Jasmine Sahu is well suited with this new American drama exclusive to Dave.
Lois Cameron explains why this series is much more than your average cosy period drama.
The last episode of this series sees Sherlock and Moriarty attempt to solve the final problem with devastating consequences.
With major cast changes afoot, Jacob Martin ponders whether Being Human can live up to its own scarily high standard.
Jerusalem bells are no longer ring-a-dinging. Cher stumbled at the last hurdle for a place in the X Factor final three. It was inevitable; when the other acts are hearing comments like “you are incredible, you deserve to win!” and you’re stuck with “you’re in the final, who would’ve thought it?!” from Louis Walsh, it’s not an encouraging sign.
And who’s going to vote for you when you’re singing ‘I Gotta Feeling’, a track I’m sure most people have yelled half-drunk in a club? She may have had the best chemistry with her duet partner, the effortlessly cool will.i.am, but her over-indulgent rapping and the throat-singing-heavy ‘The Clapping Song’ mashed up with ‘Get Ur Freak On’ killed her chances; we all know Cher will have done best vote-wise when she actually sang (I’m willing to bet the tomorrow’s statistics will prove it). But maybe she was so sure of her elimination that she chose to just have fun, public opinion be damned.
We are left with 3 finalists and 24 hours. With none having ever been in the bottom two, it really is anybody’s game. So let’s examine their X Factor journeys and see who has what it takes:
This week: ‘Here With Me’ was an excellent choice paired with acoustic guitar; he showcased the beautiful rawness we’ve learned to love. The Rihanna duet was a little awkward though – kind of reminiscent of two eleven-year-olds dancing at a school disco.
Best live performance: A toss-up between ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ and ‘Nights in White Satin’ – but he positively shone with the latter
Worst live performance: The angry growling Brian Friedman nightmare that was ‘Come Together’ – in a vest!
Why he should win: He’s the only musician, has fantastic vocal range and is capable of bringing his emotional vulnerability to the stage
Why he might not: The ‘Mad Matt’ persona in the papers may cost him some popularity – and a couple of ‘off’ weeks damaged his reputation for consistency
This week: ‘Like a Star’ was a sleepy choice – her voice is just too rich for a fluffy Corinne Bailey Rae song. And ‘Beautiful’ was lovely until Christina Aguilera’s frightening melisma scared the poor thing into starstruck abyss. The pairing was odd in the first place – ‘Xtina’ is far too brassy for demure Rebecca. If anything, she needed someone more encouraging and willing to share the limelight rather than hog it.
Best live performance: The sexy and sublime ‘Why Don’t You Do Right?’ – but last week’s ‘Show Me Love’ was a breakthrough too
Worst live performance: ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ was her at her most uncomfortable
Why she should win: She’s classy, carries herself with dignity and has a unique and beautiful recording voice
Why she might not: Her musical style is not what usually mobilises the voting masses – it may even be somewhat polarising
This week: Their ‘Your Song’ was adequate, but they struggled collectively on a couple of the harder notes, sounding flat at times, while their Robbie Williams duet relegated them to backing singer status.
Best live performance: The infectious ‘Kids in America’ or the bouncy ‘All You Need is Love’
Worst live performance: Their first, ‘Viva La Vida’, was full of dodgy vocals they hadn’t quite ironed out yet
Why they should win: They’ve shown the most growth, evidently worked hard and managed to remain oddly likeable
Why they might not: They’re a classic example of an act that won’t gain votes from those eliminated, while their competitors will have accumulated support over the weeks (see: Eoghan Quigg, Lloyd Daniels)
So who’ll win? I have no clue. But join me tomorrow night at 19:30 for my liveblog of the X Factor final – and we can endure all the madness and drama together!
You must log in to submit a comment.
