They kept us waiting before confirming that there would be a sing-off, but in the end it was the results reveal we’d all expected after last night’s show: Reggie N Bollie and Louisa straight through to the final, and Ché besting Lauren in the singoff.
It will be fascinating to see, when the statistics are revealed after next Sunday’s final, if we can intuit why they left it so late to confirm that there would be a singoff. The most logical explanation, before it went to deadlock, was that it was close at the bottom between Lauren and Ché, and a singoff became necessary when Ché finished last. However, now we know Lauren finished last, an alternative possibility is that it was close between Ché and Reggie N Bollie for second and third, and producers wouldn’t have wanted to breed complacency by having Louisa go into the final as the only act not to have touched a singoff.
Lauren traded at around 1.3 on Betfair during the singoff. I didn’t go in again, partly recalling the 2013 surprise at this stage, but mostly because I was already sitting on a decent profit if Lauren went, from bets at longer odds earlier in the week.
It’s a night of mixed feelings for me, as it will be for many Sofabet commenters. The signs were very clear all week that Lauren would be targeted, but it’s possible to be glad about winning money while simultaneously feeling regretful about how it happened. Of course, it’s not Louisa’s and Reggie N Bollie’s fault that they have been the recipients of the show’s pimping this year, but equally it’s hard not to feel sorry for the acts who haven’t been that lucky, especially when they’re as personally likeable as Lauren.
Perhaps sensitive to criticism about banging the drum of the Fleur East bus last year, this time around we saw them putting the finishing touches to Che’s vehicle. This week we’ll be posting our traditional retrospectives of the three finalists’ journeys to the final. Do keep the conversation going below.
X Factor images ©SYCO/THAMES TV/PA
A quick look at the telemix poll for the final illustrates just how influential the vote transfer will be for Louisa now lauren has gone. It really is just a question of who comes 2nd and 3rd now
Nice article.
Surely there was always going to be a sing off?….you can’t just tell the acts 5 mins beforehand what’s happening, they/ friends etc would be running to the press.
Yeah, I think it was probably just always going to be a sing-off. It’s been 3 years now since the last semi they didn’t have a sing-off anyway, I think it’s almost just assumed.
Aren’t the acts expected to have a sing-off song available at all times?
Haven’t seen any this weekend but it seems the producers have been laser accurate all series. There haven’t been any vote leaks since week 1 have there? My guess is that Louisa has won every week since – if it had been any of the other three, they’d make sure it was known. They never leak when the chosen one is winning.
I would agree with this but we didn’t get last year’s leak about haenow leading til the morning of the final. So if the same doesn’t happen again then louisa has got it in the bag
Nicely summed up. A very clean hit from the producers, but it kind of laid bare just how relentlessly cruel it can be, especially when it’s with someone normally so happy-go-lucky.
She’s been so upset she hasn’t appeared on ITV2, and Rita went on with Melvin & Rochelle to fill the slot instead.
Thanks Daniel!
Is Taylor Swift in the UK right now?
Imagine. ChéChé dueting with TayTay.
Che isn’t going to duet with Adele or Taytay or anyone significant. He’ll get Ronan Keating or the one no-one remembers from Take That. Stop being so daft the lot of you.
oh jess I do love you.
I mean, last year was a piss poor lineup for duets – I mean, Ella Henderson is nice and ‘Ghost’ was a good song but she was 6th in the competition a few years earlier and Labrinth is one of the most anonymous popstars out there. Is it already confirmed that Rita and Cheryl are performing with their acts?
All of the jokes about Ella Henderson’s first time making an X Factor final etc.
I think them having to use one of their own (i.e. Rita) to duet with their chosen one will probably set the tone.
If anyone’s getting Adele, it’s Louisa surely?
Lol Jess, he might get Andreas with devils horns, I’d say now going through the motions to get the winner they want.
“Perhaps sensitive to criticism about banging the drum of the Fleur East bus last year, this time around we saw them putting the finishing touches to Che’s vehicle”
I read this as, the fact they were putting finishes touches to Che’s vehicle, just reminds viewers vote for che if you want to vote for someone that just survived!
