It was one of the most shocking, surprising and controversial result shows in the history of The Fix-Factor this weekend, as the last girl standing, 16-year-old Ella Henderson, was eliminated from the competition.
It was a great tragedy to see Ella leave in favour of weaker singers such as Christopher Maloney and Rylan Clark. I previously stated that Ella lacked personality and a bit of sparkle, but she definitely should have made it to the final. It may have been Guilty Pleasures week, but Tulisa was quick to tell the public that they should feel guilty for sending her “little star” home.
While Tulisa described her exit from the show as “absolutely ridiculous,” she also slammed viewers for voting for the “wrong people”. I enjoyed the twist which Ella put on The One That I Want from Grease. However, as the song irritates me as it is, I found it difficult to warm to her performance. Ironically, it was her survival song of Daniel Bedingfield’s If You’re Not The One that really grabbed my attention.
It was one of her most powerful and passionate performances to date. For the first time, I could really see fire in her eyes and understood how much the competition meant to her. She may not of won, but I have no doubt that we will be seeing Ella Henderson’s name in lights very soon!
The last girl standing - Ella Henderson was sent home following the controversial result show
I was even more surprised to find the bookies favourite James Arthur in the bottom two. He consistently pushes the boundaries and brings something fresh and new to the show. In recent weeks, I have started to look forward to his performances. It was a travesty that he was in the sing-off!
I couldn’t fault his version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You. I was pleasantly surprised by his song choice. I was expecting some beat-boxing and rapping in his routine in an attempt to show that cheesy can be cool, but instead he delivered a beautiful stripped-back performance. James is the only worthy winner left in the competition now. I wasn’t as impressed by his survival song of Alicia Key’s Fallin’. It reminded me of when Matt Cardle used to sing women’s song all the time and then expect people to think he was a musical genius.
That said, James still proved that he deserves to be in the competition. His song choices may not always be spot on but his vocals are always on point. I hope he makes it to the end - but as this weekend proved, it really is anyone’s game.
It was a close call for James Arthur this week as he found himself in the sing-off
It’s amazing to see Union J’s confidence coming on in leaps and bounds. At long last they are finally starting to work the stage, but I agreed with Nicole when she said that they still have room to improve. They all looked extremely dapper in grey suits and over-styled hair. For the first time, I could really see the lads becoming a threat to One Direction. Gazza loved their song choice of Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe, while Tulisa admitted that she found it difficult to bypass the fact that she isn't a fan of the original song.
I reckon if they worked on pulling some pensive faces, showed some more chest hair and occasionally winked at the camera, that these boys may just make it to the final.
It won't be long until One Direction are shaking in their boots!
Rylan embraced Guilty Pleasures Week with open arms. From his neon jumpsuit to his routine on the treadmill with oiled-up dancers, he definitely brought the fun-factor to the show once again. However, his skinny jibe to Gary after his performance was uncalled for. We all know that Rylan can’t sing. He even admitted it himself insisting that most singers mime. He doesn’t deserve to be in the final. I hope Rylan is asked to star in next year's I'm a Celebrity!
I would love to see Rylan in I'm a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here next year
I wasn’t one bit surprised when Christopher belted out Total Eclipse of the Heart. As with most of his performances, it was lacklustre, boring and lacked energy. I find it difficult to sit through any of his routines without feeling like I am about to doze off. Seriously, who is voting for this guy?
How on earth is Christopher Maloney still in the competition?
I loved Jahmene’s more-upbeat-than-usual performance of Don’t Leave Me This Way. It was refreshing to see who working the stage on a giant Rubik’s cube and not relying of power ballads for once. He seemed to be in more control of his vocals this week and more confident. Go Jahmene! Does the dark horse of the competition have what it takes to win?
With just five acts left in the competition things really are starting to heat up.
Who will you be voting to see in the semi-final?
Laura Delaney
