The X Factor: the final 12 revealed

The X Factor got down to business last night with the 12 finalists selected and first up I must say to Dannii Minogue - have you gone completely mad?

Last night the Dannii, feet tucked up on her sun lounge on the terrace of her Ibiza hacienda, coolly dumped soulful singer Dominic from her group - the 15 year old many behind the scenes tipped could win the whole competition.

The Dannii instead went for Andy, who can sure belt out a tune and emote from those big soft eyes.

When I went to Birmingham for a behind the scenes auditions audio report - can you believe there are still some people that have not heard it? - Dominic was the name on everyone's lips, due to his sensational audition the night before. Louis called him a "natural talent". But last night the Dannii decided that vocally he was not up to it. This totally surprised me because I have come to regard the Dannii as the calmest and wisest of the judges and unlikely to be swayed by mawkish sentimentality. Will she come to regret her choice?

I have no problem with her selection of Rhydian, the 24 year old opera-singing vocal studies student, personal trainer and former bench pressing record holder (this is all from his official ITV biog) who is set to polarise the voting audience - even before they learn he is from Wales.

But why chose Leon? Okay he obviously has talent, but is one of those annoying singers who gets lots in his music, closes his eyes, ignores the audience and waves his arms about. Overly mannered and that won't get him The X Factor.

Sharon Osbourne, mentoring the girls, also shocked with her omission of Kim, not necessarily the most likeable but possibly the most marketable. Mind you, Kim's hard stare over Sharon's shoulder as Mrs O demanded a consolation hug was the best moment of the whole episode.

That said, the girls are very strong this year, Alisha a real talent, Kimberley an entertaining personality, but Emily?

It seems to be a universally acknowledged that groups do not win The X Factor - remember G4 losing to the vastly inferior Steve? - and really who is going to take a five piece boy group cobbled together out of failed soloists (Futureproof) and a five piece girl group (Hope) to their hearts?

But Simon was onto something when he selected brother and sister Sean and Sarah Smith, who form the group Same Difference, or, as I like to think of them, the Creepy Carpenters.

Not much to say about the over 25s, who will at best occupy a marginal place in this competition.

So there we have it, series 4 of The X Factor gets down to the live shows. It is just as brilliant in its execution as always and morally bereft in its manipulation of contestants. Still, they asked for it by fronting for the auditions so none of you need feel the slightest bit guilty.

And for those who missed it on the weekend can check out the programmes excellent YouTube channel or ITV.com.

And one final postscript: as for what happened to Sise of Hope, booted off the show for an outstanding criminal conviction, the unofficial X Factor blog believes that it knows the answer.

source: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2007/10/the_x_factor_the_final_12_reve.html