That was 2011...in entertainment

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

WITHOUT a doubt, the entertainment world has had another turbulent year and here are some of the big stories that hit the headlines over the last 12 months…

     The year began in typical fashion – with a media scandal!  What seemed to be remarks about women in football made off the air were actually picked up and made public, as Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray discovered.  More damaging off-screen behaviour would come to light over the following days through YouTube and it resulted in Gray being sacked and Keys resigning from his role.  In its 22 year history, this was no question, Sky’s biggest ever embarrassment.

FIGHTING: Imogen Thomas was dragged into the superinjunctions debate

     Just over a year after they got hitched in Las Vegas, a painful separation was in prospect for Katie Price and Alex Reid.  Price would go on to date an unknown Argentine model for several months whilst Reid has found new love in ex-Big Brother Housemate Chantelle Houghton.  The pair have recently become engaged, so no surprise who was the winner out of this doomed relationship.  Another former BB contestant that sprung into the public eye was Imogen Thomas.  Her name was mentioned in a granted superinjunction by a Premier League footballer who wished to remain anonymous.  Speculation on Twitter led to a Liberal Democrat MP to use his parliamentary privilege and oust the footballer’s identity.  The footballer has remained silent on the issue ever since the revelation back in May.  Speaking about Big Brother, after the final series on Channel 4 ended last summer, it looked as if it had vanished away for good.  Richard Desmond had other ideas and brought it back to Channel 5.  With new host Brian Dowling, and famous faces such as Kerry Katona and Paddy Doherty, who would eventually go on to win, the method was simple, try to keep it as simple as possible.  It has become Channel 5’s highest rated show but it will never match the success that it had on C4.

     One person who would certainly want to forget 2011 in a hurry is Cheryl Cole and her fall from grace.  In May, she accepted the chance of a lifetime to join the new US version of The X-Factor, with aide Simon Cowell, who also quit the UK version.  The dream wasn’t to last long though as just two weeks into filming, she was sacked.  Initially this looked to be the work of Cowell but it later transpired that Fox wanted her out because her Newcastle accent would make American viewers struggle to understand her.  In either case, Cole returned back to the UK, more humiliated than when she left and her role of being “The Nation’s Sweetheart” was finally stripped for good when she had a fling with footballing ex Ashley Cole.  Reconciliation seemed on the cards until the tabloids stepped in with more stories of Ashley’s infidelity.  On X-Factor USA, Cole’s place on the judging panel was given to Nicole Scherzinger, a more well-favourable decision for many.  Fox stood by Scherzinger, despite criticism from experts in the States.  However, Nicole’s commitment to her solo career and her new job led to an amicable and publicised split with Formula One star, Lewis Hamilton.  The newspaper press has certainly come under scrutiny in 2011, with damming revelations at News International, of phone hacking at the News of the World.  Famous showbiz figures like Sienna Miller, Hugh Grant and Max Mosley were given liberal damages before the tarnished paper was closed down in July.

AWARDS: Huge success for Colin Firth and The King's Speech

     In the film world, it’s been one dramatic year with several grossing films and rave reviews for several flicks than ever before.  The King’s Speech topped the bill with its success at both the BAFTA’s and the Oscars whilst after ten years; the Harry Potter saga finally came to an end with the last film based on the final book of the series.  Other top talking films of the year include Cars 2, The Inbetweeners Movie and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  In the land of music, there has been a frequent share of old and new talent at the top of the charts this year.  Acts like Jessie J and Ed Sheeran have made phenomenal starts in their careers this year whilst established talent such as Pixie Lott and the Saturdays continue to challenge for supremacy, the latter still somehow have not managed a Number 1 single yet!  Of course, there are acts that are just in it for the money – 2011 will go down as the year that Jedward began their course to world domination!  A successful appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, beating the much more challenging entry from Blue for the UK, coupled with third place on Celebrity Big Brother backs up the evidence.  In fact, they have recently announced they will try for Eurovision again next year, this year’s contest being won by a delightful entry from Azerbaijan.

     It’s been a torrid year for ITV with most of its popular programmes coming under the firing line for falling ratings.  The most publicised was Dancing on Ice.  A massive competition revamp designed to make it more entertaining and watchable had the opposite effect.  It flopped miserably and it has now called its future into question.  Daybreak has also suffered and amidst its constant thrashing in the ratings by BBC Breakfast, it is currently undergoing its own revamp over the New Year with its “star” presenters, Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley having already left.  

STUNNER: Amy Childs has had a year to remember

     If there was an award that the public could choose for, called ‘Sexiest Woman Of The Year’, favourable nominations like Abbey Crouch, Katy Perry and Michelle Keegan would all be distant runners-up in favour of a young Essex redhead, Amy Childs.  Having shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex, it was no question that she would soon go for it alone and she did just that in August when she was another famous guest in the Celebrity Big Brother house.  Afterwards, she then went on to sign a lucrative deal with Channel 5 for her own reality series, currently be screened.  Love or loathe her, she will be around for much longer to come, just like her use of the phrase, “SHUT UP!”

