X Factor: latest news, contestants & results - Telegraph
X Factor: latest news, contestants & results
Congratulations Ben! The latest news, contestants and results from X Factor    2014
Ben Haenow singing his winner's single 'Something I Need' Photo: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames
By Nicole Vassell
LATEST NEWS
And the winner is... BEN HAENOW!
The white van driver from Croydon, south London has done it. Securing a massive 57% of the final vote, Ben became the 11th winner of The X Factor on Sunday night. Understandably, he was over the moon:
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Ben Haenow - Cannot explain how amazing this feels and how grateful I am to everyone who voted! Happiest man alive right now Xx &amp;lt;a href="http://t.co/aeWgZeRcVl" target="_blank"&amp;gt;http://t.co/aeWgZeRcVl&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
Though Fleur East had been the bookies' favourite, it looks as if the gravelly-voiced rocker had the competition wrapped up from pretty early on - the voting breakdown revealed that, since Week 4, he'd steadily been receiving the most votes from the viewing public.
Related Articles
• X Factor 2015: everything you need to know
Ratings
In terms of ratings, the numbers were disappointing : an average of 8.4 million tuned in on Saturday night (14.1 million people tuned in to watch Matt Cardle win in 2010).
Mel B
A mystery illness forced Mel B to miss part one of the final on Saturday. Former judge Tulisa Contostavlos filled in for the Spice Girl and provided a comforting shoulder for Andrea Faustini as he was announced as the 3rd place contestant.
Part two of the final on Sunday night welcomed Mel B back to the panel, but things took a dramatic turn after viewers noticed that she was no longer wearing her wedding ring, as well as some claiming to see scratches on her body and a bruise on her cheek .
Her husband, film producer Stephen Belafonte has spoken out and denies hitting her, deeming the reports "disgusting and "untrue":
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Stephen Belafonte - Idon't usually respond to Twitter msgs but I will respond to comments of hitting my wife which I think are quite disgusting un true!&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
• When does X Factor 2015 start?
Sister kissers
Remember Blonde Electra? The wacky duo who got eliminated (with less than 1% of the vote) in week one? Well, we saw them once more in Sunday's final in a group performance that featured all of this year's live show finalists.
While on screen, they took a moment to share a passionate kiss.
Blonde Electra (PHOTO: ITV)
Oh yes - did I forget to mention that they're sisters? Either there was something funny in the air, or someone was looking for an extra 15 minutes of fame.
14.12.14
12.12.14 - The final song choices revealed
The final three (l-r): Fleur East, Ben Haenow and Andrea Faustini (PHOTO: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames)
It's final time! There are only 48(ish) hours left until the winner of X Factor 2014 is crowned, and the last three standing are a pretty strong bunch. Right now, Fleur East is the favourite (and rightly so), but it's still possible that rocker Ben Haenow and belter Andrea Faustini could emerge victorious, making the song choices all the more important.
Each finalist will sing a song of their choice, followed by their song of the series. However, one act will be eliminated at the end of Saturday's show, meaning only two will get to perform the winner's single on Sunday.
Here's the list in full:
Andrea Faustini
Final choice: Feeling Good (originally by Nina Simone)
Song of the series: Earth Song (originally by Michael Jackson)
Winner's Single: I Didn’t Know My Own Strength (originally by Whitney Houston)
** Andrea's winner's single is a song we've heard before - remember when he reduced Cheryl and Mel B to teary puddles at boot camp? How very strange...plus, each of the original singers of his chosen tunes are sadly looking down from the diva stage in the sky. Either the producers have got some very special tricks up their sleeves, or his mystery guest collaborator will be someone quite random.
Fleur East
Final choice: Can’t Hold Us (originally by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)
Song of the series: Uptown Funk (originally by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars)
Winner's Single: Something I Need (originally by One Republic)
** Fleur's performance of Uptown Funk last week was arguably the song of the series outright, so it's no surprise that she'll be singing it again on Saturday. However, as great as it was, will seeing it two weeks in a row turn out to be a case of too much of a good thing?
Ben Haenow
Final choice: Demons (originally by Imagine Dragons)
Song of the series: Man in the Mirror (by Michael Jackson)
Winner's Single: Something I Need (originally by One Republic)
** Ben's choices are solid. Though not particularly memorable, he'll probably sound great - which is pretty true to his entire run this series.
Especially for this weekend, our reviewer Isabel Mohan will be bringing you instant commentary in her live blog - here
08.12.2014
Over the weekend, four contestants were whittled down to three as Lauren Platt became the latest contestant to leave the X Factor live rounds.
In Saturday night 's semi-final round, the acts sang twice: first came a Christmas record, followed by a record that represented their future as artists. Lauren plumped for boyband classics, with East 17's Stay Another Day and One Direction's Story of My Life. Though both were dependably nice, they seemingly weren't enough to excite the viewers into voting.
She landed in the bottom two alongside Andrea Faustini on Sunday and all judges bar Cheryl chose to send her home.
In other important news:
Fleur hits Number One with performance
There was one moment in particular that stood out from the weekend's shows - and of course, it was Fleur East's cracking show of Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars's new track.
It's always risky to take on a song that the audience don't know very well - but this gamble completely paid off, as she gave, what many would argue, the performance of a winner.
The judges were on their feet afterward, with Simon looking pleased as punch that his last-minute to change Fleur's song paid off.
"You just made the show exciting!" exclaimed Louis Walsh, who can be seen up on his feet a couple of times during the song, giving it his all.
Clearly the judges were the only ones impressed, as so many people rushed to download her performance that it shot to number one on the iTunes charts, ahead of pop heavyweight Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris. Currently sitting at number six, this looks like a good indication of Fleur's future star power.
Ratings
Unfortunately, the main show hit a series low for viewers on Saturday, pulling in 7.29m (in comparison to Strictly's 9.68m and I'm a Celebrity's 7.99m). According to overnights.tv, only the two Friday editions rated lower.
