginning.  However week one would be dominated by a ‘Big Twist’ and this time, it would be the first ever quadruple elimination, but not decided by the public.  Instead the judges would have complete control over the future of their acts.

     First, in their one and only effort to convince their mentoring judge, all 16 acts performed a song either by a popular British or American artist. Here’s how they fared…

GIRLS

Opening the live finals is a very daunting prospect as people expect the standard to be set high early on.  This year it fell to youngster Amelia Lily from Middlesbrough.  As part of the questionable makeovers given to the contestants in this run, her familiar blonde locks were switched to a shocking pink, but that didn’t stop her giving an confident rendition of the Michael Jackson classic ‘Billie Jean.’  Despite a few dodgy notes in the chorus, it was a good start, considering this is a very challenging song to perform.  Next up was Sophie Habibis with a piano version of Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream.’  Slow-paced it may have been, but surprisingly, it came off very well as it showed the entire vocal range she has.

BREATHTAKING: Janet made herself the early frontrunner

     Then it was the turn of Misha B (she’s confusingly dropped her surname for the finals) with another surprise package of the evening.  Her version of Adele’s ‘Rolling In The Deep’ was spot on and became more special with an added rap element, perhaps showing off what could be her specialist genre.  Finally, the favourite for the entire competition, Janet Devlin sang Coldplay’s ‘Fix You.’  Unlike the other girls, there were no gimmicks, no dead giveaways, just her singing beautifully. More focus will now surely be placed on her in the coming weeks.

OVER 25s

THANKS to Nicole Scherzinger’s clever thinking, the Over category was raised last year, but with Nicole parked on the US show, it was dropped back 25 for this series.  First in line was Johnny Robinson, with a performance of Cher’s ‘Believe’ that definitely would make anyone cringe.  You may remember on the first week last year, I compared Wagner to Gordon Brown on helium.  On this occasion, Johnny sounds like Nick Clegg on helium!  Following on from him was Jonjo Kerr.  He seemed very nervous and his version of ‘You Really Got Me Going’ by The Kinks exposed it in every department.  He looked pained throughout and sounded more like a failed pub singer.

DIVIDED: Kitty will be either loved or hated by members of the public

    In all honesty, Sami Brookes should be back at her day job, but the exit of Goldie had granted her a lifeline.  She didn’t disappoint either, with her version of Yomada’s ‘You’re Free’ and Gary Barlow vowed to resign if Louis Walsh didn’t save her afterwards.  Lastly, Kitty Brucknell, the true pantomime villain of the line-up came out with Queen’s ‘Who Wants to Live Forever?’  There is no question that she can sing but whether she can last well into the competition is very questionable.

GROUPS

TULISA was put in charge of creating a groups winner for the eighth time in asking.  For this, she (along with her fellow judges) had formed three groups from failed soloists.  First of these “manufactured” groups was Rhythmix.  Dogged by criticism all week, they proved everyone wrong in their performance of Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Bass’ and were labelled as the best girl group in the show’s history.  The only group to have come in from the auditions proper were Essex duo 2 Shoes, and they certainly brought some glamour into the show by their take of Girls Aloud’s hit ‘Something Kinda Ooooh.’  Gary however wasn’t impressed, comparing it to a “karaoke night in Romford,” certainly the comment of the night.

     The two created boyband groups came next.  First up was Nu Vibe and they were the disappointment of the night.  Their version of Chris Brown’s ‘Beautiful People’ lacked passion and forced judges Tulisa and Kelly Rowland to clash over the arrangement of the performance.  That however was then completely forgotten by the appearance of the new look version of The Risk.  A spot on version of Plan B’s ‘She Said’ was in tune and executed brilliantly.  As far as I’m concerned, they are the leading group in this category.

BOYS

MUCH anticipation was placed on this category as it’s won the show three times in the last four years.  First in was heartthrob Frankie Cocozza.  Though his performance of ‘The A Team’ by Ed Sheeran wasn’t the best by his standards, it at least proved he had strong talent and not just the looks.  That couldn’t be said about James Michael.  The Beatles’ ‘Ticket To Ride’ was completely murdered by his weak vocals and in summary, it wanted to make you fall asleep!

NAILED: Craig proved he is Gary's secret weapon

     The favourite in this category, Marcus Collins, certainly didn’t disappoint with Maroon 5’s ‘Moves like Jagger.’  He must have felt the luckiest guy around, having several women parading but it didn’t distract him one bit.  The final boy, Craig Colton, was labelled by Barlow as his ‘secret weapon.’  Christina Perri’s ‘Jar of Hearts’ is a difficult song to conquer, but Craig nailed it and wiped away pre-show criticism that he wasn’t up to the challenge.

