The X Factor UK Live Show 3 Results for 10/26/2014 (Recap + Video)
Welcome to the live blog and recap for The X Factor UK 2014 Live Show 3 on Sunday, October 26, 2014! The Top 12 sang songs from the Movies, but it ultimately wound up being a fairly disappointing night, save for two or three acts. But somebody has to go home, so who will it be?
Tonight, the Bottom 2 will be revealed: that's right, no Bottom 3 tonight! The bottom two acts will compete in the sing-off. One act will stay, and one act will advance to next week's Top 11 show! Who will be at risk for elimination? The results are live! Plus, Ed Sheeran and OneRepublic perform on The X Factor stage!
It's time to face the music!
Credit: ITV
RECAP
-So we open with the usual look back at last night, and I haven't made any Bottom 2 predictions just yet. However, if I had to guess, I'd think Stevi and either Jake or Only the Young will be at risk. Maybe even Jack Walton, since these results have been all over the place this season. You know what? I'll just make a concrete prediction, no wishy-washiness: I think Stevi and Jake will be the Bottom 2.
TOP 12 PERFORM
-The Top 12 hit the stage to perform "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne, and this leads to some pretty big surprises: okay, maybe it's not that surprising that Andrea can sing an upbeat song, but MAN, does he ever sound good. It makes me hope even more sincerely that Mel B quits giving him diva ballads and lets him expand his repertoire. Meanwhile, Stevi actually has his best vocal here. It's just one line in the song, but it actually shows he's better than the material Simon has been giving him. I really enjoyed this.
-We then get a recap of last night's show with backstage comments. Jake feels the judges were a bit harsh, while Cheryl thinks Jake will be in trouble. We're reminded of the disagreement between Simon and Louis over Only the Young. Meanwhile, Jay is considered a bit of a dark horse by Mel B. We're also reminded that everyone loves Andrea. Lauren understands Mel B's comments and doesn't begrudge the judge her opinion. Fleur couldn't be happier with how her performance went, while Lola breaks down and cries backstage when talking about how hard it's been to believe in herself. Stereo Kicks is thrilled about their great reviews, while Stevi is kind of resigned to his bad reviews. We also get brief moments with Jack and Paul, and it's strange -- even though it's only a brief clip, Paul's performance gets better on rewatch while Jack's actually gets worse, in my opinion. We end with Ben Haenow, who doesn't know what to make of Simon's comments. Nor do I, honestly. If you're Ben's mentor, you can't blame him for talking you into a song that wasn't right. You should have noticed it wasn't working during rehearsal. Unless you weren't there for rehearsal, in which case, you don't really have ground to stand on.
ONEREPUBLIC PERFORMS LIVE
-OneRepublic performs their new single, "I Lived", and while I generally like their music, I feel like I need a break from this group. I can hardly turn the radio dial without coming across "Counting Stars" or "Love Runs Out" or even "Apologize". Super talented group of guys, but I'm mostly good on them for now.
-That said, this is a good song, even though it sounds like a cross between the type of uplifting song that Coldplay or U2 might do. Ryan Tedder has a great voice, even if it gets a bit thin here. Still better than 75%-80% of last night's performances.
-After the performance, Dermot asks Ryan about Ella Henderson, with whom he wrote her hit single, "Ghost". He said he was contacted through Simon's camp about working with her. He adds that all he needed to see to convince him to work with her was a sixty second YouTube clip. He didn't even know she was on The X Factor! He just knew he wanted to work with her. Well, Ryan is a pretty great song writer, and "Ghost" is a favorite of mine at the moment, so I'm glad they got hooked up in the studio. I loved Ella and hope she's able to cross over and be a big deal everywhere. That girl is INSANELY talented.
-Back from break, Dermot asks which contestants the judges think are in trouble. Simon says that a lot of contestants are, and notes that some sounded worse on TV than they did in the studio. He declares, unfortunately, that one of those contestants was Lola. He also notes that Jake sounded even worse on TV, calling his performance "awful". Cheryl agrees that Jake is in trouble, while Mel B states, "Stevi has GOT to go!" Louis rounds out the predictions by making it three votes against Jake.
ED SHEERAN PERFORMS LIVE
-Ed performs his new single, "Thinking Out Loud", and it's an absolutely wonderful track. I mean, I knew this already since I have the album, but this is an excellent performance to reiterate the point. I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how great Ed looks after having lost all that weight. Not that he was ever fat, but he just seems a lot healthier now.
