Well, The X Factor live shows returned in fine form this week with the epically cheesy 80’s week: aka the episode that aims to make everyone cringe.
The acts came out in force, in a blaze of neon and dodgy fake tan- Yes, Sam Callaghan, I noticed that you were actually ORANGE this week- and they made sure to ‘give it their all’.
There were many highlights for me, and I have a few early favourites:
Firstly, Nicholas. This came as a surprise, as generally, I actively dislike child acts, however, this year I can’t help but root for the young Scot. Despite being a bit baffled by how to say Spandau Ballet, he managed to belt out their classic ‘True’ and seemed unfazed by the particularly rowdy X Factor audience. I think he will definitely get the mums voting for him.
I also absolutely love Kingsland Road and Rough Copy.
Kingsland Road’s rendition of ‘I’m your man’ surpassed Shane Ritchie’s version (a classic that he released for Comic Relief years back, if you don’t know it then you’re definitely missing out!) I think they have potential to do really well in the competition, provided they keep their amazing bouffant hair.
With regards to Rough Copy, I can’t believe how slick they sounded. Despite press gossip and prominent visa issues, they seem to have a pretty good chance in the competition because they are SO cool and in sync. Although having said that, their retro white outfits they wore on the Sunday show were pretty horrendous, particularly as I didn’t realise the 80’s theme was running for both days…
Another highlight was Abi Alton. Not for her voice, though. But because I’ve been wondering for weeks where I recognised her from, and it’s because of her uncanny resemblance to The Voice Uk’s 2013 winner Andrea Bagley! Judge for yourself (Abi is top; Andrea is bottom… supposedly)
The judges were on top form this week, with the return of Mrs O injecting some much needed energy in to the panel, with her and her little LouLou bouncing off each other, and #TheScherzy spieling off her usual Americanisms and looking amazingly hot in a slinky silver dress.
But we did have to face some troubling news: GARY BARLOW IS LEAVING THE X FACTOR. I think I speak for most people when I say that we’re going to miss his sharp suits and ‘Mr Nasty’ style position on the panel: does this open the position for the ORIGINAL Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell, to make a dramatic come back to the show next year?!
Lastly, wesaid goodbye to Lorna after a slightly luke-warm bottom two battle between herself and Shelley, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Shelley followed her home next week.
What’s hot and what’s not this week in TV:
HOT
The return of Made In Chelsea this week:
Jamie and co. are finally back! The cast released a humorous and self-deprecating video last week, wetting the appetite of those impatiently waiting for their favourite Chelsea boys and girls to return, singing and mocking their day-to-day lives. For those who haven’t seen it, here’s a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2ps76YLVe4
NOT
The rape scene in last week’s Downton Abbey:
I’m not an avid Downton fan, but I watched last week’s episode after hearing about the amount of complaints received after the rape scene featuring Nigel Harman (ex-Eastender, aka Dennis Rickman junior) and Joanne Froggatt I decided to check it out. Whilst I understand that this was screened way past watershed, I can also see why the scene provoked such controversy. Downton is seen by fans as a Sunday night drama to watch with a cup of tea and a cake to unwind and relax, and so I don’t think such a shocking scene was exactly what the audience had in mind…
Image Sources:
1) http://blog.churchservices.tv/about-2/
2) http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/x-factor-live-1-sam-callaha.jpg
3) http://i2.cdnds.net/13/40/300×225/uktv-x-factor-abi-alton-1.jpg
4) http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/384×216/p01bs674.jpg
5) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Made_in_chelsea_logo.png
Ella Duffy