     All in all, it was a night of surprises and expectant performances.  The judges had 24 hours to decide which of their acts they had to axe in the twist.  All the acts could do now was sleep and wait.

The Result

THE public must have felt completely powerless on Sunday as they had to wait with baited breath to see whether the judges would save their favourites.  It wasn’t going to be easy at all.

     Louis was the first judge to choose on Sunday.  He expectantly saved Sami and then, despite the criticism from the people, put Kitty through.  His decision to save Johnny seemed to really shock his act, but it was the right decision.  Jonjo screwed up his performance the previous evening and deserved his exit.

     Next was the Boys and again no shocks were in order with Gary opting to keep Marcus, Craig and Frankie and send home James.  His exit again wasn’t unexpected as he had underperformed massively in his song.  Then it was the turn of the Groups and Rhythmix, The Risk and Nu Vibe were saved to sing another week.  2 Shoes were sent packing, in some ways, a bit surprising considering Tulisa’s strong affection for them.  Indeed, she struggled to compose herself together to eliminate them.

CONSOLED: Amelia struggles to deal with Kelly's decision to axe her

     The hardest decision though had to come to Kelly and her Girls.  One of them had to go despite all four delivering great performances.  Firstly, both Janet and Misha B were deservedly put through, leaving Amelia and Sophie in the running for the final place.  It was made clear already that Kelly had adored Sophie from the beginning but the feeling was Amelia would be given the nod.  Ultimately, Kelly went for Sophie, axing one of the favourites from the competition.  She burst into tears, with the audience looking on.  Whatever you thought of her, you just had to feel terribly sorry for the Teeside lass.

    The X-Factor always has a secret sub-motto, expect the unexpected!  I don’t think anyone expected one of the pre-contest favourites to fall at the first hurdle.  I felt Amelia deserved to stay in the competition, but there are those who also thought Kelly got the decision spot on.  However, Amelia was the victim of a stupid twist from the producers.  Even Dermot O’Leary has had his say on the twist.  I didn’t like it, I don’t think many did and with one million viewers not bothering with Sunday night’s viewers show, it looked like some of the audience voted with their TV sets.  I hope this attempted format of mixing up the show is put into the ditch and doesn’t return.  No act has gone out on week one and has gone onto enjoy a successful career, so unfortunately, I don’t think Amelia will make the grade, which is a real shame.

     Kelly will have to deal with criticism from the Amelia obsessed fans, but it is the producers of the show who should probably accept that this was a bad move, rather than calling for the head of a new judge.  The public vote begins this weekend; wonder if our heads will be turned by the daft performances or the special singers.  However, X-Factor 2011 promises what is says on the tin; plenty of drama and controversy ahead.

The X-Factor 2011 - The final 16

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

AFTER the ‘Jedwardgate’ scandal that marred the 2009 series followed by the shambles of last year, ITV has had to look at the badly tarnished image of their number one show, the X-Factor and change it before it reached the point of no return.

The result, The X-Factor has gone back to its roots.  A questionable choice of new judges has turned out to be very successful and with contestants who actually want to win, it’s perhaps the first time since 2008 that everyone can look forward to the live finals.

Sunday night saw the new judging panel decide the 16 acts to take part in the live finals.  Here is each act profiled with my own judgement and prediction.

MIX: Gary has a varied selection of glamour and genuine talent

BOYS – mentored by Gary Barlow

Craig Colton

Aged 22, biscuit factory worker from Liverpool

ALONG with his continuing studies, Craig has been working in a customer services assistant role at a local biscuit factory.  However he has always had aspirations to be an actor, so he enrolled in a drama course and it was there that he realised he could sing.  He has been so nervous however about this that he didn’t even bother to tell his parents that he applied to take part in the competition.

Craig says: “I’ve got to the finals, its madness.”

I say: He looks talented but does need a confidence check first.

Prediction: 11th               Odds: 14-1

Frankie Cocozza

Aged 18, unemployed from Brighton

STUDENT Frankie has already developed a reputation for being a party animal and a ladies’ man.  One weird fact is that he has the first names of every girl he has slept tattooed on his rear end!  He first took up singing at a theatre club at the age of eight, but stopped at the age of 13 until deciding to go for the big time.

Frankie says: “I’m probably the happiest person in the world right now.”

I say: Can he cope with the pressure and adapt to different styles?  He surely will get girls voting for him in droves.

Prediction: 6th                  Odds: 10-1

James Michael

Aged 20, unemployed from Cheshire

AFTER dropping out of school at 16, James decided to take up song writing instead of looking for a job.  From there, he went to college to take a course on music tech after not knowing what to do with his life in his early years.  He’s a real guitar specialist so expect to see him regularly playing the guitar on the live finals.