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: UK TV Ratings - Last night's &amp;lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#XFactor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; audience of 7.29m was its lowest Saturday rating of the series. Only the two Friday editions have rated lower.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
On Sunday however, things looked brighter with numbers of 8.34m tuning in for the results show - 390,000 up from last week.
Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé
The Frozen/Wicked megastar was joined on stage by mums' favourite Michael Bublé for a cutesy rendition of Baby It's Cold Outside on Sunday night. They appeared to be having so much fun that Idina ended up missing a couple of lines - was this the reason that Mel B and Cheryl didn't give them the expected standing ovation?
04.12.2014 - Winner's single for children's charity
The semi-finalists are in a festive mood. (l-r) Andrea Faustini, Fleur East, Ben Haenow, Lauren Platt (PHOTO: Dymond/Corbis/Syco/Thames)
Reports from the X Factor camp have revealed that 2014’s winner’s single be in aid of children’s charity Together for Short Lives.
100% of the proceeds made from sales of the song will be donated to help children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Semi-finalists Fleur East, Andrea Faustini, Ben Haenow and Lauren Platt visited Shooting Star Chase House in Hampton today to spend time with children who benefit from the charity’s work.
Though there’s no word on what the song is yet, the final two contestants will perform it on the final (Sunday 14th December). This single will be available to download immediately after the show.
2013’s winner, Sam Bailey, scooped the Christmas Number One with her version of Demi Lovato’s Skyscraper – proceeds were split between Great Ormond Street and Together for Short Lives.
01.12.2014 - Stereo Kicks kicked out
Stereo Kicks were eliminated on Sunday's show. (PHOTO: Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
Poor old Stereo Kicks - just when we were beginning to remember (some of) their names, they've been booted out of the X Factor competition.
After Saturday 's jukebox show, in which the five acts performed songs chosen by the public and music stars, they found themselves in Sunday 's bottom two, along with 17-year-old Lauren Platt.
The boy band seemed ironically lacklustre in their performance of Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up, while Lauren fought harder for her place, singing I Know Where I've Been from the musical Hairspray. Still, it was a more-balanced show of talent than last week's battle between one-time favourite Andrea Faustini and
the sorely-missed
Stevi Ritchie.
Mentors Louis and Cheryl chose to save their own acts (Stereo Kicks and Lauren respectively), and Mel B surprisingly voted to send Lauren home after being unimpressed with Stereo Kicks's vocals on Saturday.
Simon equalised the vote, forcing Dermot to reveal that Stereo Kicks had received the lowest number of votes from the public, leaving Louis without an act for the semi-final.
Ratings
- Saturday night: 7.68m (down 60k), Strictly Come Dancing: 9.63m (up 460k)
- Sunday night: 7.95m - (down 10k), Strictly Come Dancing: 9.94m
28.11.2014 - Jukebox double on Saturday's show
(l-r) The final five: Andrea Faustini, Stereo Kicks, Lauren Platt, Fleur East, Ben Haenow. (PHOTO: ITV)
Things are getting serious - not only is this weekend the quarter-final stage, but for the first time this series the acts will be singing two songs on Saturday night.
With the theme being "jukebox", the contestants have had their songs picked by the viewers at home (via the X Factor app) and by a range of UK pop artists.
Take a look at what they they'll be singing below.
Chosen by the public:
Andrea – Hero by Mariah Carey
Ben – Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
Fleur – If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys
Lauren – Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia
Stereo Kicks – Run by Snow Patrol
Chosen by music artists:
Andrea – Chandelier by Sia, chosen by Sam Smith
Ben - Come Together by The Beatles, chosen by One Direction
Fleur - A Fool In Love by Tina Turner, chosen by Emeli Sandé
Lauren - Clarity by Zedd, chosen by Little Mix
Stereo Kicks - Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, chosen by Tulisa Contostavlos
24.11.2014 - Sayonara Stevi
(l-r) Host Dermot O'Leary with contestants Andrea Faustini and Stevi Ritchie. (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
Sunday night 's edition of The X Factor was genuinely shocking for most, as long-running bookies' favourite Andrea Faustini found himself in the bottom two.
So far this season, the beardy, big-voiced Italian has been widely considered the standout contestant and a shoo-in for the grand final. However this could be working against him, as although he is consistently praised by the judges, viewers may be taking his popularity for granted. Is this a case of too much of a good thing?
Fortunately for Andrea, he was up against Essex call centre worker Stevi Ritchie - though seemingly nice enough, his vocal talents are limited and the joke-y element to his extravagant performances was wearing thin. Cheryl, Mel and Louis voted to save Andrea, meaning the end of Stevi's X Factor adventure.
Also on the scrapheap this weekend were Only The Young, eliminated after Saturday 's flash vote.
Only The Young were eliminated after their performance of Elton John's Something About The Way You Look Tonight (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
Ratings
- Saturday: 7.74m (down 50k from last week)
- Sunday: 7.96m (down 390k from last week)
In other important news:
Fleur's family affair
For her rendition of Whitney Houston's I'm Every Woman, Overs' contestant Fleur brought her mum and sister on stage to celebrate with her - and it was a lovely moment.
Yet, a certain Britain's Got Talent judge was upset at his lack of invite to the stage:
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: David Walliams - I am really upset &amp;lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/FleurEast" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@FleurEast&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; didn't ask me to come on stage with her for 'I'm Every Woman'. &amp;lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;amp;q=%23xfactor" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#xfactor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
Week on week, Fleur is becoming increasingly popular, with polished performances and bags of personality. Could she be the X Factor's winner?
Take That's comeback
Former judge Gary Barlow returned to the show with a more condensed version of Take That than we're used to.
Following Jason Orange 's departure from the group in September, only Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald remain. The man-band sang their new single 'These Days', complete with choreography - and our X Factor reviewer Isabel Mohan deemed it an embarrassment: "Jason Orange might not have contributed a huge amount to the man-band’s output vocally, but at least he helped them look like a proper group. As a trio, Gary, Howard and Mark just look a bit pathetic."
