Countdown to X Factor live shows nears end

Sunday night sees the last instalment of the judges’ houses, but there’s still some intrigue for X Factor fans eager to get to the live shows.

The full dozen who make it through have yet to be revealed, but after Jay James Picton and Helen Fulthorpe’s lacklustre performances on Saturday, it seems hard to imagine a Welsh flag flying into the last leg of the competition.

Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Mel B and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini are a force to be reckoned with but the lucky few who have made it this far will have to take their performance to the next level as they sing for a chance to make the finale in December.

Simon delivered a stinging critique of both Helen and Jay James last night, revealing that he was let down by their work.

Afterwards he told his co-judge Sinitta: “He hasn’t been as good as that first audition. He messed around with the melody and it was awful. God, it was awful.”

But if tonight looks like it might be a gloomy one for Jay James, spare a thought for poor Helen, who was the subject of some harsh words from Simon after her take on ’60s blues standard I’d Rather Go Blind.

 

“She’s not musical but she’s the type of person this show is made for. She’s struggled and she’s using the music as a release,” said Sinitta, but will a sympathetic ear be enough?

Elsewhere it’s back to Nice with Cheryl and Tinie Tempah as they run the girls through their paces.

Chloe Jasmine continues to intrigue Cheryl, but will her unique delivery serve her well, or will her idiosyncratic style lead her right out of the contest?

And when Stephanie Nala takes a chance with a stone-cold music classic, will she measure up to Cheryl’s ideal, or will it be a case of ‘Nice – but nothing special’?

On Saturday’s show, the hot favourite Andrea Faustini was sent through to the finals after wowing Mel B and Emma Bunton with his version of And I Am Telling You by Jennifer Hudson.

Faustini is 7-2 to win according to bookmakers William Hill, ahead of second favourite Jay James.

The other finalists so far are Paul Akister, Jake Quickenden, sisters Blonde Electric, Only the Young and an unnamed boyband.

The X Factor is on Sunday on ITV1 at 8pm