     Someone who would certainly call 2011 as an “annus horribilis” is Simon Cowell.  After Britain’s Got Talent suffered a slump in ratings in the Spring, his multi-million pound gameshow Red Or Black? certainly didn’t stay out of the headlines but for all the wrong reasons.  Poorly constructed with nothing innovative about the format made it perhaps the biggest ever and most expensive flop in television history.

He then took a backseat when the all new X-Factor arrived in the UK.  Cole and Dannii Minogue had gone from the panel, along with Simon.  Established judge Louis Walsh was joined by Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland for the new series.  Critical reception was of praise to start with but when it got to the live shows, the new judges didn’t seem up to scratch.  That and coupled with the usual off-stage controversy left viewers turning off in their droves.  The most damaging of all centred on Frankie Cocozza.  He seemed innocent and nice to start off with but when the live shows began, he was exposed as an act that really couldn’t sing and his behaviour off the show became more and more wild until he was eventually kicked out for breaking a ‘golden rule,’ alleged to have been taking cocaine.

     However, from the all of the stories of mistrust, X-Factor provided one great story to finish on.  One act came out of the shadows and defied the odds.  Girl group Little Mix – formed by the judges at bootcamp from four girls turned down first as soloists and then again under different constructed groups – were written off before a note was sung when it came to the live finals.  As the weeks progressed, they quickly gathered momentum though and the public began to get behind them.  They eventually sealed a fairytale triumph in the final, live in front of 10,000 fans at Wembley Arena, the first group ever to win the UK version of the show after its years of trying.  In the eight years of the show, there perhaps has been no other winner more popular than these girls but aside from it, it looks like the start of 2012 will perhaps see Cowell organise crisis meeting after crisis meeting to assess what went wrong with the show and how to restore it back to its former glory.

FAREWELL: We said a tragic goodbye to Amy Winehouse

     Every showbiz year of course sees several famous faces sadly leave us.  Some of the those who lost their lives in the last twelve months include Hollywood leading lady Elizabeth Taylor, Coronation Street icon Betty Driver and 80s legend Sir Jimmy Saville.  However, the most familiar name to pass away this year was singer Amy Winehouse.  Despite a fledging and promising career with millions of album sales and several awards on both sides of the Atlantic, her private life was always troubled and usually saw battles with alcohol and drug addictions.  Then on one dry Saturday afternoon in July, came news that she had been found dead in her London home at the tender age of 27.  Despite the woes of her private life, she will still be remembered for her unique contribution to music and her father Mitch has since gone on to set up a charity in her honour to help support young people who are battling their own addiction problems.

     All in all, who said life was dull in showbiz?  It never really is.  With big stories on all of its corners, to say 2011 was hectic is putting it mildly.  Who knows what next year will bring?  Unless you have a crystal ball, don’t even bother predicting!

The X-Factor Final 2011 - Little Mix create history

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THOUSANDS had applied and now just two acts remained.  Following Amelia Lily’s departure at the end of Saturday’s show, just two now were left to fight it out.  Marcus Collins and Little Mix would compete over two hours on Sunday night to decide who would win The X-Factor 2011.  They were ready, the audience was ready, the judges were ready and Britain was ready to meet its next big popstar.

Before the serious business began, there was once again time to enjoy a performance from the eliminated contestants (minus Frankie for obvious reasons.)  In his place, there was a cameo appearance by Goldie Cheung; the act that Louis Walsh had initially sent through to the live finals, but declined to participate.

Turning back the clock to the past

Each act had three songs to win The X-Factor 2011.  In their first performance of the night, both of them performed a song from a past live show and they both opted to reprise their numbers from Movie Night (Week 7 of the competition, to you and me.)

GALLANT: Marcus was a creditable runner-up

First Marcus performed ‘Higher and higher,’ bringing back the gospel choir he used to great effect back then.  Just like the previous night, he had opened this leg of the final in sensational style.  Then Little Mix jumped onto stage to perform ‘Don’t Let Go.’  The song once again showed their unique abilities of being a group with either no lead singer or someone who gets the majority of the lyrics.  They all get their fair share and that’s why the public love them.

Giving Seasons Greetings

The X-Factor wouldn’t be the same without some Christmas cheer, something it has ignored in the last two series finals.  So it was nice to see it reinstated for 2011.  Marcus first gave a performance of Wham’s ‘Last Christmas.’  It was a song that was sort of lukewarm but the judges didn’t care, it was the final after all and it was all about standing out from the crowd for them.

Little Mix then next performed ‘Silent Night.’  This was them at their best, a song which just focused on their amazing voices that have grown throughout the competition.  With every performance that goes by, the belief that this could be the year of the Groups was growing.  All that Tulisa could do, as she had been doing throughout, was to make a loud plea for people to vote for them and that was an X-Factor political broadcast by “Tulisa’s Little Muffins” Party!