Oh dear.
Take That, now a three-piece, performing on The X Factor (PHOTO: Dymond/ Corbis/ Syco/ Thames)
21.11.2014
The final 7. (PHOTO: ITV)
Uh oh - another weekend, another double elimination.
With only three weeks left and seven acts still standing, X Factor bosses have decided that two acts must go after this weekend's shows. Along with the sing-offs as usual on Sunday, the competition will be saying goodbye to one unfortunate act on Saturday night, after singing the hits of divas Whitney Houston and Elton John (one of the strangest themes, ever.)
Will Stevi survive to sing another day? Will Mel B and Cheryl be left actless?
Here's this weekend's song list in full:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - I Have Nothing
Girls
Lauren Platt - How Will I Know?
Groups
Only The Young - Something About The Way You Look Tonight
Stereo Kicks - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Overs
Ben Haenow - I Will Always Love You
Fleur East - I'm Every Woman
Stevi Ritchie - I'm Still Standing
20.11.2014
Jake of the Jungle
From X Factor to the jungle: Jake Quickenden has joined I'm a Celebrity... (PHOTO: ITV)
From the X Factor stage to the Australian jungle - 2014 contestant Jake Quickenden is the latest famous face taking part in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
Alongside former Conservative MP Edwina Currie, Jake has entered the camp after the departures of TOWIE girl Gemma Collins and Coronation Street actor Craig Charles , despite only leaving the X Factor weeks ago.
The 26-year-old gym buff was eliminated in Week 3 (Movie Week) after a run of average vocal performances landed him in the bottom two and judges Cheryl, Louis and Simon voting to axe him over group Only The Young.
Following in the steps of 2012 contestant Rylan Clark, Jake is using the buzz surrounding his X Factor stint to dive into reality television (Rylan appeared in Celebrity Big Brother mere months after leaving The X Factor).
Presumably, jungle bosses are hoping for a "jungle fumble" between Jake and Irish model Nadia Forde, as although Jake had a girlfriend during the X Factor, he is newly single.
Speaking to Metro, he said: “We broke up about a month ago…I wouldn’t say I am going into the jungle for love, but everyone loves a holiday romance, don’t they!”
17.11.2014
Stevi survives - and Jay James is out
Who'da thought it? Although he's widely considered to be 2014's novelty contestant (à la Wagner , Jedward , Johnny Robinson ), Stevi Ritchie managed to survive being in Sunday 's bottom two, meaning the end of the road for Welsh crooner Jay James.
Jay James received the fewest number of votes from the public and was eliminated (PHOTO: SYCO/ Corbis/ Dymond)
After hearing Stevi sing Queen's Somebody To Love and Jay's version of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know, the judges couldn't reach a majority verdict - Simon and Louis opted to save Jay, while Mel B and Cheryl saved Stevi. Taking it to deadlock, Dermot revealed that Jay James had received the fewest amount of votes and would be leaving the competition.
However, there are seemingly no hard feelings - on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning, Jay waxed lyrical on how good of a guy Stevi is, and said that he was "happy to go out against the best man in the competition."
Along with Stevi, the Overs' category is now left rocker Ben Haenow and soulful diva Fleur East.
Ratings
In terms of ratings, Saturday's show saw 7.79m tune in, down 210,000 viewers from last week while Strictly Come Dancing's audience grew by nearly 1 million (910k viewers) to reach 10.28m.
On Sunday, 8.35m watched Jay James leave the X Factor, while 10.03m saw Judy Murray mosey off the Blackpool dancefloor.
In other important news:
Lauren copied Diana Vickers' performance of Smile...and no-one said anything
Lauren Platt singing 'Smile' by Nat King Cole (PHOTO: SYCO/ Dymond/ Corbis)
Last girl standing Lauren Platt gave a beautiful performance of Smile, a Nat King Cole classic. It was pared back, gentle and had her sitting on a swing for the whole song. Wonder how mentor Cheryl came up with that idea...
Band Aid 30
Sir Bob Geldof visited the X Factor studio on Sunday night to introduce the first play of charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' Featuring British music heavyweights such as One Direction, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and, of course, Bono, this fourth incarnation of the 1984 track will raise money for the Ebola Outbreak Appeal .
14.11.2014
This week, The X Factor dusts off their brass instruments for the annual(ish) Big Band themed week.
However, reports from the X Factor camp tell that a certain boyband has made a last-minute decision to change their song choice.
Stereo Kicks tweeted earlier today: "so guys.. we've made a massive decision to change our song after a chat with Louis. we hope 1 day is enough to learn a brand new song!!"
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Stereo Kicks - so guys.. we've made a massive decision to change our song after a chat with Louis. we hope 1 day is enough to learn a brand new song!!ð&amp;amp;Yuml;¬ð&amp;amp;Yuml;º&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
Funny - with eight members, you'd think that Stereo Kicks would be most comfortable with BIG BAND week...
10.11.2014 - Paul Akister's out
Paul Akister received the lowest amount of votes and was the latest contestant sent home
LOUIS. Why do you insist on ruining poor Paul Akister's chances at stardom?
For the second year in a row, a decision from Louis Walsh has ended Paul Akister's X Factor career. (Click here full recaps of Saturday and Sunday 's episodes.) After the public vote, the
dishwater-esque
pub singer found himself in the bottom two on Sunday night, alongside squeaky voiced ex-Navy soldier Jay James.
Both gave some of their finest vocal performances so far: Jay's version of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven was sincere, while Paul Akister's rendition of Emeli Sandé's Clown reduced his mentor Mel B to tears.
While Mel and Simon unsurprisingly voted to save their own acts, Cheryl supported Paul while Louis "Deadlock" Walsh backed Jay, purely to let the public vote decide who was going home. Alas, Paul was the weekend's least popular hopeful and was sent packing.
