Tonight’s episode starts at 8pm BST, 9pm CEST, 3pm EDT, 12pm PDT.
HOW TO WATCH: LIVE, ONLINE, FROM ABROAD
You can watch X Factor live, online. ITV streams the show through ITV Player. However, ITV blocks viewers from outside of the UK. To get around that, you need to use VPN connection. If Google Chrome is your preferred browser, install ZenMate or Hola extensions and set them to UK server. There are also many free UK VPN services that allow you to make a connection on your own (Pick one and follow the instructions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. For more Google “free UK VPN”.). ITV might ask you to enter your UK zip code. Find valid UK zip code HERE. Don’t let the browser send any information.
You can also try to find a working ITV stream on MyiPlayer.com, TVPC.com, VIPLeague.me, Stream2Watch.me or FilmON.com.
If you know any other working links, please post them in the comments below.
About half of the cast was struck down by the flu and other health problems this week. Hopefully they all pull through.
And we are back for the second week of the live shows! Can anyone or anything stop Andrea Faustini from winning?
Louis Walsh lost two groups last week. Hopefully this week won’t be the end of his category.
Peter Dickinson says tonight’s theme is “I love the 80’s!”. Oh well. Let’s see how the TOP 14 deal with this theme. Most of the contestants were born in the 90’s, I think.
The phone lines opened as soon as the judges took their seats. Another DOUBLE ELIMINATION this week!
Jack Walton – Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
Louis Tomlinson of One Direction visited the X Factor this week and met the contestants. He is a big fan of Jack and Jack appreciates his support. Jack was born in 1996 and he’s never heard of this song before. YIKES. But he likes it.
He starts acoustically. Soon after the start he trades his guitar for a microphone. The guitar on his back now looks stupid on him, but at least he has some stage presence. Oh, now he is back playing the guitar and using the mic stand. He sounds fine, but this performance won’t be the stand out of the night.
Louis: I agree with Louis Tomlinson, you are a real artist!
Cheryl: You and Mel B get each other …
Simon: It wasn’t the best vocal I’ve heard, but you are very commercial, you are going to get better and better as your confidence grows …
Mel B: Let’s be honest, Simon wants you in his category! You always do me proud, you did a fantastic job tonight, well bloody done!
Stephanie Nala – Call Me (Blondie)
Oh, Stephanie gets a lot of mentoring from Cheryl this week.
Steph wears a flowery mini dress this week and has a couple of dancers. The song gets reggae re-arrangement and the whole performance is kinda boring. I think she will be in trouble again this week. Let’s face it, she is fodder.
Louis: After everything last week you picked yourself up, I love the attitude, well done!
Mel B: I do think you worked extremely hard this week, but I got a bit bored in the middle of it.
Simon: It was a million times better than last week. The problem with you is that you seem half asleep …
Cheryl: Reggae beat is a lazy beat. I’m proud that you picked yourself up from negativity …
Andrea Faustini – One Moment In Time (Whitney Houston)
Andrea reveals that he is a student from Rome. He likes fish and chips and tea … His personality is going to get annoying soon, I think.
The start is slower than the original. The arrangement has added beat and heavy back up vocals. I personally don’t like it when the arrangements get changed just for the sake of it. The performance doesn’t seem rehearsed enough.
Louis: You stole the show last week, I loved … The only thing I don’t like is the jacket!
Cheryl: You are consistent, fantastic …
Simon: You stole the show last week, but you weren’t as good this week. Pulling faces, you lost the melody …
Mel B: I don’t know what’s in your cut, but it’s something dodgy, Simon!
Lauren Platt – What A Feeling (Irene Cara)
Another 90’s baby! Lauren and Cheryl turned the song into a ballad. Great vocal performance from Lauren, but the whole rearrangement seems a little bit forced.
Louis: Last week your were amazing and this week you are even better!
Mel B: I actually think you came into your own!
Simon: Hands down the best performance tonight so far! First two weeks: good song choices, not karaoke …
Cheryl: Simply stunning!
Ben Haenow – Jealous Guy (Donny Hathaway)
Originally he wanted to sing a Paul Simon’s song, but he then switched to this. He is sick and has vocal problems. Simon looks concerned in rehearsals.
Ben has a (fake?) band on stage. He sounds pretty good and the arrangement is nice, but I doubt this will be one of Ben’s season highlights. Solid, but unexciting performance that will get him though this week.
