I cannot believe John and Edward are through!

They are awful.

Opinions?

I can't stand these sort of programmes Messes with people's heads big time and gives kids unrealistic expectations IMO.

</miserable git>

I don't think they can sing which is what this show should be about! However, they seem to have captured the nations heart, not least becaus the media have spent the last few weeks insulting them in a way that even guys years older than them would have difficulty in dealing with (sorry if that sounds patronising but I have nieces and nephews close to seventeen and would hate to think of them having the tabloids saying such horrid things abouth them!)

I do not think they should have been put through to the live finals but that is not their fault. I think now they have the sympathy vote and I even think they could win, not should but could! This nation loves the underdog and it is such a pity that people with real talent get passed over to make an entertainment programme, which is what it is, it is not a talent show any more!


Oooh dear, off soap box now!

Sorry...don't like these programmes.

One thing I think is a little sad is the way now that the Christmas no. 1 is a foregone conclusion : it will be the winner of the X Factor...

Totally agree with the sentiments above.

Nor me.

I agree, if you have a decent sob-story, you're halfway to winning already!

Do you know what, I normally hate these type of programs but since the kids like to watch it, we have been drawn in. What I think is good about the program is that you do get to see some amazing raw talent, but ultimately what awaits these talented singers is a career of cheesy pop tunes without their own identity.

It's a shame that many of them feel the need to go on X factor as a door to a career in this industry rather than do it the hard way and perhaps end up being more unique as an artist.





Even my daughter who is 8 says she wants to go on X factor, but bless her she goes all coy on stage and isn't a natural born singer! Needless to say I won't be encouraging her.

Actually I think the X-Factor is one of the few things that is really good for young people's expectations and ambitions - the auditions give a realistic view of young talent, some are excellent, some are rubbish and all in between. If anything it encourages people to critically assess themselves, and if they feel they can do as well or better as the people on the telly then it may give them a much needed confidence boost - there are so many talented artists that simply feel they aren't any good when in fact they are.

I've given up with Television!

I agree with des.
To be honest I am enjoying to watch this programme, every week you see, you can see more and more how people has been changing with big confidence. I think it is very important.
Unfortunatelly or Fortunatelly (I am not sure still now...) generation is changing, and young people needs a confident to live now a days.
I don't mind it is through classic music or lap or rock or dance or painting or not. As far as they don't hurt anyone and they are happy.
Of course, some are not good as we think, but still they has been changing positive, and these experience will give them such an oppotunity and confident even they are not going throuh final.

are you serious? nothing against joe public, but buying records doesn't necessarily mean understanding vocal talent (if it did, the charts would look different). joe public does not rate talent, they vote for who they like or dislike (see the twins). leon jackson probably got the patriotic vote, but where is he now? same with the mcdonald-bros, who got quite far, certainly not because of their talent - they now tour asda-stores. yes, joe public knows real talent, sure joe public also forgets about it in the blink of an eye ...

x-factor is car-crash-tv at its worst - i admit i'm still watching it, but sometimes i seriously ask myself why, because it leaves me angry every time.

it doesn't build confidence (apart from maybe the finalists' and ultimately the winner's - not thinking about all the others is naive in the best case), it knocks it.

the auditions do NOT give a realistic view of young talent, they are manipulative and fake: people who didn't make it in other years don't just audition again - they are being phoned up by the production-team because they now fit in. people with no talent get put through the first rounds to be the nation's laughing stock - very confidence-building. people with real talent get put out before they even meet the judges (there are usually 2-3 rounds before mr. cowell & co enter the stage, i sadly have at least one student every year i cannot talk out of it) because they are either 'too normal' or not like play-doh.

sorry, this show has nothing to do with talent, and worse: it gives people a) the completely wrong idea about vocal talent and b) the wrong idea about a musical career.

x-factor and co are hugely to blame for the type of singing-student who thinks 5 lessons will turn you into a fab singer, and that the main goal is limelight and a recording-contract. most of these people want to run before they can walk, and the fall is usually quite painful.

again: very confidence-building...

Well, I spent a my evening watching it and enjoyed it, so there! I cannot see a problem with programmes like these. They are fun, entertaining and harmless. They are not intended for the serious singers are they? Am I missing something here?

no, they are probably not intended for the serious singer. the problem is that so many people think they are though and take everything that happens there at face-value. bgt is as bad - as i said: brain-numbing car-crash-telly

edit: i hasten to add that i don't judge the ones who wish to participate (i judge the format). i would just advise them to be very realistic about what these shows are about to avoid disappointment. everyone who doesn't know what i mean probably never had a (really good btw) student who was in tears about it...
that's the problem: good singers who don't even get through the early stages see the complete rubbish that goes through, and to them, it feels like a slap in the face. it takes a certain amount of confidence and insight into the business to not feel disappointed about it, and many people sadly have neither, and therefore this experience is quite painful for them ...