Though we won't be missing much in terms of personality, there's no denying that the competition's lost one of the best vocalists this year. Here's Paul's final performance:
05.11.2014
Harry's on-stage wardrobe malfunction
Clearly, X Factor takes Harry's Styles and fashion choices very seriously.
Last Sunday, while pre-recording this week's "live" X Factor performance, One Direction were forced to sing their new single twice - because the first time, Harry's shirt wasn't quite right.
Reports reveal that audience members were treated to two renditions of "Steal My Girl" as after watching the first performance, producers decided that Harry would look better in a black shirt, rather than his original white one.
Until you can see the performance for yourselves on Sunday evening, here's the music video to tide you over - and we're pleased to report, all five boys look absolutely fine.
03.11.2014
The Xpress update - scorned contestants and ratings information
Last weekend was X Factor's annual Halloween-themed show - and it was a suitably frightful affair with two singers getting shown the stage door. As always, Isabel Mohan has written lovely reviews of both Saturday and Sunday night's programmes, but here's a quick recap:
Hit the road, Jack
Jack Walton was eliminated on Saturday night, after receiving the fewest amount of votes from the public. His performance of Bleeding Love by X Factor alumni Leona Lewis was shaky, so this didn't come as much of a surprise.
However, it doesn't seem as if he's that heartbroken - he's spoken out against his time on the competition, saying that he wasn't a fan of his song choices, or the way his mentor Mel B advised him.
Instead, he found more confidence in advice from One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, stating: “I’ve got massive support from [Louis], he’s been a massive help throughout the competition telling me what I should sing. I wish I had listened to him a little bit more. He’s been so involved. I trusted his judgment more than Mel B."
When asked whether he'd be watching the show next week, Jack responded: “I don’t want to watch it. It doesn’t really interest me anyway. I’ve never watched it before. I’ll only watch it to see how my mates are doing, but I’ll be gigging. And at one of my gigs you won’t be seeing stuff like what I did on the show.” Well, alright then.
Jack Walton was eliminated after his performance of Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love
Lola's time to go
On Sunday night, it was someone else's turn to face the music - and this someone happened to be 20-year-old fishmonger Lola Saunders. The wildcard choice for the girls' category, she found herself in the bottom two with big boyband Stereo Kicks, despite her performance of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy being her strongest yet.
Lola Saunders was eliminated on Sunday night, losing out to Stereo Kicks
Ratings
On Saturday:
- X Factor's audience peaked at 8.70m, settling at an average of 7.45m, down 50,000 viewers on last week.
- Strictly on BBC One had an average of 9.79m viewers, up 270.000 from last week
On Sunday:
- The X Factor Results Show was watched by 7.82m, 60,000 less than last week
- Strictly Come Dancing's Results Show gained an extra 180,000 viewers, for an average of 9.72m
In other important news:
Andrea Faustini got painted gold
For his Fright Night performance of the oh-so-terrifying Relight My Fire, Andrea Faustini got transformed into a gold devil, complete with mini-horns. Cheryl was dismayed, while Simon collapsed into fits of giggles.
Andrea Faustini singing Relight My Fire by Take That
Stevi sang properly - and wasn't that bad
Stevi Ritchie fulfilled his life's dream and gave an impassioned performance of Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera - and much to many's surprise, he wasn't that bad! Take a listen for yourself:
Cheryl
mimed
performed her new single
Mrs Fernandez-Versini stepped out from behind the judges' table to show the contestants how it's done, performng her new single I Don't Care. Unfortunately, it was marred with controversy as many viewers believed she was lip-synching, rather than singing live - #miming was a UK trend on Twitter. Oh Chez, that's not fair - but does she care? Probably not.
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini performs her new song 'I Don't Care'
31.10.2014
THE HALLOWEEN X FACTOR CURSE CONTINUES.
Simon Cowell has added an extra element of spook to this weekend's Fright Night proceedings - no, he's not going to be dressing up as a sexy cat, he's decided that TWO unlucky acts will be leaving the competition, with one getting the boot at the end of Saturday's show.
Speaking to the contestants this morning, Simon said: “There’s going to be another double elimination again this weekend, and the difference is this week is there is going to be a twist...on Saturday, the person with the lowest vote is going to leave the show. No Sing Off, just whoever is in the bottom is out.
"There are no second chances. This is how important the conversation is now and how important the performance is on Saturday and Sunday. We decided to do this because I think you all need a bit of a wake up call."
Eek - Saturday's show will be a Thriller Night indeed...(sorry.) Here's the contestants' song list:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - Relight My Fire (by Take That)
Jack Walton - Bleeding Love (by Leona Lewis)
Paul Akister - Bat Out Of Hell (by Meatloaf)
Girls
Lauren Platt - Dark Horse (by Katy Perry)
Lola Saunders - Crazy (by Gnarls Barkley)
Groups
Only The Young - The Monster Mash (by Bobby Pickett)
Stereo Kicks - Everybody (by Backstreet Boys)
Overs
Ben Haenow - Highway to Hell (by AC/DC)
Fleur East - Thriller (by Michael Jackson)
Jay James - Mad World (by Tears For Fears)
Stevi Ritchie - Music of The Night (from Phantom of The Opera)
30.10.2014
Is there a Halloween curse on The X Factor?
A starry-eyed pumpkin. (PHOTO: Alamy)
Some scary news for Cowell and co - apparently, Halloween-themed X Factor is the worst theme of all. *witch cackles*
Research from Ladbrokes Bingo shows that out of a choice of 10 frequently-used show themes, including Disco, Love and Christmas, Halloween was voted the worst - the theme voters liked best was Era Songs (e.g. 80s night from two weeks ago).
This can't be good news for Saturday's "Fright Night" show (nice try X Factor, we know you mean Halloween). Not only is the theme unpopular, but the recent ratings haven't been positive either - on last Saturday's Movie Night (voted the 4th best theme), ratings were the live shows' lowest so far, with 7.5m tuning in. Meanwhile, over on BBC One, Strictly saw an additional 360,000 viewers, hitting a high of 9.52m.