As the acts went backstage to prepare for their final and most crucial performance of the evening, it was time to look back at a series full of highs and lows.  Westlife, who have just announced they are splitting up, performed an acclaimed rendition of ‘What About Now,’ with a montage of series highlights being shown on the big screen behind them.

Just one more chance left

So it had all come down to this.  One song now stood between Marcus and Little Mix from victory – the winner’s single.  Reverting back to old rules, both finalists ad recorded versions of the Damien Rice ballad ‘Cannonball’ but with one difference, both acts had recorded it in their own style and how they saw it fit.  Unfortunately, both performances would be overshadowed by what is the worst ever X-Factor winner’s single!

Marcus went for a mixture of high notes and up-tempo base for his performance.  Although many might have predicted it would suit him more, it didn’t quite turn out the way many expected but what couldn’t be taken away was the power and soul put into it and it even had Gary Barlow shedding a tear or two.

Little Mix opted for the more traditional route of keeping the song as a ballad throughout its entirety.  They put plenty of dedication, emotion and other all sorts of dimensions into it.  It sounded like they been in the music industry for years.

ELECTRIC: Coldplay put on a stunning performance

A long wait would now have to be endured as it was time for another X- actor first.  This group had declined from appearing on the show, until now.  The biggest band in the world, Coldplay performed two songs from their recent new album, ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Paradise.’  The Wembley Arena crowd was transformed into a sea of glow lights for the performance and the group worked so hard that lead singer Chris Martin was left sweating like a pig after their performance.

An emotional and fairytale climax to an incredible weekend

Now came the moment Britain had been waiting.   Could Marcus make it four wins for the Boys in five years?  Or would Little Mix claim a long overdue triumph for the Groups?  In what was the closest X-Factor final ever, with just five per cent of the votes separating the two acts, and the standard long pause, the nation decided that the winner of The X Factor 2011 would be

…LITTLE MIX!

After eight long years, the group’s category had finally hit the jackpot!  In the past, the likes of G4, Same Difference, JLS and One Direction had tried and failed to win the final.  Now Little Mix had well and truly showed them all up.

The girls were undoubtedly overcome with emotion over the announcement; tears’ streaming down their faces and even their mentor Tulisa cracked and was a sobbing wreck too.  Throughout all they had been through, the public saw faith in them and they had well and truly beaten the odds.  Marcus was left to just offer his congratulations but again, he will surely be on his way to a bright future.

That just left Little Mix enough time to wipe away their tears and perform their debut single before being enveloped into a massive group hug by all of the finalists.  The race will now be on to get the single to Christmas Number One, but with that contest being taken place over two weeks this year and with a strong challenge from the ‘Military Wives’ charity single, it isn’t going to be easy.  However, they will surely be virtually guaranteed number one in next Sunday’s chart beforehand.

Series eight in a nutshell

It’s fair to say this year’s series of The X-Factor has had its ups and downs.  It started off so well in the early stages with rave reviews from critics over the new judging panel.  Once the live shows started, it descended into chaos, which put a bit of a damp squib on the competition because, at least in my opinion, the talent was much better than in previous years.

When Strictly Come Dancing started in October, the expected ratings switchover happened and The X-Factor struggled to maintain its grip with Strictly’s approach to hit the show where it really hurt.  Even the first night of the final on Saturday was outfoxed by Strictly’s semi-final and on Sunday, the peak audience was just over 15 million.  As anticipated, this was the most watched show on the box on Sunday but still a massive four million down on last year’s finale and the overall series ratings were below both 2010 and 2009.

As for “The Next Generation” judging panel, Gary Barlow was a creditable addition and delivered his promise to be fair and brutally honest in his role.  When Tulisa was appointed, I didn’t have any high hopes, but she has actually turned out so great in her role and my opinions on her have changed.  The least said about Louis Walsh, the better, and Kelly Rowland was strongly opinionated and honest in her feedback but looked out of her depth in the UK.  I wouldn’t be too surprised if at least one of these judges gets their P45 orders before next year however, with Nicole Scherzinger potentially switching from the US version to the UK edition next year.

Congratulations to Little Mix: X-Factor Winners 2011

Lastly, congratulations to Little Mix for a well deserved victory.  Now will they turn out to be successful – the answer won’t be revealed until next autumn but with acts like Shayne Ward, Leon Jackson and Joe McElderry having failed to build on their success, and with last year’s champion Matt Cardle seemingly going the same way, there will be huge pressure on them to deliver.  However, we should leave this until when that moment comes and celebrate on the foursome becoming the first group ever to win the competition.  The countdown now begins again to summer 2012 for when the search resumes for the class of series nine.

It may have not been a vintage series but The X-Factor 2011 certainly got a happy and fairytale ending.

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.