X Factor UK S11E31 – Week 9 – Semifinal

Christmas tunes are usually reserved for the final, but not this year. The X Factor’s studio looks festive and Dermot dances in with 4 dancers dressed in red.

So tonight is X Factor’s countdown to Christmas.

Dermot says there will be a sing off tomorrow. TPTB are not taking any chances this year.

The phone lines are now open. The order: Fleur, Lauren, Ben, Andrea.

Fleur East – All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)

Fleur went home for early Christmas dinner … or Christmas party.
The stage looks extra festive for the modern Christmas classic. Fleur is giving it her all, but she is no Mariah. This wasn’t a great song choice for Fleur. The 4 judges get presents at the end of the performance.
Louis: I think you can make the final, because you tick every box…
Mel B: You look incredible and you sang incredible. I thought you would make an attempt to make it a little bit cooler, a little bit different.
Cheryl: Oh, bribery, good tactic … That’s such a big song to sing …
Simon: You can’t make that song cool, it is what it is. No one can do it better than Mariah. I know what’s coming next.

Lauren Platt – Stay Another Day (East 17/Girls Aloud)

So Lauren is singing the Christmas song that isn’t really a Christmas song. She really wants to get to the final. She gets a present from her grandparents, but no visit.
I just don’t think this song works for anyone but the original artist. Lauren’s arrangement sounds strange. I almost thought TPTB messed up something and played two different backing tracks at the same time. Overall, this just didn’t make any impression.
Louis: Lauren, after being in the bottom 2 last week, you came out fighting. I think you struggled a bit, I didn’t like the song.
Mel B: I love the song … Through the competition you didn’t have a moment …
Simon: I love this song. It was a good performance, it wasn’t a killer performance.
Cheryl: The song gave me goosebumps, I’m so proud.

Ben Haenow – Please Come Home For Christmas (The Eagles)

Ben’s family visited him in the X Factor house for dinner.
Ben starts the song outside with a choir and fake snow. Then he moves inside and on stage. The song seems a great fit for Ben’s raspy rock voice. Pretty solid. Best performance so far!
Louis: A brilliant Christmas song. This is a talent show you you have the talent. Everybody vote for Ben!
Mel B: Boy did you just get it right!
Cheryl: I had the pleasure of spending some time with you at this charity function. You are a really nice guy …
Simon: You remind me of Olly Murs. Your confidence is coming out tonight, I hope the public vote for you.

Randy Jackson in the house! The Dawg is visiting Simon!

Andrea Faustini – O Holy Night (Mariah Carey)

Dermot took the final 4 to a restaurant. Andrea is a bit homesick and he gets a hug from a pug.
Like the 3 finalists before him, Andrea gets great staging and a choir. Andrea makes a lot of ugly faces, but sounds pretty good.
Louis: That’s how you sing a Christmas carol. You have to make the final!
Cheryl: We’ve heard every contestant sing. I’m running out of words to express how amazing vocalist you are.
Simon: If I’m being honest, I didn’t like it. I absolutely loved it! You had soul and it was from the heart! You didn’t eat the pug for Christmas dinner?!
Mel B: This was so perfect! I was holding back the tears.

The Recap: Fleur really isn’t much of a vocalist. The other three were all better than her. Lauren had the worst song, though.

Lauren Platt – Story Of My Life (One Direction)

So this is the song Lauren believes will get her to the final? Hmm.
Uggh. The song falls flat from the start. It’s just a bad fit. Why did they saddle her with boyband songs? She only sounds good belting out the chorus. The story of her live is presented in pictures behind her.
Louis: That song totally suited you! It was much better than the first song.
Mel B: You did a great job tonight. But I’m still waiting for that moment!
Simon: I loved the song, it was way better than the first song. I think you did have a little moment there, you connected with the lyrics.
Cheryl: I think it’s easy to forget hoe everyone else in the competition is a lot more experience than you are. I want all the little girls to vote for you!

Fleur East – Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars)

Simon heard this song for the first time six days ago. He is nervous. Then we find out she originally rehearsed another song and Simon changed it one day ago.
Fleur starts the song backstage. She is confident and her vocals aren’t as exposed here. She gets a big dance number and great lightning. She absolutely killed this.
Louis: Fleur, wow, I’ve never heard that song before, but it’s gonna be a massive hit! Simon, absolutely amazing!
Mel B Who cares, if we didn’t know the song, you killed it! You are a superstar!
Cheryl: A friend of mine from another country asked me, if this girl a contestant or a guest?
Simon: I can’t take all the credit, I have to thank Julian Buneta who played the song to me. This performance is in the TOP 3 best performances ever.