James says: “I’m one step closer to doing what I really want to do for the rest of my life.”

I say: He’s good but if he is to stand a chance, he can’t stick to guitar based songs every time.

Prediction: 13th               Odds: 7-1

Marcus Collins

Aged 21, hairdresser from Liverpool

A QUIET and shy young person at school, Marcus found his inner voice in musicals.  He became a huge fan of Destiny’s Child, always buying tickets for their Liverpool shows and has got all of their tour DVD’s.  Now he aims to follow in their footsteps in realising his potential and it’s worked so far.

Marcus says: “I cannot believe I’m through – I’m just a regular lad and I’ve been to LA!”

I say: Very popular, very talented.  Certainly the pick of the boys pack.

Prediction: Runner-Up  Odds: 9-1

FIRST: Tulisa will have her work cut out to produce a winner

GROUPS – mentored by Tulisa

2 Shoes

CHARLEY BIRD, aged 23, telecoms worker & LUCY TEXEIRA, aged 21, fragrance shop worker, both from Essex.

CHARLEY and Lucy first met whilst performing at various events across Essex.  They soon combined their talent together into a duo.  First considered as a laughingstock from first impressions, they have quickly proved that they really do have singing talent.  During bootcamp, it was revealed that one half of the pair was three months pregnant, so it’s a brave decision from Tulisa to put them through into the final 16.

The girls say: “What on earth are we going to wear? Will they do us fake tan and nails?”

I say: It’s nice to see some variety at times.  The jury is still out on them at the moment but one thing is for certain, to those people who say they can’t sing – SHUT UP!

Prediction: 9th                  Odds: 33-1

Nu Vibe

ASHFORD CAMPBELL, aged 19, student from Huddersfield, BRADLEY JOHNSON, aged 16, student from Liverpool, JORDAN HIGO, aged 16, student from Manchester, RICHARD MILFORD, aged 16, student from Birmingham, STEFAN ROMER, aged 19, unemployed from Hampshire

ASHFORD, Bradley, Jordan, Richard and Stefan all entered as solo acts but the strong competition in the boy’s category, combined with the initial abdominal talent in the category means they are one of three groups manufactured by the judges in the final line-up.

The boys say: “A few weeks ago, we were in college and now this.”

I say: They may lack some edge but they have strong chemistry and will certainly get a lot of teen attention.

Prediction: 3rd                  Odds: 14-1

Rhythmix

JADE THIRWALL, aged 18, student from Newcastle, JESY NELSON, aged 20, barmaid from London, LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK, aged 19, Pizza Hut waitress from North London, PERRIE EDWARDS, aged 18, student from Newcastle

JADE, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Perrie will count themselves extremely lucky.  They were knocked out at the first stage of Bootcamp as soloists and then rejected again in separate created groups at the second stage.  However, they were another group benefiting from the lack of talent in the groups category which resulted in them merging together for judges’ houses.

The girls say: “We feel sick with excitement. We’re so glad Tulisa saw our potential.”

I say: Their judges’ houses performance proved they have so much potential.  However, I feel that the “Girlband Curse” is ready to fire again.

Prediction: 14th               Odds: 25-1

The Risk

ANDREW MERRY, aged 20, car salesman from Ayr, ASHLEY BAPTISTE, aged 22, university graduate from North London, CHARLIE HEALY, aged 25, pub singer from Coventry, DERRY MENSAH, aged 21, Burger King employee from East London,

Andrew, Ashley, Charlie and Derry are also benefits of the poor standard from the group’s category.  After the initial line-up of The Risk failed and with fellow group The Keys relying too much on lead singer Charlie, Tulisa decided to axe two members of The Risk and bring in Charlie to give the group a much needed boost ahead of the live finals.

The boys say: “It feels like the start of something special. Because we’ve all been put together it’s like an emotional rollercoaster that’s on its route to success.”

I say: On paper it looks a good combination but whether they can connect together remains to be seen.

Prediction: 10th               Odds: 20-1

OVER 25s – mentored by Louis Walsh

Johnny Robinson

Aged 45, unemployed from Harrow

BACK in 1990, Johnny took part in the very first series of Stars in their Eyes.  He impersonated his idol Boy George and he made it to the grand final.  Twenty-one years later, he is well known for his high-pitched helium vocal which certainly makes him a total laughingstock to make all the way to the last 16.  Certainly was a surprising selection for the live shows.

Johnny says: “Someone pinch me and wake me up!”

I say: Yet again, Louis has proven why he is a fool.  I hope he goes early on but this unfortunately looks like it’s going to be another Wagner.