Fairly sure they would have all buses prepared before hand and just played up to the cameras here. Better way to compensate for not being too biased and showing favoured acts bus only
There was a pic of Laurens bus on twitter
@ArielRed2 tweeted it too (me)
So finishing touch to Che’s bus just a set up bit for TV
Harsh on Lauren tonight but not as harsh as Lauren Platt last year who was third in semi vote. You would have to feel for Lauren tonight though, she knew she was going.
Onto the final they go for the crowning of plan A. How much will they need to deramp RandB next weekend.
I don’t remember Lauren Platt’s treatment in the semis, but I do remember that at one point in the series she had her little brother on stage with her, and that it wasn’t relentlessly negative all the way through.
I think what made Lauren Murray’s treatment so distasteful was the hooker setting, awful styling and then us seeing her with her eyelashes hanging off at the end of the programme because of her crying. Surely the makeup artist could have used waterproof glue? That image is all over Twitter and is how Lauren will be remembered by many.
…and allowing her to be totally wrongfully bullied all over SM just because nothing else was generating headlines.
at least she didn’t have to wear golden horns I guess, though that hooker dress wasn’t far…
I’d hope anyone with half a heart realised why she was so distraught. Daniel’s really summed it up for me. I didn’t bet in 2010 so just got angry at the Cher/Tesco Mary thing, and didn’t even watch 2013. Seeing Lauren that distraught has left such a sour taste in the mouth I can’t begin to tell you.
One good thing has come out of this – Nick Grimshaw went up 100% in my estimation tonight. Managed to basically admit the whole thing was fucked up whilst staying on-script.
except that I think he made an empty promise and gave Lauren and fans false hope. I doubt it’s truly in his power/decison to get her on Radio 1…. we shall see.
He’s probably got enough clout to have her on his programme. To playlist her is a different story – depends what audience her music targets. The whole reason Grimmy is in his present job is to get the average age of the R1 listener down.
I don’t listen but I’ll be interested to see if it gets referenced in the morning on his show.
I’m sure he can have her as a guest and play her record on the show if he wants.
Louisa is a shoo-in to win this thing. She’s every bit deserving of the 1/5 odds she has, though I won’t be putting any money on that because the reward simply isn’t big enough.
That said, I have 2 points to scare stoney with. Not that I think he has much money on the outcome, but just the possibility of egg on his face really!
1) Remember, the franchise always comes first. So if the opportunity of a Ché and Adele duet was there, do you really think they would turn it down? That would be a massive boost for the show. And if the duet turned out to be a real moment, then I do think it could potentially turn things around. And Adele vs Rita is really no contest I’m afraid. Also Ché nailing Hello could be a great redemption story.
Oh, and if you suggest that Adele might come on and sing on her own – why couldn’t she do both? Do the duet, and do a section on her own. Ed Sheeran did last year. I think the more Adele the better as far as the X Factor is concerned!
2) Based on my interaction with social media, I think everyone knows that Simon Cowell does not want Reggie ‘N’ Bollie to win. I’ve already seen a few people suggesting the idea of voting them to win to spite Simon Cowell. If that idea becomes viral in a similar way to the “Vote Wagner” campaign a few years ago, then who knows what might happen. Remember, the key difference between now and then is that voting is now totally free. If a collective will were to occur, it could become unstoppable.
Well, I used ti think the celebrity duet and winners single suiting or not an act did make a difference.
Now I think at most it’s an indicator of how well an act is already polling.
Looking back on stats the only year a turnaround happened after the celeb duet was in Alexandra’s case.
I would think it can cause a stir in a year like 2013 when the 3 finalist finished the semi final with very little difference in percentage of support. Nicky was nuked with a range of weapons and his celebrity duet with … i don’t even remember his name… well that was just another nail in the coffin. Luke was so cool with Ellie, a massive star, and it still didn’t do him much good even though Nicole Scherzy completely screwed Sam B over.