Plus, The X Factor may only be screening only on Sunday nights next year - reports indicate that due to ITV's broadcasting of the 2015 Rugby World Cup on Saturday evenings, the live performance show and results show may both be confined to Sunday evenings.
In all, there seems to be a Halloween week curse on our beloved singing contest. But there have been good things emerging from this time of year in the past - remember Little Mix's performance of ET back in 2011? This was one of their best performances - perhaps one of the best in X Factor history...
27.10.2014
Bye bye Jake
Sunday night was Mel B's turn to feel the wrath of public scorn (or, actually, indifference) as her beloved boy, Jake Quickenden, was eliminated from the competition.
During the movie themed performance show on Saturday , the 26-year-old gym buff sang one of Dirty Dancing's lesser-known classics She's Like the Wind (by Patrick Swayze) to lukewarm reviews. Having never been his greatest fan, Simon seemed to have sealed the nail in Jake's X Factor coffin, saying: "The problem is it’s unlikely you’ll last another week. You’ve got to get better at singing."
Jake Quickenden is the first of the boys' category to be eliminated (PHOTO: Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
Baby ABBA/Only the Young FINALLY sung an ABBA song, The Winner Takes It All. It wasn't too impressive, but Louis got teary-eyed regardless - and it was enough for Cheryl and Simon to jump on board and send Jake packing.
His mentor Mel B was visible upset by the outcome, professing how much of a hard worker Jake was and reportedly storming out of the studio soon after. Seems she's not so Scary after all...
Not so Scary? Mel B sheds a tear (PHOTO: Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
24.10.2014
Lauren lets it go
On Saturday night, X Factor goes to the movies with the remaining 10 contestants all singing song featured in films.
Lauren Platt, week 2 (PHOTO: Dymond/Syco/Thames/Corbis)
After "doing a Louis" and losing half her category last week , will Cheryl succeed here? Likely - Lauren Platt, who has been impressing thus far, will be singing Let It Go from smash-hit Disney film Frozen while wildcard Lola Saunders will sing When You Believe from underappreciated animation The Prince of Egypt.
Meanwhile, Andrea Faustini will continue his journey through the diva catalogue with Beyoncé's empowering tear-jerker Listen, from Dreamgirls - but will his spotlight get stolen by Ben Haenow's rendition of wedding-first-dance classic, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing?
The song list in full:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - Listen by Beyoncé (from Dreamgirls)
Jack Walton - Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor (from Rocky)
Jake Quickenden - She's Like The Wind by Patrick Swayze (from Dirty Dancing)
Paul Akister - Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding (from The Commitments)
Girls
Lauren Platt - Let It Go by Demi Lovato (from Frozen)
Lola Saunders - When You Believe by Mariah Carey (from The Prince Of Egypt)
Groups
Only The Young - Boom Clap by Charli XCX (from The Fault In Our Stars )
Stereo Kicks
Let It Be/Hey Jude (Medley) by The Beatles (from Across The Universe)
Overs
Ben Haenow - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (from Armageddon)
Fleur East - Lady Marmalade by Pink, Mya, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim (from Moulin Rouge)
Jay James - Skyfall by Adele (from Skyfall)
Stevi Ritchie - Footloose by Kenny Loggins (from Footloose)
20.10.2014
Gone Girls: Chloe Jasmine and Stephanie Nala are out
Cheryl's probably in need of a good hug - she's had a rough weekend. First Simon calls her Kermit on Saturday, then she loses half of her category in one fell swoop on Sunday. (Read Isabel Mohan's reviews of Saturday and Sunday nights for an in-depth recap.)
Soft-voiced Stephanie Nala escaped elimination last week, but after her rendition of Blondie's Call Me didn't inspire enough people to call her number, she was sent packing first. She left graciously, saying how grateful she was to have had the opportunity and how much fun she's had.
In a more surprising turn of events, eight-piece boy band Stereo Kicks and polarising warbler Chloe Jasmine were forced to sing for their places in the competition.
After hearing Chloe Jasmine's slightly manic version of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Louis, Mel B and Simon voted to give the boy band a second chance.
17.10.2014
80s week: contestants' songs revealed
Grab your boomboxes, legwarmers and flourescent headbands - this weekend, X Factor goes back to the Eighties, with all 12 remaining acts performing nothing but classics from that decade.
Last week, 17-year-old Lauren Platt stunned with an ethereal rendition of Pharrell's Happy - wonder if she'll be adding the same effect to Irene Cara's What A Feeling?
Ex-Naval officer and, according to Louis Walsh, "young Kevin Costner" Jay James will take on I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, while tabloid frequenter Chloe Jasmine will sing Fame...how very tongue-in-cheek.
Stevi Richie performing last week (ITV/SYCO/Thames TV)
Overs' Wildcard Stevi Richie is set to perform modern-day viral hit Never Gonna Give You Up. It's no secret that he's more of an, erm, "dancer" than a singer, so we can expect some moves that'll make Rick Astley very proud indeed.
Here's the full list of Saturday's songs:
Boys
Andrea Faustini - One Moment In Time (Whitney Houston)
Jack Walton - Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
Jake Quickenden - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
Paul Akister - If You Don't Know Me By Now (Simply Red)
Girls
Chloe Jasmine - Fame (Irene Cara)
Lauren Platt - What A Feeling (Irene Cara)
Lola Saunders - Imagine (John Lennon)
Stephanie Nala - Call Me (Blondie)
Groups
Only The Young - Come On Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)
Stereo Kicks - Boys Of Summer (Don Henley)
Overs
Ben Haenow - Jealous Guy (Donny Hathoway)
Fleur East - It's A Shame (Monie Love)
Jay James - I'm Gonna Be - 500 Miles (The Proclaimers)
Stevi Ritchie - Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)
13.10.2014
Game over for Overload
Poor old Overload - or should we say, Overload Generation? Either way, it hardly matters as they were one of two acts booted out of The X Factor on Sunday night . After a nerve-riddled performance of Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, Simon named them Volkswagen Beetles in comparison to One Direction's Ferraris. Ouch.
