Travesty!

Bloody X-factor! As the nights have been drawing in, I've become engrossed in the series and even went so far as to submit a vote last night. Anyway, the result last night was a disgrace and it's all the fault of the bitter Anglophobic Scots from north of the border.

With only six acts left in the competition (two from each category), it's stepping up a gear and I thought I had the order all worked out. Before the show, I reckoned that the act to be leaving would be the bland Scottish brothers, and the final sing-off would be between them and Ray. I don't at all wish to get personal about any of these people, after all it's not as if I'm anywhere near as talented as any of them. But the McDonald brothers, pleasant lads though they may be, should have been knocked out weeks ago. They have zero stage presence, and just sing in a very bland way, much like Journey South last year, who I also thought were really dull. Their competition in the bottom two should have been Ray, who can perform very well in a kind of musical theatre/cabaret way, but isn't good enough without his live charisma to sell millions of records.

However after seeing the show, I wondered whether Eton Road's performance might have cost them their place in the competition, as it was most bizarre. They're not a traditional boy band anyway, but Louis Walsh made a huge mistake making them cover the Scissor Sisters. There was high-pitched screeching all over the place and it just didn't work at all, so I feared that they could make an earlier exit than they should have.

Anyway, the public voted and the McDonald brothers remarkably made it straight through to next week! What is obviously happening is that because Simon Cowell keeps slagging them off, everyone in Scotland is getting indignantly patriotic and voting them through for all the wrong reasons. Like Louis did in voting for the Conway Sisters over Maria last year. And the more Simon goes on about this fact, the more they will vote against him. Doesn't he remember what happened last year when Sharon had a rant at eventual winner Steve? Although we all know she had a point, it gave him the sympathy vote and people who previously wouldn't have bothered stuck up for him and voted. So Simon, let it lie! Just let them do their boring thing and eventually people will get bored and boot them off! At least Simon voted to keep in Eton Road on the basis that they have a better chance of progressing further in the competition than Robert, who was the eventual evictee.

My predictions for the remainder of the series are thus:
McDonald Brothers get evicted next week, if there's any justice, that is. Ray loses the following week and goes straight into the West End. Eton Road come a respectable third, then Ben loses to Leona in an exciting final. Let's hope that everyone else agrees and votes accordingly. And me? I voted for Leona, it's about time a girl won the series and she's by far the best of the contestants!