The X Factor 2009

[IJS]

I thought Cheryl was pretty boring to be honest.

[Baddar]

The very fact she chose to do it live and actually sing impressed me. She sounded very good, in my opinion, given how much she was moving about. That's where Lady GaGa fails.

And plus, remember how much build-up they gave Britney, only for her to be shit?

[IJS]

I thought it was pre-recorded? I remember reading that in the Sun.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I love me some Whitney, but she's still bat shit crazy and slightly up her own ass. Hopefully I was wrong in thinking she was out of her head.

[Baddar]

No. It was supposedly gonna be pre-recorded and mimed according to the papers. Was neither.

[IJS]

John and Edward survive another week.

[GA!]

Well done Cheryl, that was wonderful.

My favourite part was the Nazi motif.

Rikki's gone, John and Edward survive for one more week () as does Rachel, and the obvious three finalists are Olly, Stacey and Geordie Joe.

[Downward Spiral]

Oh thank Christ for that. I had a genuine fear we had another Leon on our hands but thankfully everyone has seen sense.

Rachel needs to start pulling out performances like that survival song. I really like her, and I think that with the right material she could go far but if Dannii has learned anything from this weekend, it's don't give the girl a song sung in a high register. Bad things seem to happen.

Other thoughts: the John and Edward joke has well and truly worn off now. Take it to Eurovision. Miss Frank were horrendously out of tune at times, but I'm so glad they're through. I think a big performance is in them and hopefully it'll come out sooner rather than later.

I'm not entirely sure why Simon thought it was a good idea to give Danyl another ballad as, frankly, he doesn't handle them very well and he's best when he gets to bounce around the stage like an idiot (c.f. his audition). Jamie did very well with the material he was given, and I'm still picking him to win the whole thing. He's floating nicely just under the radar now, but I really wouldn't be surprised if he went all the way. Olly. Ugh. Just... I don't get it. He's a poor man's Robbie during that whole "Swing When You're Winning"... fiasco. Let's put it this way, if he sells a million albums after this competition is over, I'll eat my own piss.

Cheryl's group was by the weakest tonight: Joe... he's alright, but I simply can't warm to him. Lloyd. Just fuck off. Awful song choice, yes, but he hasn't once shown that he has anywhere near the talent to be a successful recording artist.

And Dannii, well, Stacey once she hit her stride was brilliant, but I think nerves are really getting the better of her at the moment. Her utter lack of confidence makes her extremely endearing; I'd be very happy to see her in the finals, but it is going to be her achilles heel if they're left unchecked. And Lucy's appeal still escapes me. An utterly anaemic voice, struggled with the up-tempo dance routine, seriously, apart from a pretty face, what has she actually got?

This weekend really wasn't as strong as the first week. The show needs a phenomenal performance, in the vein of Ruth Lorenzo's Purple Rain last year, to give it a real kick up the arse. At the moment all of them are pretty much coasting at a time when they should really be trying to get their noses out in front early.

[Liam]

Well done Cheryl, that was wonderful.

My favourite part was the Nazi motif.

Rikki's gone, John and Edward survive for one more week () as does Rachel, and the obvious three finalists are Olly, Stacey and Geordie Joe.

Olly won't place higher than Danyl or Jamie.

And for that matter, I don't think Joe will reach the final either, but could see it more than Olly.

[stokeriño]

Afro guy for the win.

[/demonstrates just how much attention he's been paying]

[GA!]

Well done Cheryl, that was wonderful.

My favourite part was the Nazi motif.

Rikki's gone, John and Edward survive for one more week () as does Rachel, and the obvious three finalists are Olly, Stacey and Geordie Joe.

Olly won't place higher than Danyl or Jamie.

And for that matter, I don't think Joe will reach the final either, but could see it more than Olly.

Olly is infinitely more popular than Danyl and Jamie (somehow). Danyl will be eliminated late on, which is a shame because you can tell from looking at him he's a very in-genuine person. He needs to fuck off with Lloyd.

Jamie *may* get to the final depending on how he handles other pop songs - he'll definitely be in the top 5 though. I'd rather see him in the final than Olly and Joe, but based on talent/popularity, he's losing out to them on both fronts so far.