Andrea Faustini – Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus)

Andrea wants to sing in the final with a guest artist. He thinks Beyonce/Alexandra Burke duet is legendary.
Andrea gets great staging from Brian Friedman. Again, he makes terrible faces. He does his signature wailing after a quiet start. I didn’t find this too pleasant to my eyes and ears, but what do I know.
Louis: You are the people’s diva, it’s effortless, it’s perfect.
Cheryl: This was not my favorite song for you.
Simon: I have given you some criticism recently. I was getting bored with Mariah, Whitney, etc. I think you took a great risk with that song and it paid off.
Mel B: I don’t think you realize how good you are. Everyone needs to vote for you, I’m begging you all.

Ben Haenow – Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

X Factor’s winner’s sings is for charity “Together for Short Lives”. TOP 4 visited the children in a hospice.
Ben reveals his mother was struggling to play the rent when he was a child, even though she was working 3 jobs.
Ben gets white light. The beginning sounds a bit marmite, but then it gets more rockin’. At least he is making it his own. This song was Alexandra Burke’s winner’s single in season 5. At the end of the performance Ben looks tearful.
Louis: You certainly made it your own. You’ve got everything!
Mel B. I wanna forget you just sang this song. Until now you were a rock god and that song didn’t do you any favors.
Cheryl: That song holds really fond memories for me. I think you made it your own. The VT reminded me what this opportunity means for the overs.
Simon: I will remember this performance. You earned your right to be in the final and I hope the audience vote for you.

Recap: I think Lauren is toast. That’s all I can say.

Tomorrow night: Fifth Harmony, Idina Menzel and Sam Bailey.

Little Mix arrive at X Factor rehearsals to catch up with Simon Cowell and his remaining contestants ahead of the semi-final on Saturday
The end is starting to flicker into sight for this year’s crop of golden singers.

So it was fantastic timing when Little Mix showed up at the X Factor rehearsals to meet some of them ahead of this weekend’s semi-final extravaganza.

The band – who won the competition in 2011 and are due to return to the stage during Saturday’s live show – caught up with Simon Cowell and spent some time with his two remaining contestants.
Read more: Daily Mail

Emotional Ben Haenow breaks down after festive performance as competition for place in The X Factor grand final heats up
The X Factor’s Ben Haenow let his feelings get the better of him on Saturday evening following a moving rendition of much covered Leonard Cohen track Hallelujah.

The popular singer was closing the show with the track, his second performance of the night, and he was given an encouraging round of applause as it came to an end – prompting him to break down with an uncharacteristic display of emotion.

‘I think you know what I’m gonna say,’ offered a lukewarm Mel as the song drew to a close. ‘That song didn’t do you any favours but I want to praise you for your journey and where you’ve come from but I’m going to forget that performance.’
Read more: Daily Mail

‘This is the moment you turned from a contestant to a star’: Fleur East wins high praise after storming second performance on The X Factor
Fleur East won her most enthusiastic responses yet following a storming second performance on The X Factor semi-final.

The singer, hotly tipped to snatch week’s crown from much fancied Ben Haenow, took to the stage in hot pants and knee-high boots for a rendition of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk.

As she caught her breath astonished mentor Cowell told her the performance marked a transitional moment in her development.
Read more: Daily Mail

She’s only gone and done it again! Cheryl Fernandez-Versini wins X Factor fashion-off in a bridal chic plunging gown
As of yet no pictures of Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s wedding earlier this year have surfaced.

But giving an idea of how she would look walking down the alter, Cheryl wowed on Saturday’s X Factor in an awe-inspiring gown.

Putting on a bridal chic display, the 31-year-old looked amazing in an ivory number which featured a very low neckline.
Read more: Daily Mail

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini leaves X Factor studios after semi-finals in Fight For This Love style military jacket
She’s desperate for her last remaining act Lauren Platt to make it through to the finals next week.

And Cheryl Fernandez-Versini decided to show her fighting spirit by donning a black coat reminiscent of the iconic red jacket she wore in her Fight For This Love video as she left the X Factor studios on Saturday night.

The pop princess looked ready for action in her military inspired leather number, which featured silver buttons and horizontal black detailing across the front.
Read more: Daily Mail

Christmas karaoke: The X Factor semi final puts Lauren Platt and Ben Haenow in jeopardy, by JIM SHELLEY
The X Factor semi final was like a slightly above average office Christmas party with the four contestants belting out some seasonal ‘classics’, padded out, of course, with endless inane insights into their home life, several re-caps of what we had just seen, a dozen ad breaks, and a few hundred clichés.

Yes it was another X Factor Fright Night – with (sleigh) bells on.

Here’s how they did – in no particular order, apart from my personal preference.
Read more: Daily Mail