The X Factor UK Winner Revealed on 12/14/2014 (Recap + Video)
Welcome to the recap and results for The X Factor UK 2014 Finals on Sunday, December 14, 2014! The winner will be revealed, as it all comes down to two!
Last night, the final three competed for a spot in tonight's show. By the end of the show, Simon Cowell ended up being the reigning judge for Season 11, as Ben Haenow and Fleur East became the final two acts after Andrea Faustini was eliminated in third place.
It was still a stacked night of performances though, as each of the finalists got to perform a solo song and a duet with a special guest. Check out last night's videos below (including the videos for the eliminated Andrea):
Ben Haenow, "Demons"
Andrea Faustini, "Feeling Good"
Fleur East, "Can't Hold Us"
Ben Haenow and Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"
Andrea Faustini and Ella Henderson, "Ghost"
Fleur East and Labrinth, "Beneath Your Beautiful"
But who do our readers think is the likeliest to come out on top?
Of the final two, Rickey.org readers predict that Fleur East will be declared the winner of The X Factor UK 2014. As of press time, Fleur was ahead in the poll at 211 votes, to Ben Haenow's 155. However, it's not too late to vote! So head on over and add your predictions!
Tonight, the final two will sing two more songs: their favorite song of the season ("Man In the Mirror" for Ben, and "Uptown Funk" for Fleur) and the winner's single, "Something I Need" by OneRepublic. In addition, the show will feature special guests including Sam Smith, One Direction & Ronnie Wood, and Olly Murs & Demi Lovato.
It's time to face the music!
RECAP
-First and foremost, I'd like to thank Rickey for filling in last night. I wouldn't be able to do any of this if he didn't have my back. Hell, I kind of owe him for even giving me the platform to do this. The X Factor UK is kind of an obsession with me, so this has been a blast all season long (this year has caught a lot of flack, but this has been my favorite since Series 7, honestly).
As for this Bottom 2, I had been beating the drum for Andrea all season, to the point that I just assumed it'd be a foregone conclusion that he'd win. More than that, I expected he'd end up topping the vote every week. Of course, now we know this isn't the case, since he found himself in the Bottom 2 sing-off twice, and finished here in third place. So yeah, I got that hilariously wrong. But really, this is probably the right final 2. Ben and Fleur have been amazingly consistent all season, and are probably the two best shots this season has at long-term successes in the music industry. Either one would be a deserving winner, but I'm going to back Fleur on this one. She's been a truly one-of-a-kind contestant, the likes of which we've rarely, if ever, had. And if we have had such a contestant, I don't think they've necessarily performed at Fleur's insane level of singing, rapping and dancing. She's a total package, and I genuinely believe she deserves to win this season.
Anyway, it's a big show tonight, so let's get to it!
INTRODUCTIONS
-Dermot is here in a fancy ride, and Mel B is back to health! Here are the numbers we'll need to decide a winner:
-Mel B expresses how sad she was at not being able to be here for Andrea, but says she texted and called him all day. And like that, we get to the music...
THE TOP 16 perform!
-The Top 16 sings "Flashdance (What A Feeling)," and it's a pretty good performance, even if they all are lip-syncing. (Okay, maybe not all of them, but Stevi couldn't keep his lips synced the whole way through. Another big cue: Stephanie Nala sounded way better than she normally sounds live). This was fun, for the most part, mostly because I love seeing past contestants. I didn't know how much I missed Only the Young.
-Louis and Cheryl are high on Ben's first performance, calling him a star and noting it's a great way to kick off the show. Louis feels Fleur is a total package, while Tulisa states that she's a Beyonce level star. Ben called performing with Ed Sheeran one of the best moments of his life, while Fleur is amazed that she got to sing with Labrinth. "This is just crazy!" she declares, and Tulisa and Cheryl are just as hyped by the performance (which I didn't love, but it's the final. They're not really going to be critical).
OLLY MURS AND DEMI LOVATO perform!
-Olly Murs and Demi Lovato are here to perform their new duet, a lovely little ditty called "Up". It's a really sweet song, with a catchy melody. It's got the same shuffling percussion a lot of popular songs have, but it compliments the entire thing pretty well. Demi Lovato really doesn't get enough credit for having a great voice. She went note-for-note with Olly here, and even surpassed him in places. I genuinely liked this, and would totally download it.
