By After three weeks of chair-swapping drama, the Six Chair Challenge finally concludes this evening. All that's left is for Cheryl to finish choosing her groups and then for Simon to tackle the Overs category.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media//ITV
Throughout the competition Simon has been less than enthusiastic about mentoring the Overs, and according to what we've heard, he's still pretty grumpy this evening. So we're sure that all the chair-swapping's going to be as brutal as ever.
Join us from 7pm and we'll bring you all the action live as it happens, including performances from some of our favourites such as lovely Anton and BUPSI. Enjoy!
20:59EXCITING TRAILER TIME! Both you and us thought Six Chair Challenge may never end, but the day has finally come. Next week Judges' Houses is back, and for the first time ever, the final decisions are made LIVE! Thanks for joining us this week - as always, it's been loads of fun (well, Bupsi was in it a lot). Join us next Saturday October 24 at 7.30pm and at long last we will have NEW LOCATIONS and get to comment on ALL FOUR JUDGES' PATIO HEATERS. We're excited already! See you next week!
20:57So Simon has his final category - Max, Ebru, Jennifer, Bupsi(!), Kerrie-Anne and Anton.
20:56Simon then makes a last minute decision to bring Max Who Hates Fun back on stage. He left ages ago! At this rate Simon will be bringing back Gamu. Max is given a chair and swapped out for Hannah/Elsa the Farmer, which we feel is probably the right choice.
20:53Finally we have Ebru who looks exactly like Ellie Goulding in our opinion. Ebru sings 'If I Were A Boy' and it's absolutely brilliant. We love her voice and her performance. She seems to have come out of nowhere, but we think she's one of the best acts we've seen so far across all of the categories! The performance goes down well with the judges, and Cheryl comments that she has star quality. Simon decides to give her a seat, and swaps her for Zen "Cereal Cafe" Blythe.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
20:45This Just Eat advert with the 'I Need a Hero' cover really upsets us.
20:43PRAISE BUPSI.
I love Bupsi. Give Bupsi a seat. Bupsi to win. Bupsi for president. Sorry we don't have Coca-Cola, is Bupsi ok? YES IT IS. #xfactor
— IncrediblyRich (@IncrediblyRich) October 18, 2015
20:42Bupsi sings 'Respect', and it is predictably amazing. She's just so much FUN. After a sea of ballads, it's so nice to see someone moving around the stage and having a good time. Her moves are absolutely iconic.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
Simon asks Bupsi why he should put her through and Bupsi replies that she will not waste anyone's time. She's been running for a long time, and "I don't wanna run no more". COME ON SIMON. Amazingly, Bupsi gets a seat! Simon swaps Bupsi for Tonatha, who then has to give up her seat for the second time. Absolutely no feelings are being taken into consideration this evening.
20:36BUPSI KLAXON! BUPSI KLAXON! (We get so excited about Bupsi her name literally autocorrects to caps on our phone). (Yes, we regularly text people mentioning Bupsi).
20:35Next we have Neneth Lyons, singing 'One Moment In Time'. She had an amazing first audition so Simon's hoping for big things today. Ultimately, he's disappointed. Cheryl says that it didn't have the impact that it should have had. Simon tells Neneth that he thought it was going to be a big moment, but it wasn't. She doesn't get a seat. It's a shame. Maybe next year?
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
20:32Simon decides to swap Jennifer for Tonatha. It's not popular with the crowd. Simon then, ten seconds later, changes his mind, and sends poor Vicky-Ann off stage for the second time. Sometimes we feel that the Six Chair Challenge can be so, horribly brutal - it's not nice to watch people's hopes be repeatedly raised and crushed. We feel sorry for you, Vicky-Ann.
20:28Stunning.
