X Factor 2008 - Week 8, Ruth Lorenzo out. What?

I'm slowly losing the will to live with the X Factor in 2008. The show is perhaps becoming a bit of a joke with the most talented acts being voted off each time. Austin Drage went far too early, then there came the Laura White mystery and now the most powerful act has gone, rock chick, Ruth Lorenzo.

Maybe the voting format has to be changed slightly. X Factor no longer seems fit for purpose. The X Factor now seems to have little to do with singing at all. What is the X Factor? Well... it's the ability to make the public feel sorry for you... great.

Anyhoo, the public has spoken, and Spanish diva Ruth Lorenzo is out. She didn't put a foot wrong during her two songs in Britney Spears week, but it seems that the performances in the competition were irrelevant anyway. If the public had voted without any acts performing, the result would probably have been the same.

An odd decision. Ruth Lorenzo was not the worst act and did not deserve to be voted out. The final looks destined to be between Diana Vickers and Eoghan Quigg, the two youngest acts left in the competition.



Ruth did not seem totally surprised by the result. Mentor Dannii Minogue, is the first to lose all her acts. So on to the Semi-Final...

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X Factor 2008 - Week 6, Which Mentor will win? The Current Odds !

The brightly lit path of the X Factor 2008 has been a bit controversial this year. Good acts that you think may have a chance of winning seem to quickly get shown the exit door. First Austin Drage, who didn't really put a foot wrong and then the following Week, the shock elimination of Second Favourite Laura White.

Who will go next? Who knows, the results at the moment seem completely random. Here is how the current market values each of the four mentor's chances of winning.

Cheryl Cole 4/11
Simon Cowell 5/1
Louis Walsh 5/1
Dannii Minogue 12/1

It's been a tough week for Cheryl Cole's acts. She unbelievably lost the talented Laura White and the unique Diana Vickers is still desperately trying to recover from Laryngitis. Despite all these problems, Cheryl is still quoted at odds-on to win. Cheryl should still do it, but at these odds is looking fragile, and it would be a brave person to take these on.

Dannii Minogue is the only Mentor to have all three acts left in the competition, but is quoted as the rank outsider at 12/1. Her secret weapon appears to be Daniel Evans, who has found some support with the voting public. To be fair, he is a long way off being the best act.

Simon Cowell has Eoghan Quigg and Louis Walsh, improving boyband JLS.

If Cheryl were to lose another act this week, then the X Factor would become very interesting indeed.

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X Factor 2008 - Week 6, The Next Elimination?

Week 6 of the X Factor 2008 is themed Best of British. With only 7 acts now left in and the shock elimination of Laura White last week, the remaining contenders are fully aware, that you are only as good as your last performance... and even then a huge chunk of randomness also gets tossed into the mix.

Here are the odds on each Acts chances of elimination from the contest this week,

Daniel Evans 4/5
Rachel Hylton 11/4
Ruth Lorenzo 4/1
J L S 20/1
Eoghan Quigg 20/1
Diana Vickers 20/1
Alexandra Burke 25/1

Daniel Evans is the odds-on favourite for the third week in a row. He seems to be living a charmed existence at the moment. The more the four judges slate his performance, the more home votes Evans attracts. Surely he can't escape again though can he?

Danni Minogue is the only Mentor to have all three acts left in the competition, but this time round they are first, second and third favourites to go out. If the bottom two end up being Ruth Lorenzo and Rachel Hylton, then Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole will have an almost impossible decision to make.

For what it's worth, JLS, Eoghan Quigg, Diana Vickers and Alexandra Burke all look safe. However, I thought this before with Laura White. Still can't believe that she went. The voting Public, you can't really trust them can you?

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X Factor 2008 - Week 6, The Best of British

With the shock eviction of Laura White last week, the X Factor has become a bit of a Monster. Everyone seems to be getting involved. MPs, Pop stars, big online petitions...

Put Laura back in!, they scream.

I can't see this happening really. It does appear a bit weird that Laura White went out when being such a strong second favourite to win, but go out she did. Both Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh had previously described Laura as World Class. Apparently though, World Class isn't good enough.

If Acts could be put back into the contest pending online petition or Political intervention, then the show would quickly become a mockery. Well... a bigger mockery than it is at the moment.

It has been proven time and time again. On Voting shows, you can never trust the public to make the perceived right decision. Hmmm...

... And with the uproar, controversy and mangled twisted wreckage quickly disappearing in the rear view mirror, into Week 6 we go.

The Theme for the sixth installment is Best of British. I'm not 100% sure quite what this means, but you can bet your life, they won't be singing Chaz and Dave.

The most successful X Factor winner of all time will return to the stage, the amazing Leona Lewis. She won't be singing Chaz and Dave either. Shame.

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X Factor 2008 - Week 6, Latest Odds to Win

After a bizarre week, which saw the loss of Second Favourite, Laura White, here is how the odds have changed on who is to Win the X Factor 2008.

Diana Vickers 1/1
Alexandra Burke 5/2
J L S 5/1
Eoghan Quigg 5/1
Ruth Lorenzo 25/1
Rachel Hylton 33/1
Daniel Evans 50/1

Just seven acts left in now. Despite not even performing this week, Diana Vickers shortens to become the Even Money favourite to win. She missed the latest show due to Laryngitis. It may be a good idea for Daniel Evans to echo the move this week as surely he must go this time.

Louis Walsh's JLS are coming into play nicely. I'm really started to like these boys. It would be great to see them win against the odds to become the first ever group to win.

Eoghan Quigg holds steady at 5/1 while Ruth Lorenzo and Rachel Hylton are still at massive odds of 25/1 and 33/1. These odds are way too big in my opinion. We have seen that when either one lands in the bottom two sing off, they can deliver a performance that is simply, out of this world.