WATCH: Olly Murs and Demi Lovato, "Up"
-After the performance, the judges go over their favorite moments from the season, leading into...
BEN HAENOW SINGS HIS "SONG OF THE SERIES"
-In the VT, Ben talks about how "Man In the Mirror" was his best moment of the entire competition, since the a cappella opening exposed his voice in a big way. It allowed him to show just what he was capable of, in more ways than one. Simon notes that this was the first point in the competition where he felt Ben could win, and I agree with him. Before this point, I just liked Ben. But after? I was all aboard the hype train.
-The performance is nearly as good as the original. The opening isn't fully a cappella like the first was, since they add some finger snaps to give it a tempo of sorts. Still, it's not a bad choice at all, and Ben absolutely floors it on the vocal, practically singing himself raw. I loved it. Haenow! You're an all-star! (Get your game on, go play)
-Mel B and Cheryl can hardly contain themselves in praising Ben, but they're hardly audible over the crowd. Similarly, Simon can barely get a word in over the stomping and rumbling of the entire arena. He says he couldn't be happier or more proud of Ben, noting that he deserves to be here. "It has been such a pleasure working with you. Congratulations!"
WATCH: Ben Haenow, "Man In the Mirror" (Finals)
FLEUR EAST SINGS HER "SONG OF THE SERIES"
-Obviously, Fleur is going with "Uptown Funk" for her song of the series, and it's a choice Simon completely agrees with, noting that it wasn't just HER song of the series, it was the best performance of the entire series PERIOD. Of course, any time you redo a once in a lifetime performance like that, it becomes a question of diminishing returns. Will this be as good as the first time? Can Fleur recapture the magic?
-This was a solid performance, although, much like with Ben, I liked the first performance better. It's still pretty great, don't get me wrong. But there was a certain magic to that first time that can't really be replicated again. That said, Fleur comes across as a total star, more than capable of filling an entire arena with her stage presence. And that speaks volumes for her prospects outside this competition, since not a whole lot of contestants can get past coming across like a contestant on a singing competition. But Fleur feels like so much more.
-Louis says Fleur has been amazing the entire series, and notes that tonight was no different. Meanwhile, Mel B says she delivered, "That Fleur performance we all love." Cheryl praises Fleur for her passion, while Simon declares, "OH. MY. GOD. Of all the finalists I've ever had - that was the greatest performance I have EVER witnessed."
After the performance, Fleur thanks everyone for voting for her, calling this the time of her life.
WATCH: Fleur East, "Uptown Funk" (Finals)
ONE DIRECTION performs with RONNIE WOOD!
-One Direction is performing their new single, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (not the Whitney Houston song) alongside Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Interestingly, Niall Horan gets to jam out on his own guitar, showing his own skills on the ax. The song recalls peppier One Direction songs, mixed in with a bit of Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth". Not that this is a bad thing. It's an energetic performance that has the crowd going nuts. Afterwards, Ronnie talks about what a great set of chaps the boys were to work with, while Niall says he's simply honored to have shared a stage with this man. A fun segment.
WATCH: One Direction and Ronnie Wood, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
BEN HAENOW SINGS HIS WINNER'S SINGLE
-In his VT, Ben sits in an empty movie theater, watching his X Factor journey projected on the big screen while he offers his commentary. He says he remembers every single second of his audition and how it felt. We get home videos of him, leading into his performance at judges' houses and the verdict that he would be going through to live shows. He says he feels like the luckiest guy in the world, noting just how much all this means to him.
-Ben is singing "Something I Need" by OneRepublic as his winner's single, and I'll be interested to hear if Fleur changes her version up to make it different from Ben's, since we're going full-on American Idol Season 1 here (i.e., both finalists will be singing the same song as their potential single). It makes sense as a winner's single, although it doesn't really have that soaring, majestic, string-quartet-assisted quality that makes an X Factor winner's single memorable ("When We Collide" is still the gold standard, in my opinion). This performance came across less like Ben was making a case for the win, and more like he was simply enjoying the moment. And that made me like this way more than I would have otherwise, since he does end up getting pretty hoarse towards the end.