That was like when I sing Let It Go when I'm pissed. Out of time, and in my pyjamas. #XFactor
What to Read Next
— Vikki Stone (@vikkistone) October 18, 2015
20:26Next we have Jennifer Phillips, who we've always loved, but we really are not sure at all about her peach lip. We are however, very sure about her outfit, so swings and roundabouts. Jennifer sings 'Up To The Mountain' whilst strutting around in fabulous leopard print shoeboots. She sounds great, but we do wish that she was singing 'Shackles (Praise You)' again. That was honestly brilliant and full of joy. The judges, obviously, love Jennifer. Simon decides to give Jennifer a seat. But who will she swap with? We find out after the break. Obviously.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
20:20Next up we have Hannah Marie, the farmer. She sings 'Let It Go' by Idina Menzel, and Nick and Rita look absolutely horrified. She misses some of the words. How can you forget the words to 'LET IT GO'? Honestly, Hannah. Her voice is good, but she's out of time and we aren't big fans. It all just feels a little cheesy to us and very similar to the original. Nick thinks that it was a great vocal performance, but it's a bit theatrical for his taste. Cheryl comments that Hannah was rushing ahead of the track, and Rita feels that the song was too big and took over the performance. Simon feels it was the right song, and decides to swap her out with Max Who Hates Fun.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
20:12Amazing.
I've solved all the problems of the #SixChairChallenge @TheXFactor @itv #yourewelcome pic.twitter.com/d8vjdLnkmk
— Andi Peters (@andipeters) October 11, 2015
20:09Next we have Zen 'Cereal Cafe' Blythe, who we don't really remember - has he even been featured before?! Amazingly before Zen even comes on Simon says "OH GOD I HATE THIS GUY" which is rarely a good start. He sings 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz. Rita comments that he's not the best vocalist in the category, but he's one of the most interesting. Cheryl thinks that Zen has a presence and a quality that is needed for this category. Simon decides to give Zen a seat. Joseph is convinced he is being swapped, but then it turns out Zen has been swapped for Vicky Ann Nash who sang 'Stay' - we loved her! The crowd aren't happy, and chant and chant to bring her back. Simon gives into the crowd pressure and brings Vicky Ann back. He changes his mind and swaps her for Joseph, who's very upset and doesn't want to talk to Olly or Caroline.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
20:01Next we have Tonatha, who we loved at Boot Camp. She opens with "I would love to be worked with. That's the difference between me and a lot of the other contestants." Who is she being shady to?! She sings 'Impossible' by Christina Aguilera, and it's quite good. Tonatha comes off a little Mason Noise during the judges' critiques. She states: "I am your X Factor. I have the performance. I have THE LOOK. I'm not your gamble. I'm your safe bet." Simon comments that she's actually far from a safe bet, as he wanted her to bring it, and she hasn't brought it. Tonatha gets a seat, and is swapped with Stephanie who had the lovely hair. We are gutted, to be honest.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:54YASSS.
with that self belief speech and his expressive face, ANTON IS THE NADIYA OF #XFactor
— Becca! (@Becca_DP) October 18, 2015
19:53Next up we have Lovely Anton! We absolutely adore Anton. Anton introduces himself by saying: "My name's Anton Stephans, and I'm in The X Factor." Incredible. Simon gives Anton some advice - he pulls some weird faces when he sings. Anton comments that "if you're in an environment where loads of people have Botox and their faces don't move, that becomes your normal". Incredible. Anton sings 'A House Is Not A Home' and incredibly, looks over to the empty seat when singing "a chair is still a chair even if there's no one sitting there." It's an emotional performance and Anton really does tell the story of the song well.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
Simon tells Anton that he has a great voice, but when he goes crazy it distracts him a bit.
Anton tells Simon that he's tried all his life to be someone else. "What you call crazy, I call passion. What you call crazy, I think is determination and wanting this." (Imagine waking up and hearing that message on your voicemail). But Anton's speech is so moving and he is so heartfelt that we are LITERALLY crying here, and Simon tells Anton that he DOES believe in him, and gives him a chair. We are thrilled. Lovely Anton has done it!
