X Factor (UK) 2016

"When I say 'Honey', you say 'Balls'."

Brian Friedman making some great points here.

http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/tv/55335/x-factor-brian-friedmans-top-five-moments-from-week-eight/

I Love how much he adores Saara.

I just realised that it's been a good few years since I was this invested in someone getting to the final. Possibly since Little Mix?

they (5 After Midnight) sound terrible when they're all singing at once but individually they're passable (in a Brian from East 17 way)

Oh dear...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_series_13)#Week_9:_Semi-final_.283.2F4_December.29

Amazingly Saara is now the favourite to win. This must be the biggest turnaround the show has ever had. Good on her. Chandelier wasn't quite as good as The Winner Takes It All last week or the first time she sang it in her audition but it still managed to make the other contestants look like complete amateurs. Her Mariah cover was solid and captured the essence of the song well. She had a good night and I'd be shocked to see her in the bottom two tomorrow. I had to laugh when Simon praised Sharon for "fighting for Saara" and being a great mentor. She got forgot her name for several weeks, forgot where she comes from and couldn't hide how much she hated her at six chair challenge/judges houses/those first five weeks. Sharon obviously stopped caring about any of her acts once Relley C got sent home.

Matt seemed to be a target this week. He got the Christmas song that has previously been given to winners (Little Mix and Alexandra Burke both did it), somehow it didn't feel like he was being set up for the win. I was so bored by Silent Night and the Jessie Ware cover was way too try hard. Simon clearly trying to kill off his support with his remarks. I wonder if it will backfire and give him a sympathy bounce? Shame that he got given that particular Jessie Ware song. She's one of my favourite artists around, but that is her worst song by a mile. I could see him in the bottom two tomorrow.

Emily had a terrible night. I could barely hear her on the John Lennon song. Those kids were carrying the whole thing. It was pretty embarrassing when she tried to use those kids to get votes at the end. Did she think it was some kind of charity or something? She had a look of someone who knew that the song didn't work and that her time was almost over. It was very Lauren Platt just before she got kicked out. Nice to see people telling her the Mad World cover was so original. It's only been done like that on these shows a hundred times (Adam Lambert, Jay James, Aiden Grimshaw etc). She just doesn't have any range and yet again seemed out of her depth. They want her in the bottom two tomorrow. I wouldn't rule out that powerful Scottish vote. Never forget Leon Jackson.

5 After Midnight's reaction from the judges were so far from what I saw/heard I was kind of embarrassed for them. I love that after that appalling sing off last week they demoted the two that really can't sing to backing vocalists. Shame the main singer isn't quite strong enough to carry the band. As always the use of backing vocals were a complete joke. I can see them joining Matt in the bottom two tomorrow. I think they will be saved as I do think that producers want them to win and think they will be the most commercial prospect after the show. I still think they're more Rough Copy than JLS.

Basically at this point it will be a joke if Saara doesn't win. She's not going to win, is she?

No, she won't win. Simon doesn't want Saara to win as she's a difficult fit for the Syco winnar contract. I don't want her to win, because she's the best remaining contestant and she'd be better off getting 2nd place and working with other people. As long as will.i.am doesn't pop up and offer to work with her.

1) Matt - terrible vocal theatrics all over the second half of 'Silent Night'. Alexandria was able to pull it off, which just shows how much worse Matt is as a singer. The whole 'big note at the end' thing is so Danyl Johnson. Maybe Simon wants Matt to win so that he'll have a do-over with a Danyl type singer who doesn't also have a massive ego. Although I'm thinking that if Matt wins he could go full Cardle. I don't know what the original Jessie Ware version of the second song sounds like, but it comes to something when that average performance was the most exciting thing Matt's done in weeks.

2) 5 After Midnight - they couldn't even hold it together on an East 17 track where Brian 'I ate three jacket potatoes and then ran myself over with my own car' Harvey was the lead vocalist. They've realised that Kieran is the 'best' singer of the three, but it's all relative, he's still terrible. When JLS finally got around to putting Aston front and centre, he really could sing. 'Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours', in every aspect of it's presentation, was basically Simon saying that he wants them to be the new Wand. But it won't happen. Rough Copy have all but disappeared and they had at least some small spark (that Gary Barlow pissed all over).

3) Emily - backing vocals really helping her out during 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' to the point where it sounded like she was singing along to a pre-recorded tape of herself during the verses. Children's choir is XF shorthand for 'you've got no vocal presence but we need you in the final'. Aiden's version of 'Mad World' was much much better - something I never thought I'd say. But at least he moved around on stage a bit, even if it did just look like he was busting for a piss.

4) Saara - 'All I Want For Christmas' was really really like the Mariah version. I would have liked to have heard Saara do something different with it, as the lyrics always seem way out of step with the presentation in the original. 'Chandalier' - again, not familiar with this song. Saara's big problem has been overcoming the public's assumption that she's a novelty act like Wanger ended up being under Louis. She's done that by communicating with the audience, but her second song felt like a step back into theatrical remoteness.

You are right about the Matt and Danyl big note comparison. It never occurred to me before now. It's their only trick and it's not as impressive as either of them thought. I had a feeling he would end up in the bottom two tonight. Simon's criticisms were just enough to plant that seed in the voting public's minds. His sing-off performance was possibly his worst vocal yet. He had no control and the song was way too big for him. I was shocked to see that Emily outperformed him.

I'm seeing this final in a similar way to the 2008 final (probably my favourite year of X Factor). They have Matt who is cheesy, dated and hopelessly being pushed as the heartthrob who I really don't think they want to win = Eggnog Quigg. 5 After Midnight are the hip (in their eyes) R&B group who they'll want to push outside of the show = a much worse version of JLS. Then they have the ultimate performer who is miles ahead of everyone vocally, can dance and looks like a professional on stage who probably will make the other two finalists look like amateurs next week = Alexandra Burke. I hope the result goes the same way.

I wonder who the duets will be next week? I'm sure they're doing everything they can to get Sia to perform with Saara. Nicole will predictably sing with Matt (hopefully she'll grab his microphone away like she did to poor Jahmene). I'm guessing Little Mix for 5 After Midnight? If they get paired up, I'm seeing 5 After Midnight win. I actually have this terrible feeling they will win despite miming every single week.

Nice to see Charli XCX on Xtra Factor. Shame she didn't get put on the main show instead of Lady Gaga doing that dreary ballad.

Matt and Saara

5 After Midnight sounded more like backing singers on both of their songs tonight.

Also Matt had a real rabbit-in-headlights look last night.

Ikr. So how's he gone favourite again?

It was hilarious during the 'Purple Rain' duet when Nicole came out and took the "honey I know I know I know" line right off him, and totally relegated him to a backing singer for the rest of the song.

Extremely niche news, but hints on social media appear to indicate that Chanal (auditionee in 2016XF) has replaced Frankee as a third member of small-time British pop/R&B trio M.O.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrYKjs286zQ