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Grieving Louis Tomlinson to honour mum with X Factor performance

Singer's mother died on Wednesday

One Direction star Louis Tomlinson will pay tribute to his mother during The X Factor this weekend as the final three contestants fight it out to be named 2016 champion.

Johannah Deakin died aged 43 on Wednesday after a battle with leukaemia.

Louis, 24, will go ahead with his scheduled performance as per the wishes of his mother, his management confirmed on Friday.

He will return to the show where One Direction found their fame in 2010, when they finished third behind Rebecca Ferguson and eventual winner Matt Cardle.

Following the departure of Simon Cowell’s final candidate, Emily Middlemas, in last week’s show, the remaining three acts will take to the stage twice on Saturday night.

Boy band 5 After Midnight, who are bidding to become the first boy band to take the show’s crown, will perform Beyonce’s Crazy in Love – while Nicole Scherzinger’s act Matt Terry will be singing Take Me Home by Jess Glynne.

Finnish singer Saara Aalto will take on Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears For Fears as she bids to become the first foreign act to win in the show’s history.

The acts will also perform a duet with an accomplished musician.

Also performing will be The Weeknd, Madness, Kylie Minogue and the only group to have ever won the X Factor, Little Mix.

Saara has seen her odds cut in recent weeks, overtaking Matt as favourite to win the competition.

She is now favourite at 8/15 to win the competition, according to bookies William Hill.

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: “The money is pouring in for Saara (8/15) and the 5/2 for Matt is also proving tempting for many.

“We are set to see the biggest weekend of X Factor betting for years – this is going down to the wire.”

The X Factor airs at 8pm on ITV tonight.


Kaggie Hyland
Editor-in-Chief