19:42Next up we have Kerrie-Anne Phillips, who comments she is "going out in true warrior style." Incredible. She sings 'Help' by John Fartham, and her voice is great. Simon doesn't love the song, but thinks Kerrie-Anne is potentially fantastic. He tells her that he can see something in her that potentially she can't even see in herself. Simon gives Kerrie-Anne a seat, and it's the first time he's actually been enthusiastic about giving a seat today. We get a brief glimpse into Olly's maths tutoring of Caroline as he tells her clearly that 5 seats are taken, and 1 remains. (Is it us, or is Olly's ENTIRE PRESENTING STYLE based around reminding the audience of basic arithmetic?)
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:38Next up we have Stephanie McCourt, who has completely 10/10 hair - literally, up there with the X Factor hair greats - and a nice sparkly dress. She sings 'Never Loved A Man' by Aretha Franklin and we personally love it. Cheryl worries that something is not connecting with the audience, and she doesn't know what it is. Simon is blunter, and says that people don't like Stephanie. He feels the way that she is is not very friendly and not very warm. But look at her HAIR, Simon! Simon states that based on her voice, he's going to give her a seat.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:34Next up we have Joseph McCaul, who Simon previously compared to 'The Fly' much to our amusement. Joseph sings 'Mercy' by Duffy, a song that we personally hate with the passion of a fiery sun, but it seems to go down well with the audience. Rita comments it was a very solid performance, but she wouldn't be sure where to put Joseph. Cheryl comments that "I know that Simon said he found you annoying, but he's made a career out of being annoying". Sick burn, Cheryl. Joseph gets a seat.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:32Next up we have Vicky Ann Nash. Vicky admits to being nervous. Have you learnt nothing, Vicky? NEVER ADMIT YOU'RE NERVOUS! She sings Lisa Loeb - 'Stay', and it's a brilliant performance. We think it's such a great song choice and one that probably should be used in these shows more often. Cheryl and Nick love Vicky's audition. But Simon comments that "I like working with people who are ambitious, focused, and I don't get that from you". Harsh. The audience chant for Vicky to get a seat and the other 3 judges join in. She takes a seat!
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:29Reeling from that expert Adele advertising, next we have Max Stone. Before Max has even started singing Simon tells Max he looks "half dead" and asks for something fun he's done in his life. He literally fails to come up with ANYTHING. To be fair though, that is quite an odd question to be faced with suddenly, and we're struggling to think of anything ourselves. Does this mean that Simon would think we are boring? It breaks our heart clean open to think that Simon Cowell might think we are boring. Anyway, it probably isn't a testament to Max's interesting performance skills that we've gone off on a tangent about whether Simon Cowell would think we are boring - but he sings 'Turn Your Lights Down' by Bob Marley and vocally speaking it's very good indeed. Rita comments that it's a "flawless vocal performance" but Cheryl feels that his voice doesn't go with his personality. Simon thinks Max's voice is fantastic, but he doesn't think people are going to like him very much. This does seem a very blunt and harsh thing to say to a person on a stage at Wembley Arena, but there you go. Simon decides to give Max a seat!
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:23WAS THAT SOME KIND OF SECRET GUERRILLA NEW ADELE PROMO!?!? This is why you should NEVER go to the loo in the ad breaks. You can't risk it.
19:21We are also intrigued by this - anyone know?!
Am I naive to think they filmed this all in one day or did they wear the same outfits for an entire week? #xfactor
— J.Lou Bradley (@loubradley) October 18, 2015
19:20First up we have Holly Johnson. You may remember Holly from the country house Boot Camp (remember? It was about 23 years ago now, before the start of the Six Chair Challenge, but it happened. There were nice patio heaters.) Anyway, at Boot Camp Holly was turned away and then Rita told the rest of the judges they were making a mistake and brought Holly back. Tonight she's singing 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams and to be frank, it does not sound great. We think it could potentially be one of the worst possible song choices ever for Holly, except maybe like, 'Killing In The Name' or something. The judges agree and weren't impressed. Rita and Cheryl give nice, constructive criticism, and then Simon jumps in with: "Holly, this is very easy: it's no." COLD. So cold. But as Cheryl says, "Welcome to the world of Simon Cowell."