-Louis says the obvious, noting that if you want Ben to be the winner, you have to pick up your phones and vote. Mel B praises Ben for finally showing "light and shade," a hokey phrase I really wish she'd stop using. That said, she does have a point when she notes that this actually sounded like a song made for him. Cheryl is similarly high on Ben. Simon says this is everything Ben has dreamed of, and that all his hard work is paying off. After the performance, we get some genuinely touching videos from his loved ones, from his mother saying "That's my Ben up there" to Ben's brother noting that Ben is so amazing up there that he doesn't even think of him as his brother. Ben fights tears, thanking his family for being his support.
WATCH: Ben Haenow, "Something I Need" (Winner's Single)
FLEUR EAST SINGS HER WINNER'S SINGLE!
-In the empty movie theater, Fleur recalls her time in the competition, saying that The X Factor changed her life. She had been doing gigs and barely scraping by. Fleur recalls having no money at all. Yet she's had the time of her life on The X Factor, from "Bang Bang" at the judges' houses, to her rendition of "Thriller". She loves being able to get to share this with her family, and says these are memories she'll carry with her forever.
-I liked this rendition of the song better than Ben's, although they were functionally the same version. I think it was a bit of a mistake to give them both the same song, but if they
-Louis thanks Fleur for giving them 100% every week, and once again says the obvious, which is that if you want Fleur to win, you have to vote for her. Mel B says she respects that Fleur has always come out and fought since the beginning, and says that no matter who wins, she feels both performers are stars. Cheryl says Fleur should be proud, having just sang a winner's single in The X Factor final. She wishes Fleur luck. As for Simon, he calls this the closest final he's ever judged, admitting that while he didn't get Fleur at first, he came to realize just how amazing she is. He wishes he could give the prize to both of them. For her part, Fleur tears up while expressing her happiness at being here and getting to have this experience. We then get some more touching loved ones videos, with her father praising her strength and resilience, and noting that he loves her from the bottom of his heart. Fleur's mother says she's proud of her "baby," which brings out the tears. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing.
WATCH: Fleur East, "Something I Need" (Winner's Single)
SAM SMITH performs!
-Sam Smith is here, and he's performing "Stay With Me," for some reason. I say "for some reason" mostly because it's been done nearly to death, and it isn't even the single he's currently promoting. Then again, it'd be kind of silly to complain about this, since it's so exceptional. Particularly when the youth choir comes out to sing and clap along. It just feels bigger than the song usually feels, and I appreciated that. After the performance, Dermot asks Sam about his six Grammy nominations, and he notes that it still hasn't sunk in. Dermot asks how he celebrated, and Sam admits he didn't, since he didn't really have time. He did, however, get drunk yesterday. So cheers?
Sam goes on to talk about how great it is to see the international success of British musicians, and goes on to offer advice for up-and-coming artists, saying that you should never be forced into doing anything you don't want to do. As Sam leaves the stage, Dermot announces that the lines are now CLOSED! We're now just a few minutes from finding out the results!
WATCH: Sam Smith, "Stay With Me"
RESULTS!
-Dermot announces that this season has had the most votes cast out of any X Factor season, with over 40 million total, and nearly 10 million for tonight alone. We check back in with Ben and Fleur's loved ones, before bringing out the finalists to find out the result.
The winner of The X Factor UK 2014 is...
BEN HAENOW!
BEN HAENOW WINS THE X FACTOR UK 2014!
HOLY HELL. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
Neither did Ben, apparently.
Ben shows Dermot is winner's single, and he can hardly believe it...
Fleur congratulates Ben, while Simon congratulates Fleur, before noting that Ben is a great winner. It's all happening so fast! I swear, it hasn't even sunken in yet for me, much less for Ben!
Ben sings "Something I Need" once again, and somehow, this is better than when he sang it earlier, despite probably being far more emotional. Maybe it's simply that there's no more pressure. Either way, I love this. Mostly because I will ALWAYS be a sucker for the "eliminated finalists rush the stage and mob the winner" bit that happens at the end of every coronation performance. Ben bursting into laughter at the end while being swamped by Stereo Kicks is one of my favorite winning moments from any reality show ever.
I was rooting for Fleur, but she was gracious in defeat, and Ben is a worthy winner. It was a solid cap-off to what's been a great season for The X Factor. But what did you think of this result? Did the right act win? Sound off in the comments!
Until next time, thank you for joining us! I've had a blast recapping this season, and hope you've enjoyed it as well.