News

Brothers forced to compete against each other in The X Factor

They originally auditioned as a duo

| Updated:

Two brothers who originally auditioned as a duo will be forced to compete against one another in Sunday night’s The X Factor.

Leon Mallett, 22, from Norwich, entered the competition alongside younger brother Alex, 18, as ITG before they were split up by Simon Cowell during boot camp.

With the pair both progressing to the Six Chair Challenge, their solo ability will be tested as judge Louis Walsh is forced to narrow down his 11 remaining acts.

Leon will take on The Chainsmokers’ Closer while Alex is to perform Plan B’s She Said.

Other hopefuls hoping to convince Walsh include Liverpudlian Anthony Russell, 27, who will perform Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful, and US singer Spencer Sutherland, who will attempt The Pussycat Dolls’ Don’t Cha.

Viewers will also see Nicole Scherzinger narrow down her acts after she got through her first chunk of entries in Saturday night’s episode.

With a full set of seats, she is forced to decide who to boot out and who to keep as she is confronted with four more performances including French singer Kevin Davy White and mother of four Tracy Leanne Jefford.

She lost her cool last night, storming out of the arena, and slamming the door as she went.

The singer gave up on choosing her favourite Overs category contestants during the Six Chair Challenge when the audience disapproved of her decisions.

After quickly filling her six spots, Scherzinger was unexpectedly torn by Loverine Fermino’s stunning rendition of Jennifer Holliday’s And I Am Telling You, and forced Talia Dean to give up her seat.

X Factor 2017
Loverine Fermino was handed a seat on Saturday night’s show (Credit: ITV)

As the audience chanted and booed – and co-judges Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell rose to their feet in protest – Scherzinger stepped down from her platform. As she left the room, she slammed the door against the wall in frustration.

Her move came during an explosive episode as the competition hots up in the ITV contest.

Viewers saw Simon pick the six acts in the Groups category to go through to the judges’ houses following a tense sing-off and a surprise appearance from a brand new band.

The aptly named New Girl Band was formed less than a day before the pre-recorded show was filmed by previously rejected contestants Kelsey, Imagen, Lydia, Sky and Charlie.

X Factor 2017
New Girl Band surprised viewers and judges (Credit: ITV)

Their arrival caused a stir, not only by increasing competition within the category, but by tearing apart dashed hopefuls NQ, who had been given the boot by Cowell just moments before.

Cowell asked for NQ member Ash to join the new group on stage and teach her the first lines of Hey Mama by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.

When Cowell invited her to officially join the group, the New Girl Band members urged Ash to “do it” and “be selfish” before she agreed, expanding the group to a six-piece and earning them one of the final chairs.

X Factor 2017
Viewers said goodbye to JBK after the sing-off (Credit: ITV)

Their success meant a sing-off between male trio from the Philippines, JBK, and girl band Lemonade, who first formed just three weeks before their initial X Factor auditions.

JBK were sent home, while Lemonade joined the full list of acts now going through to the judges’ houses, also including Jack & Joel, Rak-Su, The Cutkelvins and teenage brothers Sean and Conor Price.

Related Topics