Scherzinger’s dilemma as Six Chair Challenge looms on X Factor

Also stealing a seat was former contestant Janet Grogan despite her emotional version of One Last Time not massively impressing Simon.

In the first of two special Six Chair Challenge episodes the stakes are high as, for the first time in the competition, the acts perform live in front of an audience.

The first act to take the stage for this year’s six chair challenge was Soheila Clifford who grabbed the first seat on offer.

“This was good but I don’t think it was fantastic”, scowled Cowell as the crowd booed strongly. As if it wasn’t agonizing enough, Matt Terry then had to sing again in a bid to convince Nicole that he should stay.

“When I’ve been put in a corner and somebody asked me, “If you were Simon and the ratings went down, what would you do?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’d rest it”.

“And that’s why you have to get a seat”.

Christian is my favorite singer in the competition, and my initial pick to win.

As Scherzinger reveals her final decision to the sound of a rowdy arena audience, she tells Cowell: “All my boys are so strong, what am I supposed to do?”

Scouse X Factor hopefuls Tom and Laura made it through to Judges Houses stage of the competition.

But Miller wasn’t safe and was kicked off in favour of 17-year-old Middlemas who received a standing ovation for her “amazing” acoustic cover of Cindy Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Performing her rendition of Jessie J’s Mama Knows Best in the hope of Sharon offering her a place in the live shows, Irina even ripped off her dress for the judges.

The duo, who hit the headlines when Simon Cowell tried to split them up during their audition, wowed the judges with their rendition of Candi Staton’s Young Hearts for the famously cut-throat ‘Six Chair Challenge’. I’m looking at you as one woman to another. After pouring her emotions out singing Why by Annie Lennox, Louis Walsh said: “You really did sing your heart out”.

He said: “Right now, you have made my life very hard because I have to give you a chair, that was outstanding”.

It was close, but the 28-year-old from Dublin is through.