Do we think the voting percentages are that close? Do we think Che narrowly slipped into B2? Then I am sure he won’t get to redeem himself on that awfull Hello performance. If Louisa and Reggie n Bollie are far ahead, he might as well, and it won’t make any difference. My instinct tells me results aren’t that close ,
Luke’s version of Anyfing Can ‘Appen was a truly cringetastic moment. It sounded like a number from Oliver.
Oh come on, I loved that :))))
It’s clear that music is such a taste-depending subject…
*youtube-ing it right now:D *
I thought they looked brilliant both with guitars, like equals, musicians….
I’m going to watch it too now. How on earth did Ellie keep it together and not just corpse when he came out with that? She started doing it too, which made it sound even worse. I think if she’d sung it her usual way he would have got away with it, but oh dear…..
EDIT It’s not actually as bad as I remember it.
i actually thought Nicole being a Diva all over Sam was the ultimate cringetastic moment ever. I remember watching it from behind a pillow.
as if Sam wasn’t even there for most of it. I am surprised mrs O didn’t throw her water mid performance 😀
Yeah. Nicole sang the hell out of that song. Just listened to it again. Nicole had the gold dress and the perfect mix in her mic too. You can tell she’s the star.
It was a great performance by the pair of them though. It didn’t hold Sam back. Luke’s performance with Ellie Goulding looks very low rent in comparison.
He fluffed the first lines. Only redeeming quality is Tamera did it several times before, with less poise.
1) I really doubt Adele would want to duet with a contestant who couldn’t remember the lyrics of her song. She doesn’t need XF so even if she decided to promote her material at the final, I doubt she’d want to duet with one of the finalists because it won’t be good for her image. Also, why would she necessarily duet with Che? An Adele/Louisa duet could work just as well. 😉
2) The Vote Wagner campaign didn’t really do much since he constantly narrowly escaped the bottom two.
Basically I’d eat my own testicles if Louisa doesn’t win. That’s how certain I am. Reggie N Bollie have been pimped nearly as much as Louisa because they’re clearly not a threat in the vote. They’re most probably following the Marcus Collins trajectory in the vote. A male act who the producers don’t want to win and will give a favoured judge an act in the final as well as being able to put on a show and his vote is weak enough to allow him (them) to be placed in the final. Che, being in the bottom two twice, will be no threat. He will definitely not get Adele. And even if he bagged her, it’ll just make him look like an amateur in comparison.
Basically I’d eat my own testicles if Louisa doesn’t win.
😮
*Must. Not. Comment. On. This. Post.*
I really hope she wins now 😀
😀
“I really doubt Adele would want to duet with a contestant who couldn’t remember the lyrics of her song.”
^ This. Her ego (and frame) are big enough.
With regards to the Vote Wagner campaign, I already explained why this can work a lot better. The free votes. Free votes are absolutely susceptible to some viral movement, and if some kind of anti X Factor/Simon Cowell movement came together with the goal of voting R N B to victory, it can happen.
It’s not like anti X Factor movements haven’t succeeded before – remember Joe McElderry being ousted by Rage Against The Machine for Christmas number one. This one would be easier to convince people of in theory because they don’t even need to spend a penny.
This time next week we’ll know ALL the results of every week. By a clear margin the most exciting part of X Factor 2015 for me, more’s the pity.
One of my predictions is Fourth Impact being inconsistent in the vote. Let’s assume they really did poll 4th in the week 1 vote. I think, like Seann, their treatment in week 2 (distracting song choice argument, first out) put them near the danger zone and their vote dropped far more than the producers expected, so week 3 saw a four-judge standing ovation and a favourable running order slot. I think this time they did far better than the producers expected due to Celina’s illness so they were given the damning “A, B, C, D” / poor running order treatment the following week yet narrowly survived. I think them being in the final three acts on stage along with Mason and Anton on that Saturday really did suggest they were close to the bottom two.
I may be wrong though…
I will quetly whisper that Reggie and Bollie are still trending on UK twitter.