Louis: You are exactly what we are looking on the X Factor! You have the whole package!
Mel B: Be a man and don’t complain! We all get sick and we deal with it! The good news is, I absolutely loved that!
Cheryl: This competition is getting better and better by the act! You are a natural performer!
Simon: You took a tack, made your own version … That was the best performance so far.
How did the judges look in the 80’s? Cheryl and Mel were still young girls, Louis kinda looked like Simon a few years ago? And Simon and Sinitta looked … no comment.
This is why I love the 80s. Nothing else comes close.
#xfactor pic.twitter.com/MKSUtlXPjC
— Ian Hyland (@HylandIan) October 18, 2014
Fleur East – It’s A Shame (Monie Love)
Fleur wants to up the ante this week. She starts the performance lying on a spinning record. She sings and raps. Solid performance, but nothing outstanding. I think the backing track on the chorus drowned out her vocals a bit.
Louis: It’s like you became a different person in two weeks. You reminds me of a young Mel B!
Mel B: I’m still young! I didn’t hear your voice pop against the backing track on the chorus so I found that a little bit like cheating [Simon gets upset]
Cheryl: You are fast becoming my favorites in the competition. You know exactly what you want to be. You smashed it.
Simon: All contestants have backing vocals on the backing track. You’re turning into an artist.
Stereo Kicks – Boys Of Summer (Don Henley)
Louis changed their song in the middle of the week because the original choice didn’t work. This song choice is a lot better for them. James Graham is sick and is struggling with the high notes, but otherwise no major problems.
Mel B: That was a great song choice and you did a good job! I want to hear you sing acappella!
Cheryl: It’s hard for me, because I don’t hear hysteria when you come out? There is 8 of you and I don’t feel the hysteria!
Simon: I don’t think you are being given enough credit!
Louis: Cheryl, that was a bit harsh on the boys!
Lola Saunders – Imagine (John Lennon)
She is also ill this week. No massive rearrangement here, but Lola delivers unique phrasing. She is still dealing with nerves, but I think she is getting better.
Louis: Lola, after that performance, you are definitely a dark horse in this competition!
Mel B: You went from a fishmonger to a legend!
Simon: You are getting better and better, you could be a dark horse in this competition!
Cheryl: You sounded like an angel.
Jake Quickenden – Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
He has one backing vocalist on stage and that guy sounds better than Jake. Jake’s voice sounds so small. This song is too big for him and he looks out of his depth. The backing track is drowning him out.
Louis: A brave song choice, you absolutely made it your own!
Cheryl: You really put everything into your vocal this week, but that song choice didn’t do it for me!
Simon: You give it your all, but the vocals were terrible.
Mel B: No, whatever you two. You really stepped up to a plate this week! You vocals were on point!
Chloe Jasmine – Fame (Irene Cara)
Chloe sounds very confident in her VT. She is again styled as a lounge singer. The stage and the background look like something out of that recent Great Gatsby movie. The song is heavily re-arranged and its not going anywhere, I’m afraid. Chloe sounds best when she sings in a jazzy style. This wasn’t her best showing. She get a confetti shower during the song and has to take some papers out of her mouth at the end of her performance.
Louis: You might not be everybody’s cut of tea, but you are my cup of tea.
Mel B: I think Cheryl did you a dis-service tonight.
Simon: I like you, because you are bonkers … I don’t think Cheryl did the right thing for you this week.
Cheryl: I thought it was absolutely fantastic we wanted to hold it back a bit so finding you an Eighties sound in your style. I wouldn’t change you for the world.
Paul Akister – If You Don’t Know Me By Now (Simply Red)
Paul starts the song with only the piano … Yep, this re-arrangement is definitely going to work out well. I think Paul nailed this song and pulled everything he could out of it.
Louis: This is my favorite performance of the series so far!
Cheryl: This took me back to my childhood, thank you.
Simon: I feel slightly uncomfortable when I see you perform, you need more confidence. You sang it brilliantly, with my record label hat I think you need to learn how to perform better
Mel B: This is a singing competition and boy you can sing!
Stevi Ritchie – Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)
He was originally meant to sing “Addicted to Love”, but it was too boring for him. So, we are getting rick rolled.
Stevie does his best Rick Astley impersonation. He has half a dozen sexy female dancers on stage and a red carpet. This performance is a highlight by default, I guess?
Louis: You are living the dream, but it was a bit like leaving in a really bad dream and karaoke!
