The X Factor (Part 2)

The boys: Danni selected Aiden Grimshaw, Matt Cardle and Nicolo Festa as her final three


Dannii's boys had been first to hear her verdict, with Aiden Grimshaw, 18, from Manchester, going through.

Dannii had warned him: 'The things that make me nervous are just watching the performance, it's like you're on hot coals.' But she put him through to the final 12, leaving him to gush: 'I'm so excited I'm speechless... which is unusual!'

Joining him was painter and decorator Matt Cardle, who at 27 felt the X Factor was his final chance to make it. 'It's home time or it's game on,' he said.


Dannii's boys: She chose painter and decorator Matt Cardle and Italian 'diva' Nicolo Festa


Finalist: Aiden Grimshaw, 18, from Blackpool, is in the final 12


Dannii was concerned that he avoided eye contact with her. 'We just kept saying "I want him to look at us!"' she said. But she gave him the benefit of a second chance. 'I cannot believe it,' he gasped, giving her a hug.

Next to get the good news was Italian student Nicolo Festa, 22. Dannii told him bluntly: 'The pros are that you're a diva, and you know it, and you work it. The cons are that you're a diva... and you know it and you work it!'
But Dannii also had to break the bad news to five hopefuls.


Dismissed: Early favourite Marlon McKenzie and Karl Brown were both unlucky


One initial favourite not to make it through was father-of-two Marlon McKenzie.
'I really want to provide the best for my children,' he told the camera. 'I want to be a singer because I enjoy singing. This is like 21 years of a dream.'

But Dannii told him: 'It's really obvious for me to say that you've got the pop package. What I worry about is that you're not vocally as strong as some of the other guys in this group.'

He took his dismissal with grace, giving Dannii a hug.

Also unlucky was Paije Richardson, a cinema worker who said: 'A no would take me back home to my boring life and having to tell everyone no, and having that fear of never making. It's just so hard to face.'


Breaking the news: At an idyllic villa in Australia, Dannii told Paije Richardson he was out of the competition


Devastated: 'I'm used to disappointment,' said Paije, while John Wilding was 'rejected'


But face it he had to, telling Dannii: 'I'm used to disappointment. I have nothing else to pin my hopes on so at the moment it just is the end of the world for me.'

She had told him: 'There's a sound to your voice that can't be taught. What kind of wasn't there for me was just putting that personality into the performance. You didn't make it through, I'm so sorry.'

It was bad news too for John Wilding, who said: 'To come all this way and then be rejected? It's hard.'

But there was concerns he didn't have enough life in his performance. 'Are you a bit too rehearsed and too practiced?' asked Dannii 'I think you need to allow that spontaneity to come in.'

Also disappointed was 17-year-old Welsh singer Tom Richards, who had divided opinion at his initial audition.


Not to be: Tom Richards, 17, had his hopes crushed as he was told the bad news


Seeing the luxury villa in Melbourne, he had reflected: 'If I do well and do well enough, I could even be here one day, this could be the lifestyle I could live.'

But it wasn't to be, and he sobbed as Dannii told him: ' What confused me is whether you can pull it together and say this is who I am as a solo artist.'

There was bad news for Karl Brown, 19, from Northern Ireland. 'It's controlling the nerves, I think you let them get the better of you yesterday,' explained Dannii. 'I don't think you're ready for this yet.'

He said simply: 'I'm gutted.'




source :dailymail