I guess we will see by the scale of their deramp next week just how well this correlates to votes.
They’ll probably be singing “That’s Life” with Red & Black lighting, accompanied by female dancers wearing just heels, thongs and nipple tassles.
…with a mash up of Bang Bang (he shot me down) and Creep 😀
Lots of woops too. And they’ll wear pink suits.
I sense from the report a feeling that this year has been a bit more distasteful that most, and can’t argue with it. Maybe because it’s been truncated, maybe because the chance to make money has been shortened, maybe as the show hasn’t been as slick overall to make up for the trickery – but distasteful nonetheless. Probably mainly as the show is willing to throw anyone under the bus to get Plan A over the line. Normally they’re a bit more subtle.
Usually at this point you have Plan A, dependable understudy and Radio 1/solid but unthreatening third place. This year it’s shouty Plan A who has been pushed into that place due to the lack of viable alternatives who have been thrown under the bus, usually dependable but open to screw ups and joke act.
Championship rather than Premiership stuff, really, with no feeling of unpredictability. No wonder Strictly is mauling it. I say that with some sadness as a natural X Factor fan.
There is no hint of doubt over what will happen, no professionalism over how it’s presented – why bother watching?
I think it’s also that in the only other year where we had a nobble-fest, Little Mix, the winners, were quite personable and so we didn’t mind as much.
Also it wasn’t quite as blatant, probably because there were more shows to spread it out in. With so few live shows its seemed more a relentless hammering that never lets up this season.
On the plus side its been increasingly reliable betting.
On the minus side, some shocks upset the initial bettings. Practically all of our pre-show bets of top 13 order missed one or two tricks after they decided to throw the rulebook we’ve come to expect out the window with their treatment of Alien, Seann and Reggie n Bollie.
As a better that’s how I see it. As a fan of the show for entertainment, I think I’m just annoyed that they had all the ingredients and more for a great series and decided that wasn’t actually what they wanted. If they’d even pimped Louisa but didn’t also go lukewarm on everyone else except Reggie n Bollie it would’ve been much more enjoyable to watch.
Of course then, as a better looking at the longterm, damaging the show’s image and integrity and watchability was a terrible decision, as it eats into the show’s shelf life and how much people will take from it. Which is a pity, as it’s generally quite a dependable cash cow.
….and Little Mix at least started off with some sort of underdog status that everyone could warm up to, whilst Louisa landed with the whole kitchen sink as back as first audition ….
And Little Mix were colour vomited, did rap/hip hop songs and got some bland comments before winning some favour. As well as still getting Borelow’s idiotic lead singer comments all the way through.
I still wonder if the face make up for ET was meant as a deramp. And then they decided Jesy’s struggling with bullying was too good a story to pass.
I doubt they’d have won if Cowell was there. He seems to be the nobble master!!! Some people forget he owns the show, he “owns” the acts and signs whoever he wants. He’s not a puppet judge. He’s the puppet master!!!
Almost forgot doing Kesha for rock week! Tulisa couldn’t even keep a straight face during the distracting arguments. I still remember her feeble “rocky feel”.
Good days!
I do miss Tulisa – what a ludicrous choice of judge. If all else fails, talk about their ‘energy’. After they’ve just done a performance rooted to the spot on a tall plinth.
I kind of miss her too: banging on the desk, hating “ballids” and representing “wimminz everywhere” (courtesy of Bitch Factor).
Maybe Adele will duet with Reggie and Bollie?
OMG. I would pay for that, as many others would too.
Don’t be daft!!! Hahahahaha
😉
I’ve decided if this blonde dullard wins, I won’t buy her single. I will, however, give the equivalent amount – and a portion of my winnings – directly to the two charities, and effectively cut out the middle man.
Fair deal?
More than fair!!! Good idea! I might do the same (even though I have never bought a winner’s single…)
“Blonde dullard” classy description of a young girl
Yeah, let’s tar and feather the “blonde dullard”, together with Mans (that another undeserved bookie-favorite-winner from this year).