Weird and wacky sisters Blonde Electra (formerly named Blonde Electric - maybe changing your name is a bad omen?) were the first to go, receiving the least amount of votes from the public.
Blonde Electric performing Kids in America (PHOTO: SYCO/Thames TV/ITV)
This makes an X Factor first - never before has a judge lost two of their acts in the first live show of the series. Will
ABBA-reloaded
polished boy-girl-boy-girl four-piece Only the Young or super-sized boy band Stereo Kicks manage to turn the Groups' fate around?
However, as flashy and exciting as the first live shows were, in terms of ratings (provided by overnights.tv ), rival show Strictly Come Dancing once again came out on top overall:
* On Saturday night, The X Factor was viewed by 7.66m, while 8.65m tuned into Strictly
* During the clash between the shows on Saturday (7.30-8.35pm), Strictly's results show averaged 9.04m while X Factor drew in a total of 6.92m
* Yet, more people were interested in who'd be leaving X Factor, drawing in 8.79m viewers on Sunday night, edging out Strictly's 8.49m views
09.10.2014
Overload - the groups' wildcard?
According to "a source" at Mail Online, boyband Overload have been spotted leaving the contestants' house in North London, making it pretty likely that they've been chosen as the groups category's wildcard act.
Overload at the arena auditions (PHOTO: SYCO/Thames TV/ITV)
Despite already having a large fan following online, the group were surprisingly left behind at boot camp and weren't invited to Louis' Judges' Houses stage in Bermuda - but it hardly matters now, as this discovery implies that they've sailed straight through to the live finals.
This comes just days after Lola Saunders was spotted in a scene from the finalists-only house on an episode of The Xtra Factor, indicating her as a wildcard for Cheryl's girls' category.
Oh X Factor - not doing too well at this whole "mystery wildcard" business, are we?
07.10.2014
Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams to perform
This weekend, not only will we get to see the 12 (soon to be 16) finalists perform live for the first time, but Sunday night will treat us to performances from artists more used to huge audiences.
Seven-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift and triple platinum singer/producer/hat extraordinaire Pharrell Williams were today confirmed as X Factor's special performers for Sunday's results show.
While Swift will be performing her new single Shake It Off from her 'first non-country album', Pharrell will perform Gust of Wind from his GIRL album. Who's betting there'll be a sneak chorus of Happy thrown in before he leaves the stage?
X Factor Live Tour 2015 tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am. Get them here
06.10.2014
Lola Saunders - the girls' wildcard?
Oh hey, Lola Saunders! What are you doing in the contestants' house? Didn't you get eliminated from the competition already?
Maybe not - judging by this still from Sunday night's Xtra Factor, it seems as if the fishmonger from Tyneside has been given a second chance. Circled in yellow, we're guessing the show editors didn't mean for us to catch her slipping by, as the judges' wildcards should have been kept under wraps until this weekend's live shows.
The Telegraph's Isabel Mohan predicted this just last night, as despite some shaky performances she's seemed like a favourite from the very start.
Here's the one that supposedly ended her X Factor career:
06.10.2014
What a weekend - Tulisa came back, Mel cried again, Cheryl DIDN'T cry, we saw Simon's toes and, most importantly we have our 12 finalists at last.
Once again, we were treated to three X Factor shows on Friday , Saturday and Sunday for the ever-glamorous Judges' Houses portion of the show. It seems as if this is a favourite stage for many, as it attracted more viewers than last week's Boot Camp challenges. In summary:
* Friday's episode was watched by an average of 6.01 million viewers - the highest share of the night
* Yet, Saturday's episode attracted an average of over 7 million viewers (7.34) while Strictly Come Dancing 's bumper live episode drew in nearly 10 million (9.99m)
* Sunday drew in 8.49 million on ITV, with over 300k more tuning in on ITV+1; 8.84 million said goodbye to Gregg Wallace on Strictly's first elimination show
Though Strictly's numbers are still above the X Factor's, the fight's not over yet - the real proof will come with the start of X Factor's live shows this Saturday and Sunday night, as the shows will be on more of an even keel. All 12 of the acts will take to the stage for the first time, and we'll also discover who the mystery wildcard contestants are. How Xciting...
The final 12 acts (PIC SOURCE: The X Factor official Twitter page)
01.10.2014
Seems like Simon's not always the bad guy after all - after hearing the complaints of thousands onlline, he's pulled scenes from the upcoming Judges' Houses episodes that feature trained dolphins.
Previewed on sister show The Xtra Factor on Sunday night, we saw the final six boys attending dolphin shows and swimming with dolphins while abroad with mentor Mel B.
(l-r) Jake Quickenden, Jack Walton, Paul Akister, Danny Dearden, Jordan Morris and Andrea Faustini
Over 7000 people signed a petition to get the scenes cut, and last night Simon tweeted that the footage will no longer be shown:
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - I should have kept Janet. My mistake.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
26.09.2014
My, oh my.
This weekend's triple whammy of X Factor gave the most dramatic moments of the series: Friday night saw Cheryl get a torrent of audience abuse for some scatty decision making while Mel B was straight to the point with her choices on Saturday night - plainly telling 19-year-old Ben Quinlan to get off the stage when he tried to appeal Mel's decision. And finally, Sunday night's episode was the craziest of them all, with cuts, bring-backs and sing-offs galore. Oh - and, of course, plenty of tears shed, mostly belonging to the teenage girls heartbroken over boyband Overload's elimination .
Last night, after ousting Dublin songwriter Janet Grogan, Simon clearly had some regrets, tweeting: "I should have kept Janet. My mistake."
