The X Factor: a dull fifth live show

Saturday's edition of The X Factor was apparently so bad that Simon Cowell stormed off stage after the credits rolled, branding the programme an "absolute disaster". Way over the top as usual, Simon, but you tell an essential truth.

Of course I still enjoyed every second. But such was the great man's level of opprobrium that he even failed to turn up for Fearne Cotton's ITV2 spinoff, eventually telling her that he "felt let down":

"I wasn't in a great mood and I'll tell you why. The contestants are better than what I saw tonight. And my frustration was that nobody, including my own acts, performed their best this week. Disco week has been an absolute disaster. Everyone let me down, I've seen better performances."

Mate, we feel your pain. Disco week was certainly a bit of a misfire, but despite this, reasonably entertaining viewing. None of the acts turned in their best performance. Next week's Motown week is to be scrapped and replaced by love songs.

But what worried me was the judges' tendency to assess acts on the elaborate staging - something beyond each act's control. The blame game rages over the debacle of Alisha's performance and the constipated rollerskaters. Is Simon, Sharon or artistic director Brian Friedman to blame for "rollerskategate"?

Beyond that there's the judges' habit of criticising the dancing, the costumes or the staging. Isn't this a singing contest?

I'm also wondering how deeply the mentors are involved. Simon was so disappointed with Same Difference's original song performance - Feels Like I'm In Love - that he scrapped it and replaced it with Blame it on the Boogie.

He then accused Sharon of failing to act over the rollerskaters and now long term questions are being asked about whether she will return next year. A shame if she doesn't.

Here's a quick take on each act:

Leon: Terrible. I could not believe the judges all praised his version of Relight My Fire. Hard to see the judges backing him against any other act, apart from maybe Hope.

Niki: I had major reservations about the choice of Hot Stuff, but Niki was one of the best performances of the night. She was credibly sexy, from the front angle at least. And maximum respect for trying something outside her comfort zone. In no way deserving of Simon's "mum at a wedding" slating of her performance.

Rhydian: Go West - what a boring song. You could tell that his heart was not in it. I thought that the acts were meant to be choosing their songs this year. But such is Rhydian's status with the judges and now the public that you can hand him a dud and he pulls through. But wouldn't it have been fun to see him perform Disco Inferno?

Hope: They sang well but clearly they are not connecting with the public. Hard to see the judges backing them against any other remaining act.

Beverley: Back on form after a brave choice with I'm Every Woman. Okay, a natural song choice for her - but a high risk one, because failure would have been a disaster.

Alisha: A predictable demise. Unfairly a victim of poor staging but sooner or later she was going to be sent home.

Same Difference: Xtra Factor guest Jermaine Jackson said of their performance of Blame It On The Boogie: "That kind of moved me. It reminded me of my little brothers. They are a Disney act, which is needed." But needed where? Butlins? Or in the touring production of High School Musical? Or in The X Factor final? Tell me now. I need to know.

source: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2007/11/the_x_factor_a_dull_fifth_live.html