There was at least a feeling of “for the greater good” about a Little Mix win. Rare group victory (for the franchise) and some hint of a chart-friendly sound. Even then, while everyone else was thrown under the bus, they still put on a decent show.
Happy to see RnB in the final three – had them each way at 25/1, so unless they have some terrible vocal accident this week and have to be replaced by Lauren, it’s good news. But still uncomfortable at the cruelty of the end of last night, even though I am not a Lauren fan at all (but think she has a great voice).
What’s quite shocking as EM just pointed out is the amount of character abuse Louisa seems to get on here for someone who is a 17 year old young woman/girl. She obviously hasn’t got the fun personality of Lauren which comes across on the TV but at the same time Louisa has not done anything wrong on her time on the show to get such remarks. Just because TPTB decided that Louisa is who they want to win this rather than Lauren does not make her some evil machine sent by the X Factor. From what I’ve seen Louisa seems genuinely on good terms with all the other contestants which at least says something.
Also Curtis raised a good point. Cold the public get behind RnB in the final to get a novelty act to win? A bit like when RATM got Xmas number 1 just to say F you to the show? Worth bearing in mind
I’ve said the last 2 years now, the only “thing” not to win the show is a novelty act. I think R&B will come quite a distant 2nd though.
Tensions are always high here when the competition nears its close. Some of the comments I’ve seen about Louisa border on bullying and are certainly not what commenters would say to her face should they meet her.
As the article here says, it’s not her fault that she’s received such preferential treatment. Whilst not being her biggest fan (a bit too beige for my liking), I can appreciate that she’s a decent singer.
“The blonde dullard” isn’t as insulting as some of the other things I’ve seen though – let’s face it, she is a bit dull.
As much as I’d love Reggie N Bollie to win, I don’t think it’s likely. I can only imagine the tricks being dreamed up for Louisa’s staging this weekend to make sure she wins.
I’ll do my part. 30 votes to RnB. Louisa will have her contract and have her Syco career, so no harm done.
Given the sinking ratings and the clear path of the chosen one, I can’t see why the show will ever go back to 10 weeks. Nor will they ever employ a good-looking white male with a guitar in the Lives.
Let’s not forget that pre final last year a couple of polls were roughly:
Digitalspy (forum)
Fleur: 54%
Ben: 30%
Andrea: 16%
Tellymix
Fleur: 44%
Ben: 31%
Andrea: 25%
Most people here thought Fleur had it sewn up. Market decides that Fleur is the chosen one, sees treatment that confirms this, and hence you ended up with the crazy price of 1/3 Fleur despite her not actually having a chance of winning (seen in hindsight through voting stats).
This year, again you have two acts who have not been in the B2 and due to the treatment on show the market suggests only one possible winner.
Given what we know, do Reggie and Bollie win more than 1 out of 7 times from this point? I for one think they absolutely do.
Nice input
However Saturday for me seemed a full on pimp in that 2nd song to get RnB to the final while Louisa’s Saturday night already felt like the winners show off. Louisa would have had the pimp slot if she really needed it
I would suggest that the reason is because the people voting for Ben weren’t voting in tellymix and DS polls. If you look at the way the two acts were presented and the song choices Fleur was clearly aiming for a younger market than Ben. I suspect that the age profile of voters on these poll is younger than that actually voting in the programme. Personally I never thought Fleur had it sewn up – I thought it was probably neck and neck. Although it was obvious who the preferred winner would have been it was equally obvious how hard they were having to push. I don’t think Louisa has been pimped anywhere near the level that Fleur was last year.
I agree about the disconnect between the type of people actually voting and those voting in polls. The show might be trying to get a younger audience but I suspect that the truth is that the vast majority of people at home watching TV on a Saturday night before Christmas and who have emotionally connected with the show are just not the young adult market,
However- I think that younger children (girls) watching with their parents could make a difference this year. I can’t see Fleur appealing to younger kids (at 27 last year she was too old), but I can see them voting for 16 year old Louisa, especially with the free app.