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - I should have kept Janet. My mistake.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
26.09.2014
For one unlucky act, it's a shocking "no, pet" from Cheryl...
In a clip shown on Good Morning Britain earlier today, the nation's Geordie princess was shown sending home one of her acts ahead of this weekend's brutal Six-Chair Challenge. If you don't like spoilers, stop reading NOW and instead, enjoy this vintage picture of a young Miss Tweedy:
Jazzy model Chloe-Jasmine Whichello was shown to be booted from her seat, as Cheryl (evidently the Girls' mentor) swapped her for another Chloe - O'Gorman, a 17-year-old student from Wirral. But does Cheryl end up regretting her decision?
Judging by this teaser clip for tonight's show, she's certainly having second thoughts about something...
25.09.2014
And the winner of the most tweeted about series on UK TV…. is…The X Factor!
Twitter’s new research has placed the 11-year-old singing competition at the top of its charts, revealing that it generated 9.4m tweets from June 2013 to May 2014. Compared to the 5.3 million tweets picked up from Celebrity Big Brother, the second-most tweeted about show, Simon Cowell’s pop juggernaut is still very much a hot topic.
As reported by The Guardian, the increase in TV executives looking towards social media as a way to get the public excited has resulted in 11% of shows having a hike in ratings.
So far in this series, #XFactor or an X Factor-related topic has trended every night the show has broadcast.
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: sara cox - SHES SO COMPLETELY GORGEOUS I LOVE HER! &amp;lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#XFactor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Lauren Laverne - Why has nobody mentioned that that young girl's husband appears to be the guy from Freakpower?? &amp;lt;a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&amp;amp;q=%23XFactor" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#XFactor&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
22.09.2014
Did you enjoy Saturday and Sunday's episodes of X Factor? It was the last of the arena auditions, and according to the Telegraph's Isabel Mohan, the hopefuls ranged from the "utterly grating to a gravelly great" . Plus, Mel B was back to her usual outspoken (let's be frank - gobby) self , and it was great.
Ones to watch included shoe-shop assistant Kerianne Covell - watch her performance of Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't and try not to get goosebumps...
18.09.2014
X Factor rival axed
Rising Star was dubbed as the 'new X Factor' (PHOTO: Keshet)
It seems as if there’s only room for one singing competition on ITV – new show Rising Star has been axed before it has even made it to the screen.
Following its success in Israel, ITV announced in November 2013 that it would be airing a UK version of the show, taking the January scheduling space left vacant by Dancing on Ice.
Hailed as “a singing competition like no other”, its selling point was the fact that viewers would vote for their preferred choice in real time via a smartphone app – something that Channel 4 experimented with in August with Alan Carr’s The Singer Takes it All .
However, following a lukewarm reception in USA and Germany, the show was pushed to March (to avoid clashing with BBC's The Voice) before being scrapped altogether.
An ITV spokesperson said: “Rising Star is an innovative show and we have enjoyed working on the format with the team.
“However, as a commercial broadcaster, we always need to be as confident as possible about the potential ratings of any new programme format that we have acquired and we have therefore taken the decision not to proceed with plans to broadcast the series on ITV."
15.09.2014
The Xpress Update: awkward lap-dances, the new One Direction and more
Evening all! We’re back with another weekend catch-up on the singing competition that we hate to love, love to hate, or flat out adore, The X Factor! *cue theme tune*
This weekend saw a move from the room auditions to this year’s hopefuls giving it a go on Wembley Arena, in front of an audience of nearly 5,000 fans, instructed by Simon to “be as badly-behaved as you want”.
Being one of the more recent additions to the proceedings, the post-room arena auditions are sometimes hit and miss – our very own Isabel Moran gave Sunday night’s show two stars , despite giving the room auditions FIVE last week.
But, nevertheless, Simon Cowell’s (first) baby topped the TV ratings this weekend, scoring 8.4m on Saturday and 7.8 million viewers on Sunday.
Though divisive, The X Factor this weekend gave a great deal of unmissable moments, five of which you can catch-up with right now:
Cheryl and Mel B give Simon a special dance
In one of the more creepy/saucy moments of the show so far, Cheryl and Mel were so moved by Paul Akister’s soulful delivery of Let’s Get It On that they just had to show it, jumping up to give Simon a personal dance – Something Kinda Ooh, if you will. Understandably, he didn’t look too upset about the situation.
Andrea Faustini tried a little tenderness
The pug-loving student from Rome returned and had the audience up on their feet with his version of Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness . His quirky, lovable personality combined with a genuinely strong voice makes it very likely that we’ll be seeing more of him in the next few weeks. Molto bene!
Jay James takes on Coldplay
This guy definitely knows what works for him – on Sunday, he won over the judges (plus thousands at Wembley, plus millions at home?) again with Coldplay’s anthemic tearjerker Fix You . Mel B described what he has as “it” – that little something special that might take him all the way.
ONE DIRECTION CAME BACK
No…wait…sorry, it’s Overload.
This year’s 1D – and I don’t just say this because they’re a five-piece boy band. They legitimately look like carbon copies of the original – sang their own song, No, No, No, and it went down a treat – it even had a clappy bit in the middle! Cute, cheerful and judging by the fact that they were trending on both Saturday and Sunday nights, they already have a devoted online following. You can practically see the pound signs glimmering in Simon Cowell’s eyes…
The greatest love of all: Amy + Cheryl
Now, this was unexpected – comeback kid and Cheryl's favourite Amy Connelly was ousted from the competition on Saturday night, after a slightly shaky, but passable performance of Whitney Houston classic, Greatest Love of All.
Amy made it to Judges Homes in 2008, but Cheryl didn’t think she was strong enough for the live shows, despite having a soft spot for her. Surely many expected her to at least reach the Judges Homes once more, but Amy’s X Factor journey was cut short at Wembley.
10.10.2014
Can we call you L-Patz?