-The staging of the performance is interesting. Ed, whose dressed in the same outfit he wears in the music video, is backed by what appear to be audience members who are holding up lights. It makes for a striking visual to go along with the performance.
-Dermot asks Ed about the lights, and he says it's just something different he wanted to try, since this is the first time he's performed the song properly on UK TV. Ed is then asked who his favorite contestant is, and Ed is firmly on Team Andrea. Is there really ANY way Andrea doesn't win this thing? And is there even the slightest possibility that he isn't pulling an Alex and Sierra and topping the vote every single week?
RESULTS
So, unlike the last two weeks, Dermot will only reveal the Bottom 2, since only one act will be leaving us tonight. We're looking for 10 names...
The first act through to next week is...FLEUR EAST!
The second act through to next week is...STEREO KICKS!
The third act through to next week is...LAUREN PLATT!
The fourth act through to next week is...BEN HAENOW!
The fifth act through to next week is...ANDREA FAUSTINI!
The sixth act through to next week is...LOLA SAUNDERS!
The seventh act through to next week is...JAY JAMES!
The eighth act through to next week is...PAUL AKISTER!
The ninth act through to next week is...STEVI RITCHIE! (WOW! Slight boos too)
The tenth and final act through to next week is...JACK WALTON!
The Bottom 2 are...ONLY THE YOUNG and JAKE QUICKENDEN!
I really do think Stevi deserved to land in the Bottom 2, but he at least entertains me, so I don't particularly mind that he's safe for at least one more week. But Only the Young and Jake delivered far more disappointing performances, considering how much potential is there in both these acts. Jake, in particular, has just fallen off a cliff this week. Regardless of how the sing-off goes, I think it almost has to be Jake who's given his walking papers. I just don't see him getting any better, whereas Only the Young at least has room for improvement.
BOTTOM 2 SING-OFF
Jake is all smiles as he enters, as if he's kind of resigned to his fate and ready to just have this over with. It certainly seems that way with his performance. He sings "Red" by Daniel Merriweather, which is not only one of my favorite songs but also a pretty great fit for his voice, and underwhelms completely. I expected so much more out of this, although I'm not sure why, at this point. It gets considerably better towards the end, but I just didn't care for this at all.
Only the Young, in contrast, seem really nervous about being here, despite their "toughing it out" smiles. And I don't blame them. It's really kind of shocking how they've fallen off in recent weeks, since they seemed like a surefire act to go deep into the competition. For all I know, they still might, but being in trouble this early isn't a great sign. They sing "Winner Takes It All" by ABBA, and it's vastly better than Jake, even though the lead male singer falls out of pitch in places. It's far from the best the group has ever delivered though, but if there's any justice, it should be more than enough to get them through to next week.
FINAL RESULT
Mel B offers no explanation...
Mel B votes to send home ONLY THE YOUNG.
Louis apologizes for being so mean to Jake, and tells him he did a beautiful job in the sing-off, but...
Louis Walsh votes to send home JAKE QUICKENDEN.
Simon blasts both acts for having such an awful sing-off, wondering aloud what the deal is with the sing-offs so far this season. He's voting to save the act he thinks has more potential, but he says they'll need to do a lot better, going forward...
Simon Cowell votes to send home JAKE QUICKENDEN.
Cheryl praises Jake for what she feels was a very passionate performance, while stating she doesn't feel Only the Young has found their comfort zone yet. However, she's made a decision and...
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini votes to send home JAKE QUICKENDEN.
And with that...
JAKE QUICKENDEN has been eliminated from The X FACTOR UK 2014!
Jake is gutted to be leaving the house and all his friends, but he's committed to continuing to move forward in his career. Mel B is just as gutted, shedding tears at the judges' table and saying that she wishes everyone could have seen just how hard Jake worked every single week. She reiterates that he was a pleasure to work with, and I'm sure he probably was. Dude always seemed like a guy with a decent work ethic. I wish he had the skill to back up all the potential he showed in the auditions.
Dermot announces that next week is a Halloween theme, with a results show featuring a performance by Cheryl! Should be a lot of fun. And we'll be covering all of it! But what did you think of tonight's result? Did the right acts land in the Bottom 2? Did the right act go home? Sound off in the comments!
Until next week, thanks for reading!