Prediction: 7th                  Odds: 50-1

Jonjo Kerr

Aged 27, infantry soldier from Wiltshire

JONJO has devoted most of his life to protecting the country on the frontline.  In his short spare time, Jonjo has performed in school and karaoke bars.  Now he wants to crack it on the big time and he hopes that doing the show will make both his family and army colleagues proud of him.

Jonjo says: “I’m just a normal bloke and I feel extremely privileged.”

I say: Totally outspoken, great voice and always gives it 110%.  He could be the dark horse of the competition.

Prediction: 4th                  Odds: 33-1

Kitty Brucknell

Aged 26, club singer from Cheltenham

KITTY has been performing since the age of five, gradually moving up in performance standard, from summer camps to a regular slot at local nightclub.  She mainly excels in the field of A Cappella, when there are no instruments or backing track to accompany the performance.  She has already earned a negative and diva reception from the press and it’s difficult to see why as she will take no expense from living her dream.

Kitty says: “I’m so grateful to Louis for taking a risk with me.”

I say: Can perform well but her bitchy approach will be her undoing.  Exit week one, stage right, I think.

Prediction: 16th               Odds: 50-1

CHANCE: Can Sami take the second opportunity thrown to her?

Sami Brookes

Aged 31, retail assistant from Rhyl

SAMI has worked in the retail industry all her life but has always dreamed of a singing career.  She had entered several karaoke competitions and regularly performs in pubs and clubs across her hometown.  She was initially sent home by Louis, but after Chinese hopeful Goldie Cheung quit the show, Sami was given a second chance to impress.

Sami says: “I’ve conquered my nightmares because of my dreams!”

I say: The public will no doubt accept her more than Goldie but the pressure is already on her as she has had less preparation time than her fellow contestants.

Prediction: 8th                  Odds: 20-1

POWER: Kelly will be hoping for plenty of girl style from her picks

GIRLS – mentored by Kelly Rowland

Amelia Lily

Aged 16, student from Middlesbrough, Tyne and Wear

AMELIA entered the competition after being inspired by her brother Lewis, who was runner-up in the BBC show Any Dream Will Do in 2007.  She attends dance school and regularly takes part in musical theatre.  Although it was her brother that convinced her to take part, Amelia’s biggest inspiration is her own father.

Amelia says: “I’m just going to work my socks off, I really am.”

I say: For a girl of her age with such a grown-up voice, I say she’s got a good shot but is she ready for the big time?  I’m not totally won over yet.

Prediction: 5th                  Odds: 5-1

Janet Devlin

Aged 16, student from Omagh

JANET first started singing when her grandmother convinced her to take vocal lessons.  Since then, she has become very passionate about music and it means so much to her.  In fact, she has been writing songs since the age of seven and feels it more natural to sing rather than talk.  Now that’s pure dedication!

Janet says: “This is the start of being taken seriously as a musician.”

I say: Anyone who really commits their future to music early in her life deserves to go for it.  At the moment, I think Janet is the one to beat.

Prediction: Winner         Odds: 5-2

Misha Bryan

Aged 19, student from Manchester

IT WASN’T until the age of 14 until Misha decided to sing competitively.  Since then, she has compared to a way of understanding herself.  Her parents and friends have been very supportive and always listen to her rehearse.  Now Misha is determined to pay them back in the only way she knows how.

Misha says: “Dream to reality – next stop, world domination!”

I say: Has great ability.  If she can conquer other themes of song besides R&B, she’s in with a fighting chance.

Prediction: 12th               Odds: 14-1

Sophie Habibis

Aged 19, barmaid from West London

FOR a girl of her ability, Sophie has had a rough time in growing up.  Dropped out of school early and went against going to college, she instead wanted to have an active part of life.  That’s where the singing came in and she now combines it with her role as a barmaid in a local pub, along with playing at local festivals.

Sophie says: “I was expecting a no because everyone was so good.”

I say: Has totally been taken aback by going through going into the finals.  However, it will take a lot of convincing to prove to the public that she can go all the way.

Prediction: 15th               Odds: 14-1

So that is the starting line-up for this year’s live finals. Or is it?

     That’s because it has been confirmed that once again, the first live show is to be rocked by a BIG TWIST.  Of course, it won’t be known until the live show but the theories are that the wildcards are being used again (but this can’t surely happen, how can you fit 20 acts in two and a half hours?), the category mentors being swapped (that would be interesting) and the rumours of a fifth judge (which will either be Simon Cowell or Cheryl Cole rejoining the show.)

     In either case, it looks set to be an entertaining ten weeks ahead, and it all starts on Saturday at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITV1 HD. IT’S TIME…TO FACE…THE MUSIC!