[Liam]

Well done Cheryl, that was wonderful.

My favourite part was the Nazi motif.

Rikki's gone, John and Edward survive for one more week () as does Rachel, and the obvious three finalists are Olly, Stacey and Geordie Joe.

Olly won't place higher than Danyl or Jamie.

And for that matter, I don't think Joe will reach the final either, but could see it more than Olly.

Olly is infinitely more popular than Danyl and Jamie (somehow). Danyl will be eliminated late on, which is a shame because you can tell from looking at him he's a very in-genuine person. He needs to fuck off with Lloyd.

Jamie *may* get to the final depending on how he handles other pop songs - he'll definitely be in the top 5 though. I'd rather see him in the final than Olly and Joe, but based on talent/popularity, he's losing out to them on both fronts so far.

Bookies don't even price up Olly to be the best in his group, let alone win it. I'm not saying they are always right, but they generally are pretty spot on with the prices for reality TV in the past. He is behind Danyl and joint with Jamie to be the best in Simon's group (which puts him behind people like Stacie and Joe in the outright betting, and probably Lucie).

Danyl is probably the most talented of the bunch, and once Simon at least gets him to come across more humble and less egotistic (which you know Simon will be focusing on), he'll pick up votes for definite. Olly hasn't really got a touch on him talent-wise, or (I think) Jamie when he is given a better song to do his stuff.

Joe is the main danger, someone I really didn't see coming. However, I also still don't think he will win it. Priced up as favourite at the moment though after the first two weeks, so who knows?

[Blue Rosler]

Week after week I get to like Olly even more, I'd want a Olly/Stacey/John & Edward final.

Lucie, Joe and Danyl are technically the best singers, but fuck me they're boring.

And Lloyd? Oh dear. He is dreadful. And Jamie's been screwed over.

Miss Frank? Rapping in big band? What a fucking joke.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Miss Frank are by far the best group this contest ever has and probably ever will produce. They've actually got potential to be massive if you ask me.

More overrated stuff for Danyl again last night, a guy who does the same performance every single fucking time. It's clear he's Simon's favourite, which is why he gets given new Whitney songs and so on. I'm shocked that some see him as the most talented too, because he's not even in the top five singers on this show.

Stacey has been about a million miles ahead of everybody so far, really consistent and she's done everything just about spot on.

[Pesci]

JLS > Miss Frank. Though Miss Frank are good, and will be even better recorded.

Lloyd's days are numbered, I feel. Girls are voting for him because he's attractive but not all of them will be since Danyl, Jamie, Olly and Joe (camp as fuck as he may be) aren't exactly ugly, and can all actually sing. I think Rachel will be safe after the big deal being made about her last night and her massive OMGOMGOMG thing after she sang. John and Edward are fucking awesome, not least because it's hilarious to sit on Facebook while they're singing and see how many people wish death on them and are all like "wot da hell? do ppl actuly fink dey cn sing?"

Danyl is fantastic but I think he's peaked too early. Jamie will have a following from people who like him because he "rocks out" and he'll stay in for ages, could win if he stamps his mark but I think he'll struggle with some stuff they make him sing. Olly seems good enough too but he's not exciting enough to win. Then again if Leon can win...

Joe pisses me off and I hope he doesn't win but I think he'll probably make the final two or three weeks at the very least. Lucie is lovely and should probably win. Miss Frank are good as I said above, but nobody will care about them in the same way nobody cares about Rachel and I don't think they'll last long, sadly. Stacey is an annoying cunt - she can sing well but I'm fed up of her superhuman ability to speak for five minutes without taking a breath. Everybody seems to like her though, she'll stay in for ages.

It's pretty open this year and I think any one of Danyl, Jamie, Joe, Stacey and Lucie could win. I'm doubting either of the girls' chances because Dannii is a moron and won't be able to talk them up well enough. Simon will probably decide who wins through his manipulative skills, let's be honest.

[Liam]

Miss Frank are by far the best group this contest ever has and probably ever will produce. They've actually got potential to be massive if you ask me.