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:16We're now moving on to the Overs. Simon goes up to the Overs and apologises for his previous lack of enthusiasm at finding out he had this category. We wonder if he'll keep up his positive attitude throughout the evening? Somehow we doubt it.
19:15Cheryl has her final category: Menn On Point, Alien, BEKLN, 4th Power, Silver Tone and The First Kings. A pretty strong category in the end, we think, but then of course it is as 4th Power are in it and they are the best musical act in the history of all time.
19:14Then the final group to perform are BEKLN. We've always loved BEKLN. They perform 'See You Again' by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, a song that always makes us feel very emotional (particularly the OHHHHHHHHHH bit) and they do a good job. We're not sure the performance is quite as brilliant as Silver Tone's, but we still loved it. Simon agrees with us - he notes that beforehand he had thought BEKLN were better than the girls, but today it was the other way around. All the judges still love it though, and Cheryl gives them a seat! Simon urges Cheryl to "protect the singers". Cheryl comments that she wants "reliability" in her category, which seems an odd stipulation, but we suppose it IS really annoying when people are late to meetings. They are swapped out for Rumour Has It, and Simon is not happy - "Seriously?!" We do wonder who Simon actually wanted out, but guess it wasn't his decision really, was it?
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
19:07First up we've got Silver Tone. They sing Sam Cooke - 'A Change Is Gonna Come', and to be honest, they're absolutely brilliant. It's definitely the best performance we've ever seen of theirs, and much better than we were expecting. The contestants already in their seats look extremely nervous.
Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media
The judges love the performance, and Cheryl decides to give them a seat. One of the girls from Rumour Has It is literally sobbing for fear of losing hers. Cheryl decides to swap them with Mon Amie, who are the ones who performed a slowed down of '...Baby One More Time' last week whilst one of them wore a silly hat. We think it's the right choice. Basically the first rule of life is not to mess with '...Baby One More Time'.
19:02Firstly, Cheryl has to carry on with picking her six groups. You may remember that last week 4th Power basically slayed everything and everyone, and we ended the episode with all six seats full. Left to perform are Silver Tone and BEKLN. One of Silver Tone's members is the sister of one of BEKLN's members, so the atmosphere is TENSE. They are also very similar acts, so would it be sensible for Cheryl to put both of them through?
18:59IT'S TIME! TO FACE! THE END OF! THE SIX CHAIR CHALLENGE! FINALLY! FINALLY!
18:56FOUR MINUTES TO GO, IT'S THE 'GET YOURSELF A DRINK' KLAXON.
18:52What did everyone think about Tom 'Bleasbo' Bleasby's exit and subsequent replacement by Mason Noise then? We really aren't sure. We can only IMAGINE the 'thought-provoking' stunts Mason could pull if he made Lives. Do you think that he might have been brought in to fulfil the 'villain' role? LET US KNOW.
18:45Whilst we're waiting for X Factor to come on we're basically refreshing Bupsi's Twitter feed hoping she will notice the link we just tweeted her. Wish us luck everyone.
Here is this week's X Factor live blog! Or should I say, this week's @bupsibrown Appreciation Live Blog http://t.co/X8ixUfJmLi
— Abi (@gonetodeadlock) October 18, 2015
18:35The X Factor's on after You've Been Framed??! YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED?! Is this 1996?!
18:33Here we go! Tonight, after roughly 47 years, the X Factor boot camp stage finally ends. It's time for the Overs tonight, and you know what that means? BUPSI. We can't wait. We've still got nearly half an hour to go, so if you fancy spoiling yourself in the meantime all the details about the contestants appearing in the episode and their song choices are here.