Louisa has been dressed age appropriately and producers didn’t go down the Britney/Miley route with her. They didn’t make her look overtly sexy but gave her a look which could be aspirational for 9 year old girls.
There were a couple of exceptions – notably Saturday’s trouser suit – which made her look much more sophisticated, but generally she has been styled in keeping with a 16yr old, and the constant use of white/light colours for her outfits has added to the ‘innocent’ image.
I think she is someone that parents wouldn’t mind their young kids voting for and becoming a fan of. And the parents have been kept on side by the song choices for Louisa, which I don’t think have been current enough, but which were at least well known.
Sorry – 17 year old!
I agree with this. The song choices for Louisa haven’t been great in terms of being current, but I do think that they’ve been carefully chosen to ensure that the voting public stay on side as you say. They know that’s what’s going to count in the final.
Whatever happens I’m sure that there’ll be a change of direction before she actually launches any recorded material. Anyway even a current act like Ariana Grande still sights the likes of Mariah and Whitney amongst the people who have influenced her, and she’s hardly a bad example for Louisa to follow.
Small sample size but my 9 year old and her friends love Fleur and hate Louisa… She gets her 5 votes… She didn’t watch the semis (still annoyed 4I left) and I’m not sure she’ll watch the final. If she does her votes will go to RnB as her second favourites.
I have to say if R&B pip Louisa I will be laughing until next year. I hope your daughter is representative of the voters. Do you think your view has influenced her?
Not at all. Her favourites have always been RnB and 4I this year, Fleur last year. She doesn’t like Louisa’s song choices, no matter how well she sings. Che fares even worse in her books.
Wow. Those are rough percentages? From memory? From two different polls.
That’s very impressive.
Yeah can totally see that argument, I tend to agree.
On the flip side you can argue Louisa had the last slot before the vote opened and had a 4 judge ovation for a fairly underwhelming performance. There was no where for the judges to really go after her second, much stronger performance.
I’m not suggesting Louisa should not be the overwhelming favourite, I’m just suggesting that based on everything she is a bit short as I think Reggie and Bollie will win more than 1 out 7 finals given what we know.
Are you going to back R&B for the win? This week?
I have to ask as well, why do you think R&B would win more than 1 final out of seven “based on what we know”. It doesn’t mean anything. We know the producers have manipulated the hell out of the show to achieve their desired result. Based on what we know R&B would not win a single final if they had one every week from now until doomdsay.
But if you did want to pimp a joke act to the final this is clearly the year to do it. With only six live shows leading up the the final there’s been less time for the public to get bored of what is basically a one trick pony (opinions may differ as to whether or not it’s a good trick). You cold say the same about Louisa, good voice but limited in what she can do. I think both act’s would have struggled to get to the final if it was the normal 10 week schedule.
I don’t disagree with what you say. R&B are in the final. I don’t understand what it has to do with R&B winning though. Nothing you’ve said encourages me to think tptb are backing R&B above Louisa.
There will be comments about “singing competition” galore this weekend and even that ridiculous, meaningless “protect the singers” that Cowell came out with at 6cc. The only hope for R&B is an RATM type campaign but even that won’t bother tptb. It will raise the show’s profile and increase the audience and they’ll do everything they can to suggest that a vote for anyone but Louisa is unfair.
I won’t be betting, won’t even be watching, this weekend. Good luck to anyone who does. I’d love to he wrong but personally I think backing R&B for the win is money down the drain.
Sorry – I’m not suggesting that they will win – just that the change in format for this year made it easier to get a novelty act to the final. That in itself has never happened before. I’m not sure it was planned, but having seen the opportunity develop I think they’ve just run with it.
Personally I think if they were anywhere near winning the pimping would have been cut out long before this. The fact that if anything they’ve been pimped more even than Louisa would seem to confirm that in reality they aren’t a threat.
I’d love R&B to win. We know they at absolute worst came second last night.
It’d be great publicity but in reality Louisa now has a SyCo deal win or lose. Despite all this Adele excitment, ironically the fat lady has indeed already sung.