The X Factor Final: Going Down a Storm

As the country is being severely  lashed by a harsh winter storm, it’s definitely time to plan your weekend viewing.  Strictly?  Tick.  X Factor? Tick, and double tick.  Because this Saturday at 8pm on ITV1, it’s the start of the X Factor final which promises to be a lavish and entertaining affair over two consecutive nights. The four X Factor judges will take their seats in front of a wildly excited audience some 10,000 strong to help the viewing public to choose the X Factor winner for 2011.

The show thrives on controversy but this season things have soured somewhat in the X Factor camp.  The ratings have dropped from previous series and the ill-judged comments - from judges Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh regarding the immensely talented contestant, Mischa B, who was booted out last week – have really not helped matters.  Whatever her behaviour off stage, Mischa B was recognised by all judges as a fully fledged star.  Let’s hope that star does not now fall.

That said, there is a lot still to celebrate on Saturday’s programme which features the first ever girl band to reach an X Factor Final.  Little Mix’s members – Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall – are hotly fancied to win the show this year despite being a little rough around the edges in their performances.  Bookmaker bet365 offers betting odds of 13/10 that Little Mix will win the Final, which reflects the massive support that the four young women enjoy from the viewing public.  They are expected to perform with their mentor Tulisa, who has not yet sung on the show, singing a medley of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You and Empire State of Mind. 

Not be be outdone, judge Kelly Rowland is also performing in the final with contestant Amelia Lily.  They are expected to sing River Deep, Mountain High together and it will be interesting to see if Kelly manages to avoid hogging all the attention on this occasion.  Her recent performance on X Factor was breath taking, not least for her revealing costume, and the producers must make sure that she does not detract from Amelia Lily’s own performance.  Judge Gary Barlow commented on last week’s show that Amelia still has to find her gentle voice but the choice of music will play to her strengths, rather than highlight this perceived weakness. 

Amelia Lily, from the North East, has had a turgid week.  After a technical mix-up at HMV,  which made her winners single available for pre-download before the final had even taken place, she is said to be distraught.  Coming back into the show after being initially booted off, she has had a tough time gaining the support of the public and allegations of competition manipulation will not help her cause.  She is just 17 years old and this performer will need all her youthful resilience to gain the crown of X Factor winner.  On line bookmaker Victor Chandler place her as second favourite to win with best betting odds of 12/5. 

Last but not least in this year’s trio of finalists is the Liverpudlian Marcus Collins who is mentored by Gary Barlow of Take That.  Marcus has not put a foot wrong in the past few weeks but he is no longer favourite to win the competition being placed at third in the betting now, at odds of 11/4 from Ladbrokes.  Gary Barlow is hugely supportive of Marcus and showed his tough love on Monday when he banned Marcus from performing at Gary’s Royal Albert Hall gig due to Marcus’s throat infection.  All contestants have visited their home towns this week to drum up support and publicity and Marcus’s tumultuous welcome in Liverpool will boost him up for Saturday’s performance, throat permitting.  It is reported that Marcus and Gary will duet with the Billy Joel hit Always a Woman.  Gary is loved by the public and is a strong performer so his presence will undoubtedly boost Marcus’s chances.

And what will fourth judge do whilst the other three are doing their thing?  Louis Walsh will be sitting it out in a rather peeved manner, we imagine.  Gary and Louis have been bickering regularly  on the live show with Louis commenting “you’re lucky you have an act in the final”; Louis has none!   Just sour grapes for him...

With Coldplay, Michael Buble, Leona Lewis, JLS and One Direction also due to perform at Wembley, the X Factor 2011 Final promises to be most entertaining.  The final will be split over Saturday and Sunday night.  On the Saturday, the three finalists will sing two songs each whilst the public vote for who they want to win.  At the end of the show, public voting will be completed and the contestant with the least support will leave the competition.  The two remaining acts will go head-to-head on the Sunday show during which the winner will be announced.  Then the X Factor fun is over and, phew, we can get on with present shopping for our friends and family, and all the forthcoming festive fun!