In a sing off, Lorenzo and Hylton are highly capable of knocking anyone out of the contest. If they were to ever meet each other in this way, the Judges decision would be virtually impossible.

Danni Minogue remains the only Mentor to have all three acts left in the competition. She must be doing something right. What it is though, is a bit of a mystery.

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X Factor 2008 - Heroes Number 1 for Second Week !

For 2 Weeks running the X Factor finalists have topped the Charts!

Even if they don't win, any act will be able to walk proudly away knowing they have had a number 1 hit. This is a massive achievement.

Well done to the finalists!

Will they manage a third week at the top? It will be tricky. Beyonce charted at Number 2 this week and her single only comes out to buy in shops from today. Britney's come back song is at number 4 and Christine Aguilera is also in the mix.

All proceeds from the Charity single go to Help for Heroes and the British Legion Poppy appeal.

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X Factor 2008 - Week 5, Mariah Carey sings Hero

For week 5 of the X Factor 2008, Mariah Carey was in town. She was on hand during the week to meet the remaining finalists and give them performance tips and support.

Hero was written by Mariah and she performed ths song Live on the show.

The version of Heros sung solely by the X Factor finalists currently sits on the number one spot. The record sold over 313 thousand copies in its first week which astonishingly outsold the rest of the Top 10 put together. Hero also became the fastest-selling single of the year.

All proceeds from the record goes to the charity, Help The Heroes, a charity that supports wounded servicemen and women and the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Mariah Carey Night was an unpredictable one, in terms of the final result. It saw the demise of Second Favourite Laura White. As Victor Meldrew would put it, "I don't believe it!".

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X Factor 2008 - Major Shock! Laura White is Out !!!

Laura White is out of X Factor 2008. How on Earth did this happen? This is a major shock and probably one of the biggest upsets in the competition I have ever seen.

Second favourite and 3-1 to Win, Laura looked destined for the final, but sees her self go out as early as Week 5. On Mariah Carey song night she sang, "Endless Love", played the piano and surely deserved to go through to week 6.

All comments from the Judges were positive apart from those of Simon Cowell and yet after the viewers votes were finally counted, she found herself in the bottom two.

It perhaps goes to show, the X Factor isn't just about having an amazing singing voice. It's also about image, style, likability and overall popularity with the public. Despite being exceptionally talented, Laura has failed to connect with those watching at home which is a bit of a shame.

Rank outsider, Daniel Evans escaped yet again, and Laura was in the dreaded bottom two sing off with the awesome and massively underrated, Ruth Lorenzo.

As before, Ruth Lorenzo gave an awesome performance in the sing off. She sang Knocking On Heavens Door which was absolutely amazing. Laura sang, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.



To be honest, neither girl should have been voted out. This shock result shows, that in the X Factor, no one is safe.

Laura was faultless this week, but still goes out. Maybe Cheryl Cole's acts are not such a dead cert to win after all, with Laura White eliminated and Diana Vickers suffering from Laryngitis, the competition has been thrown wide open.

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X Factor 2008 - Who will win? Week 3 odds

So, who will win 2008's X Factor competition. Here is how the market currently values each acts chances of success.

Diana Vickers 2/1
Laura White 3/1
Alexandra Burke 5/1
Austin Drage 6/1
Eoghan Quigg 7/1
J L S 9/1
Rachel Hylton 16/1
Scott Bruton 25/1
Ruth Lorenzo 33/1
Daniel Evans 66/1

Diana Vickers has become the favourite to win which makes mentor, Cheryl Cole's acts, now first, second and third favourite to win. This has never happened before in the competition and if Cheryl does not win, it will be a major shock.

Louis Walsh's sole remaining Group act, JLS, are looking vulnerable at 9-1 and Ruth Lorenzo is way overpriced at 33-1. Granted, she did finish in the bottom two last week, but her survival performance of Purple Rain was out of this world.

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X-Factor 2008 - Mentor Cheryl Cole, a dead cert to win

As we approach the start of week 2's Live Shows, never has there been a stronger mentor favourite to win than Cheryl Cole. Unusually in the competition, she is presented with 3 quality acts all more than capable of winning. Cole has really hit the jackpot with this group and she is already quoted at odds of 4/7 on to win. That is absolutely astounding! This is Cheryl's first series as a mentor and she must be loving it. She is really going to have to go out of her way if she wants to lose this.

Her Acts are Laura White, Alexandra Burke and Diana Vickers who are ranked 1st, 2nd and 4th in the market respectively. Not only has Cheryl got the best acts by far, but she has also the luxury of 3 gifted singers with their own unique styles. I suppose there's still a small chance Cheryl will not win, but by the same token, there's also a small chance that I win the National Lottery 3 weeks running.

Fourth favourite, Diana Vickers. More than capable of winning and probably would have done if she was in the contest last year,

Second Favourite, Alexandra Burke. Singing a rather obvious song here in week 1, but showing she has the style and appeal of the incredible Leona Lewis who won 2 years ago.



And my personal favourite and also the listed Favourite, Laura White. Just incredible for week 1.



Never has one Mentor's acts been as strong as this and is pretty much unlikely that they will again. This is like a Football Tournament between Brazil, Chad, Kenya and Partick Thistle. Who will win?

The voting public do not usually favour strong favourites and the past has seen them vote against the trend, but surely they can not vote against all three. Laura White, Alexandra Burke or Diana Vickers should be the eventual winner.

Tonight, mentor Louis Walsh will surely be fearing losing 2 acts in as many weeks.

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