Of the 75,000 auditions, only five remain and they are just a few weeks away from winning the UK’s biggest talent competition and securing a life-changing record deal. After simultaneously laughing and cringing at some of the truly awful auditions and cutting down on some of the finalists just to make up the numbers, the competition starts to get serious.
If you’re not familiar with the “X Factor”, the premise is simple. Every week all the contestants perform a song live with the television audience voting for who they want to keep in the competition. The two singers with the fewest votes have to perform their song again before the judges decide which one lives to fight another day and which one has to go home and go back to the day job.
This year’s main hotbed of talent has arrived in the ‘Over 25’ category, with three of the four original singers making up the five finalists, proving that the greater British public is not just interested in cute teenage boys struggling to keep a note. It would have been all four if Judge Louis Walsh hadn’t cruelly voted to send home the talented Maria Lawson in favor of the ill-fated Conway Sisters, who also hail from her native Ireland.
Viewer voting is not the only way you can get involved, as there are also plenty of betting opportunities you can take part in. Here’s a look at the final five contestants and predictions on who finally has that “X Factor.”
Shayne Ward
Odds: 10/11
The only remaining contestant from the 16-24 category. Shayne has been the bookmaker’s favorite and has been tipped well by the media to win the competition ever since he was confirmed as one of the 12 finalists. However, it is not always that simple. Tabby, last year’s by-the-numbers rocker, was the favorite until he finally finished third and has since disappeared without a trace.
Shayne is kind of the poor man’s Justin Timberlake. His penchant for hitting the high notes during live performances and shuffling his feet around the stage is wearing off a bit. He peaked at him too early and his performance of Daniel Bedingfield’s “If You’re Not The One” on October 22 has been unmatched since.
It doesn’t matter if he’s as good as some of the other finalists, because he has that all-important “teenage appeal.” It has been suggested in the press that the 21-year-old singer could have a record deal in any case, regardless of whether he wins the competition or not.
andy abraham
Odds: 9/4
The underdog on the show and the contestant with the most romantic X Factor story to date. Andy works as a garbage man to support his family and has only been singing on the local pub and club circuit for the last few years.
Arguably the most talented singer left in the competition, he has wowed audiences with his smooth, soulful voice with flawless renditions of “The Greatest Love of All,” “Unforgettable” and “Me and Mrs Jones.”
If this had been last year, Andy would have won the competition hands down, but two words are likely to keep him from succeeding this time: Steve Brookstein. Last year, with a similar heartwarming story to tell, Brookstein revealed that he had been trying unsuccessfully to open the business for years and that X Factor was realistically his last chance to make it big as a professional singer.
He beat the novelty opera quartet G4 to win the competition and had a hit record, but has since sunk into obscurity. X Factor supremo Simon Cowell is eager to prevent him from repeating himself last time, which is sure to ruin Andy’s chances of success. Which is a shame.
trip south
Odds: 3/1
In what was a very weak “Groups” category, Journey South are the only artists with any real substance. The two brothers from Middlesbrough quit their day jobs five years ago to make the trek south (geddit?) to London in a bid to find wealth, fame and glory.
Brothers Carl and Andy have been the “constant whirlwinds” of the competition thus far, turning in solid renditions of “Desperado,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” and “Angels,” among others, proving week after week that they’re genuinely good. live singers.
The duo have a cross-generational appeal that puts them in a stronger position than Shayne or Andy, for example, and this could be the edge they need to win the competition outright.
Brenda Edwards
Odds: 11/2
The only woman left in the competition after Simon Cowell voted for his own act, The Conway Sisters, on November 26. Brenda has grown in popularity as the weeks have gone on and has proven that there is more to her than performing motown hits with a brilliant rendition. from the tearful classic “I Will Always Love You.”
There is not much to say about Brenda. Yes, she is talented, but does she have that “X Factor” that would elevate her from being a “good singer” to a top selling artist?
Simon Cowell isn’t entirely convinced and while he acknowledges her vocal ability, he doubts she can “sell a million records” and I tend to agree.
Boy Slimani
Odds: 25/1
With every massive talent search comes the inevitable “novelty act.” However, Chico has taken this to a whole new level and his 15 minutes of fame seem to last much longer.
The former goat herder, bodybuilder, hairdresser, and God knows what else has worked his way into the top five and even performed his own instantly forgettable single “It’s Chico Time,” out of tune, naturally, sure to inflict on the buying public in time for Christmas.
The joke stopped being funny a few weeks ago, so why does mentor Sharon Osbourne persist with the argument that he’s a “great entertainer”? Surely his “handsomeness” is only appreciated by 50-something women who squeal like mad from their front seat at a Chippendale’s show making it clear they can provide their own baby oil. Oh.
The odd range to win the competition, Chico’s time on X Factor is drawing to a close, though a lucrative career as a professional reality TV personality awaits him. Good grievance.
Summary
Shayne doesn’t represent good value to win the competition at odds with, especially if a record deal is already a done deal. With every brilliant performance Andy puts in, Steve Brookstein’s name must be echoing in the minds of the judges, while I don’t think Brenda and certainly Chico have what it takes to win. That only leaves Journey South, the talented duo from Middlesbrough, who could very well become Simon Cowell’s second winning act in as many X Factor series and at a good price too.