More overrated stuff for Danyl again last night, a guy who does the same performance every single fucking time. It's clear he's Simon's favourite, which is why he gets given new Whitney songs and so on. I'm shocked that some see him as the most talented too, because he's not even in the top five singers on this show.

Stacey has been about a million miles ahead of everybody so far, really consistent and she's done everything just about spot on.

I've had the problem with wondering what you are drinking in some of the football threads in the past, and I'm beginning to worry with this one as well. Danyl not being in the top 5 singers in the competition? Seriously, the guy isn't the most easiest to like, but everyone had been doing good to competent performances on the whole, and once again, he came out and was a different class to everyone else. He gets by, and gets put up as the favourite, purely on the fact that he is the most talented, because he doesn't have the popularity just for being himself that others get.

And as for the comment about Stacey, whilst I agree she has been good, she was poor by her standards yesterday. I'd say Olly, Jamie, Danyl, Miss Frank, Lucie and probably even Rachel were better performances. I didn't care much for Joe or the welsh kid, and obviously John and Edward was car-crash TV, fun to watch for definite, but hardly comparable to the others in the competition. I do wish people would stop booing them though, you don't like them, great, others do, get over it.

[Fudge]

I like Danyl less and less each week. Ideally Lloyd goes out today, then Miss Frank next week.

John and Edward need to stay in for at least 2 more weeks, the reason is self explanatory.

Jamie and Rachel annoy me and I hope they go out in a few weeks aswell which for me would leave the top 5 of Olly, Stacey, Joe, Lucie and John and Edward. Not happening, but I hope it does.

I don't see anyone being as successful as Leona, JLS or Alexandra this year.

[Katsuya]

Miss Frank are awesome. I've never liked the "let's create a group out of these people" idea up until the girls were put together, and I think that they could very easily make the final and hopefully they'll be signed. With Sugababes kind of self-imploding, Girls Aloud having split up and nobody caring about the Saturdays, there is a gap for a new girl band, much like JLS were there to fill the spot for the boy band that was missing from the market last year.

[IAceI]

Girls Aloud having split up??? Sorry, what?

And yeah, so of this weeks shows I really liked Jamie's performance even if it wasn't "Big Band" or whatever, it was still pretty class. Lucie's good but girls i know are calling her performances "boring" but then saying Lloyd's are good. Jealousy obviously.

Olly is by far and away my favourite at the minute, he's so much fun.

John and Edward must die. Must. Fucking. Die. Awful, truly, truly terrible vocalists. If I want entertainment I'll watch Olly, who can also sing. Or I'll watch a video of a fat kid body popping on youtube. I don't need to deal with them thinking their good, smug twats that they are. Hate. Hate. Hate.

I'm a little underwhelmed, as has been said - we haven't seemingly got that Leona or Alexandra at the minute. But I think in a few more weeks, more publicity and a few good performances and we could have someone big. But the in thing at the minute is electronic one-girl acts it seems so they'll have to work hard. Regardless they'll have the X-Mas number one, hope it's Olly at the minute though. He seems so fun.

Joe is shit too. Geordie scummer. Cheryl giving him a standing ovation was a joke. The fact they all thought it was good as well was pathetic. It was a rubbish performance, I may actually have put it down there with J&E's.

[Dynamite]

At the moment, Olly, Stacey and Miss Frank are my favourites. I like Lucie too but I wouldn't mind too much if she did leave. John and Edward are awesome for the time being and provided they don't stay on too long and be become stale, I'm enjoying watching them. I'd probably want these five acts to get the furthest.

I can't stand Danyl. He's one of the better singers for definite but he just has this arrogant look about him that makes him so hard to like.

That Joe needs to learn how to keep his head up straight. It keeps leaning over to the side and makes him look as though he's utterly besotted by Simon (which wouldn't surprise me as he is as camp/girly as they come).

I honestly couldn't care less what happened to Lloyd, Jamie or Rachel. I imagine they'll be the ones to get lost in the middle weeks of the show and move on to obscurity somewhere else. Is there anyone else I'm forgetting? If there is, they'd probably fall into this last category.