Mel B: The dancers were hot and even they didn’t make you look good!
Cheryl: You are one of the most genuine contestants ever. That girl made you a bit nervous …
Simon: Stevi, I like you. And the public likes you.
Only The Young – Come On Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)
They don’t like their song choice. Yikes. Louis changed it from some other song.
The arrangement has some country elements. The 4 singers don’t look very confident on stage. Oh Louis, what have you done? To be honest, this doesn’t sound bad as a whole.
Mel B: You got it so right tonight! You are my daughter’s favorite! You nailed it!
Cheryl: This song was more like something you sit in a rowdy bar and sing along to.
Simon: You just got on with it, had fun and I like the energy and the chemistry I preferred this week to last week.
Louis: You totally changed the song and made it contemporary!
Jay James – I’m Gonna Be – 500 Miles (The Proclaimers)
Jay gets the pimp spot so I guess this must be the performance of the night? Another heavy re-arrangement of the original song. I don’t think he managed to execute the first part the way he wanted. But the last part was amazing – it was just too short.
Louis: You nailed it. You remind me of a young Simon Cowell in the 80’s.
Mel B: Last week you were brilliant and this week you were even more brilliant!
Cheryl: I don’t think it was genius, it was a bit odd.
Simon: I think it was genius.
Tomorrow night: Jessie J and Maroon 5 perform.
To sum it up: Most of the contestants tonight performed songs of 70’s and 80’s that didn’t really allow for many stand out moments. The main challenge this week was to somehow re-arrange the song, even if it wasn’t needed.
My favorite performances of the night: Lauren Platt, Lola Saunders, Paul Akister, Stereo Kicks and Only The Young
Worst of the night: Jake Quickenden, Stephanie Nala.
Time to face the make-up! Dressed down Mel B looks tired as she arrives at The X Factor studios ready to be pampered
She may have perfect hair and make-up on The X Factor panel but Mel B isn’t afraid to take a break from the glitz and glamour.
The 39-year-old was spotted in London on Saturday arriving at the studios where the singing competition is being held.
The Boys’ mentor was looking rather tired though soon enough she’d be getting some luxurious pampering from her beauty team.
Read more: Daily Mail
‘I didn’t hear your voice’: Mel B accuses Fleur East of cheating during Eighties Week of The X Factor
It’s the second week of The X Factor and already cheating accusations have been thrown across the judging table.
After Fleur East’s Eighties Week performance of Monie Love’s It’s A Shame, Mel B said she couldn’t hear Simon Cowell’s act singing during the chorus of the song.
‘That was a great performance, the only thing is on that chorus I didn’t hear your voice pop against the backing track so I found that a little bit like cheating,’ the Northern judge complained.
Read more: Daily Mail
What a Muppet! Simon Cowell calls Cheryl Fernandez-Versini ‘Kermit’ thanks to her green dress on The X Factor
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini looked like a right Muppet on Saturday night.
That is according to fellow X Factor judge Simon Cowell who continuously called her Kermit (the Frog) throughout the live show.
The comparison was easily made thanks to the Lanvin green one-shoulder gown she was wearing.
Read more: Daily Mail
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini wows in quilted leather jacket as she leaves X Factor studios… as Mel B debuts yet another animal onesie
They both looked stunning as they made their entrance for the second live show of the series in a pair of floor-sweeping gowns.
However the same couldn’t be said just hours later when Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and her fellow X Factor judge Mel B were seen leaving London’s Fountain Studios on Saturday.
The former Girls Aloud beauty, 31, opted for a sexy leather jacket while the Spice Girls hitmaker looked more ready for bed.
Read more: Daily Mail
Feeble performances, cheating, and songs from the Seventies… ‘I love the Eighties’ week on The X Factor was a farce, by Jim Shelley
It was a night of shocks on The X Factor, where the theme was the ’80s – or at least it was meant to be.
Simon Cowell mercilessly tormented Cheryl for wearing a green dress that, he teased, made her look like Kermit from The Muppets, as if she had come in topical fancy dress.
Louis Walsh excitedly praised Ben Haenow for ‘having the talent and the big package’, hastily retreating and claiming he said ‘the whole package’ – in other words, lying.
Contrary to the way she is always portrayed by the show, Chloe Jasmine was exposed as not being ‘posh’ at all – living in a house that was, humiliatingly, decidedly Mock Tudor. How suburban.
Read more: Daily Mail