In general, I strongly dislike the current crop of TV 'talent' shows. However, I do watch X Factor, as it's one of the few things my wife and I get a chance to sit and watch together.

This year's crop of contestants - where do I start?

John & Edward - I don't think they should be through, although their version of 'Oops, I Did It Again' complete with red shiny suits had me in stitches. The singing was awful, the dancing was awful, and the camp speech bit in the middle? They are entertaining, but not in a way that should be rewarded!

Stacey Solomon - she's OK, but there's an annoying quality to her voice that I can't seem to shake. The difference between her singing and speaking is incredible. She's like Su Pollard when she's speaking.

Rikki Loney - just gone out this week. Shame really as I thought he was better than Rachel, but he did have that irritating "I'm getting so emotional singing this, I'm going to mime extreme stomach cramp on this note..." habit

Of the rest, I think that Lucy, Jamie and Danyl are probably the strongest contenders for winning this year.

I had to laugh this week. On a previous episode Cheryl was giving the ex lap dancers a hard time because they had dressed in a provocative manner. What about Cheryl this week in her sailor suit? If that's not provocative I don't know what is!

Yes... but Cheryl Cole is already known as a popstar. It doesn't really matter what she wears... Yes, it was provocative (and hideous) but then noone cares because we already know who she is and what she looks like and what she does.

Kandy Rain are ex lap dancers who want to be known for their singing and not their past. Stepping out for their first performance in those outfits did nothing whatsoever for their reputation.

I think that the point was that Candy Rain wanted people to not judge them on their pasts as lap dancers, and wanted people to now consider them as singers. But they were dressed in outfits that still had a lap dancer (provocative) type of image.

I agree with what Mezzo has said. I knew someone who auditioned this year and despite being an amazing singer they didn't make it through to the TV audition stage. It's ridiculous when you think of the number of very talented people who will be turned away to make room for the non-talented people to be shown up on TV.

I didn't think John and Edward were good enough to get through but wasn't surprised that they did with Louis as their mentor. However they are through now and I think it is very harsh of the studio audience to boo them. They came across as cocky and mean in their auditions (singing over someone else's part) but I don't think they are truly that horrible as people, and don't deserve to get booed when it's announced that they made it through.

Lucid

I watched odd bits of X Factor for the first time on Saturday night because the Ghandi programme got a bit heavy. I couldn't believe how terible the singing was and how stupid the audience. They screamed and whistled all the way through the dire performances of shouty, out of tune singing and went into rapturous applause at the end. It was just some bad singers amplified to within an inch of their lives strutting about in front of a hyped up audience. I can't imagine what anyone sees in it but I'm saddened that this is what our culture seems to have been reduced to.

I agree, they were hilarious. I say keep 'em in. I'd rather be entertained by those two than have to listen to the usual parade of ballads. I even voted for them (first time I've ever voted on the xfactor), but also voted for Lucie to even out the karma

I'm still trying to figure out how screaming at the top of your voice and warbling a lot, along with blatant over-acting constitutes singing? I'm sure it appeals to some people but... ick.

I remember discussing this a while ago, and I think I came to a sort of conclusion that we have Mariah Carey to blame (and to a lesser extent, Whitney Houston).

I agree with what Lucid said:

I really don't rate John & Edward as singers, and I wouldn't vote for them in a million years to put especially themselves out of this misery (I don't actually think it does them any good and is probably more damaging to them than anything else).

Still: They are incredibly young, and the way they are treated by most of the public and the media is appalling. There are even Facebook-Polls to get them out (it is so easy to slag them off if you don't know them, isn't it? How about putting yourself into that position regarding something that's important to you?), they have to read on a daily basis in the papers what nuisance they are etc.
Does anybody ever think about how damaging this is to a young person's self-esteem? Not every young person who acts cocky is really arrogant - it is very often a camouflage for deep insecurities ...

In X-Factor, people get judged by their sob-stories, their past, their looks, a few pounds too much (that poor female contestant who went out at Simon's house springs to mind, being labelled 'fatty' by members of the production team and certain amounts of the public).

You could say: 'If you participate in a show like this, you know what you are getting yourself into.' Sorry, I don't actually think so, I see this every year with students who wish to participate. The amount of naivety (and I mean this in the best possible sense - you probably don't want to know to be totally honest) is actually heartbreaking sometimes.