Here’s a snippet of X Factor news to sink your fangs into – Robert Pattinson’s older sister was one of Sunday’s auditionees. 31-year-old Lizzy sang Bonnie Raitt’s country-infused Feels Like Home for the judges and progressed to the next round. Simon was convinced he’d seen her before, but the personal assistant made no reference to her relation to the Twilight heartthrob, cheekily responding: “maybe in your dreams?”
09.10.2014
The Xpress catch-up: room auditions week two
This weekend’s X Factor offerings were chock-full of talent – from cutie American soldiers to heart-broken pub singers. Isabel Mohan did great reviews on both Saturday and Sunday’s shows, but if you’re short on time, here’s this week’s Xpress catch-up, filling you in on the five most memorable moments:
Monica Michael
Grab your tissues for this one – the 24-year-old youth-worker’s teary audition saw her singing her own song, Pretty Little Sister , dedicated to – you’ve guessed it – her pretty little sister, aged 16. Though it had the potential to be cringe-worthy, Monica’s vocal performance was soulful and genuine.
Kerianne Covell
Having taken an unauthorised day off from her job at a shoe shop, Kerianne risked unemployment for a shot at singing stardom. Thankfully, she blew the judges away with Adele’s One and Only and made it through to the next round – plus, Simon gave her manager a call to help her keep her job for the short term. Win!
Jake Quickenden
Remember this one? He got all the way to Nicole Scherzinger’s judges homes stage in 2012, but unfortunately missed out on a place in the finals. After starting with a strange, bouncy version of John Legend's All of Me , he made it through with Say Something by A Great Big World.
Michael Rice
This softly-spoken chip shop worker took on the late, great Whitney Houston’s I Look to You – and all four judges were left open-mouthed. Only 16 years old, his voice was soulful and strong - who's betting the Sam Smith comparisons will start rolling in soon?
Raign
A definite contender for this year’s Marmite Contestant role, the 31-year-old songwriter got off on the wrong foot with the judges, boasting about her friend who worked at Marc Jacobs and her pop success overseas. It seemed as if her X Factor journey had come to a quick end after her performance of Zedd's Clarity fell flat, but Simon was won over when she sang her own ditty, Don't Let Me Go. Cheryl, however, was still unmoved, describing Raign as "my idea of hell". Raign better keep her fingers crossed that Cheryl doesn't get the Overs category...
08.09.2014
Strictly 1, The X Factor 0
Oh dear – after round one of The X Factor’s many scheduling clashes with Strictly, Cowell and co have come up short. Last night’s Strictly launch was watched by 8.4 million viewers, approximately 600,000 more than The X Factor’s fourth batch of room auditions (7.8 million).
However, Simon took the close defeat on the chin, tweeting this:
&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Simon Cowell - So the numbers are in. Strictly peak 9.4. X Factor peak 9.2. Round one to them. Such a shame they were both on at the same time!&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt;
Attaboy, Simon - better luck next time!
02.09.2014
Would baby Eric Cowell pass the X Factor test?
Bryony Gordon doesn't think so. After Simon stated that changing nappies is a choice that a parent can make , Bryony compiled a list of other "helpful" tips that Simon may impart upon new fathers - including the fact that crying babies do not sound good.
02.09.2014
Simon Cowell: the world's most unlikely rapper
To promote the return of The X Factor this weekend, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh dropped into Capital FM's breakfast show to give an exclusive performance of Tinie Tempah's rap featured in Cheryl's former number-one single, Crazy Stupid Love. If you had the (mis)fortune of missing it, it's available on SoundCloud in all its awkward glory.
01.09.2014
The Xpress catch-up: room auditions week one
In case you missed it, here are five of the most memorable moments from this weekend’s episodes:
Jay James
This ex-Naval officer won the hearts of the judges with an emotional performance of Say Something, A Great Big World’s hit with Christina Aguilera.
Kitten and the Hip
In Sunday's "quieter" audition episode this weekend, we met this short-lived act: they went into the audition room as a duo and left as solo artists, as the judges saw more potential in one half of the group. (Guess which.)
Look out for the extremely awkward moment when the 28-year-old “Kitten” Scarlett Quinn revealed that she and Ashley Slater (aka “the Hip”), aged 53, were husband and wife, to have an unfiltered Louis Walsh respond with “Oh! I thought you were father and daughter!”
Oh, Louis. Never change.
“Where are you from?” asks Mel B.
“I’m from England, “ says Chloe.
After quite a bizarre beginning, 23-year-old Chloe-Jasmine impressed with her rendition of the standard, Black Coffee. If she looks a little familiar, you’ve probably seen her on Sky Living’s The Face , where she tried her hand at modelling under the wing of Naomi Campbell.
Andrea Faustini
One of the more surprising auditions, Andrea came all the way from Italy, armed with a miniature Scary Spice figurine and a belting voice. He shocked the judges with his performance of the Jackson 5’s Who’s Lovin’ You.
Linzi Martin
Sunday’s episode ended with 34-year-old Linzi. A former protégé of Simon Cowell’s, having been in Nineties girlband Girl Thing, she sang a nerve-ridden version of Jackson 5’s I’ll Be There. Needless to say, it was difficult for the judges to decide her fate.
01.09.2014
Highest ratings in two years
The X Factor returned over the weekend (hooray!) with its highest ratings since 2012 - probably due to the reunion of squabbling pair Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.
Both having been absent from the judging panel for three years, a peak audience of 10.6 million tuned in to see their love/hate friendship unfold on Saturday, which our very own Serena Davies described as "brilliantly entertaining" . Another possible attraction was former Spice Girl Mel B's debut as a permanent judge, following previous guest appearances and a stint on Australia's Got Talent. It seems as if reality TV can't get enough of the Spice Girls , as they've all had a go at judging in some form or another. Maybe Mel will bring one of the Spices to assist her at the judges' home stage...
29.08.2014
Cowell is ruffled by Strictly scheduling clash