I had a very interesting email-exchange with someone from a major broadcasting-company after being asked to coach someone on a Glasgow online-format (sort of podcaststyle) - I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. Don't ask questions, don't think yourself. I guess they won't ask again, thank God I dare say

These are the same kind of people who phone you up one day (!) in advance to train a certain popsinger to sing an opera-aria on live-TV, and then are surprised that you are not jumping at the chance because:
a) you should be thankful for being on TV (even if you hardly get paid more than expenses) - it is such a fabulous advertising tool
b) they don't get that you don't like making an a*** of yourself AND the singer, because they will sound like a strangled cat - which she did, even though they found someone from the RSAMD in the end to coach her. I dare again say I don't understand why, but that's probably down to ego me thinks ('Oooo, look how faboulous I am, I'm on TV').
Good idea to try and make people think you can learn to sing opera in a few hours - also surprising that it obviously didn't work

Whoa, don't get me started

Edit: Do we, especially as music teachers, want our kids (and more and more adults as well!) to believe that this is what music is about? That this is the right way into the music business, and that being a musician merely means presence in the media? That everyone who can belt out a few half-decent sung notes can and should be a popstar a couple of months down the line, with all the pressures that come with it (which nobody prepares them for)? Being a singing teacher, I sometimes really feel trapped between being supportive of what my students want to do, and trying to get them to see the bigger picture.

Rachel should've gone last night. It's proven she can't cope with being in the bottom two as she gets too emotional and all that. I happened to read a message from her on Facebook after the first live show saying she doesn't want to be in the bottom two again. She's not going to win the contest. She did deserve to be in the final showdown for both shows (John and Edward aside) and she should've just been put out of her misery because it's only going to happen again next week unless she puts something remarkable out of the bag. I think a bit of tactical voting from Simon was the order of the day.

I have to say... I've changed my mind about Olly's chances as I felt his performance on Saturday was far better than the previous week (probably due to song choice), hence why he wasn't in the bottom three this time. So it can be done...

Lucie, Joe and Jamie are my favourites so far.

Car Expert

Gutted Rikki went and them twins stayed!

I HATE them!

The only bottom ones are the bottom two, the rest are announced in no particluar order so he may have had the most votes, we don't know......and I hate myself for knowing that much about it

The full results for every show, including who came top each time, are usually published soon after the final.

Top each week, Jon and Edward, guarantee it!!

As far as I remember from last year, I found the bottom three in the voting league table for each week was the same bottom three as is announced during the results show, so this year is probably no different (although I haven't seen any of the voting tables for this year).

Car Expert

They are different, and you have to say, you do remember them (remember Chico a few years back?). I was initially very sceptical about them being in the final 12, but I can see the entertainment value now...

Ah, I was only going by Dermot's "this is in no particular order". I've never seen any tables. Doesn't surprise me, although goes to prove Jon and Edward's popularity!

John and Edward were close to going out yesterday, which would've made Miss Frank the best group this year...

Car Expert

That is assuming the 2008 theory is valid for 2009. John and Edward could very easily be winning by a mile...

I'm betting they win!

If they win, I want to see a picture of Simon Cowell's face...

Not sure about that

Car Expert

Well...they could be winning, and I bet people will remember the twins long after some of the other acts have long been forgotten...

Hmmm "it's Chicco time" springs instantly to mind

Indeed...and going further back, the Cheeky Girls...and they never made it past the audition stage!

You saw Robbie Williams then?

I don't know about the contestants some of the "stars" are just as awful.

John and Edward remind me of too many of my daughter's male peers

What, she knows lots of people who wear red suits like the ones they wore on Saturday!...

Can't watch this - I've been sucked into Strictly Come Dancing. I don't care about any of the dancers, but I love the frocks

I had to turn the sound down when these 2 started singing on Saturday..they were so out of tune!!! as for their suits....hmmm.....

It's embarrassing more than anything! And I just can't believe Rikki went out and they stayed. What is wrong with the British public?! Cheryl was right.

I think it's more the case that the British public wanted to be entertained. And though the dancing and singing was suspect, John and Edward did entertain...

I guess the twins are like a car crash... it's horiffic, and you know you shouldn't look, but you can't help yourself.

Sure that's what Simon said: 'I don't like it, but I want to watch it again.'

LOL, I don't watch it I've only seen bits of it when around my sister's!

Have changed my signature to reflect my feelings. Why not at least it gives me a laugh!!!

Gah! No! VOTE JOE! I love 'im!