Photos/News: X Factor 2010 of the week

• Aiden Grimshaw named new favourite to win with odds of 7/2
• Cher Lloyd insists: 'I'm not too weak to win'
• Wagner and Belle Amie favourites to leave tonight in double eviction

It's not been the easiest of weeks for Cher Lloyd since she was chosen by Cheryl Cole to go through to the X Factor live show.

She has faced unbridled criticism over the decision and there were fears for her health as some suspected that she may not be able to handle the pressure.
But last night, the 17-year-old silenced her critics with an 'incredible' live performance on the first of the series' live finals.




A star is born: Cher Lloyd fought back from last week's criticism to give an 'incredible' performance on last night's X Factor live show




What a show: Cher came out on stage and posed on a frame surrounded by six backing dancers





Cher was the seventh act to take the stage in London last night and the audience, judges and viewers at home waited with bated breath to see how her performance would turn out.
X FACTOR 2010, FAVOURITES TO WIN:





Aiden Grimshaw 7/2
Matt Cardle 4/1
One Direction 9/2
Rebecca Ferguson 5/1
Cher Lloyd 7/1
Mary Byrne 9/1
Treyc Cohen 14/1
Paije Richardson 20/1
Katie Waissel 25/1


Niccolo Festa 40/1
Storm Lee 50/1
John Adeleye 50/1
Belle Amie 66/1
FYD 66/1
Diva Fever 66/1
Wagner 100/1


And if she was nervous, there was no way of knowing as she put on a stunning performance that left the judges in no doubt that the right choice had been made.
The teenager from Malvern, Worcestershire, oozed confidence as she strutted on the stage with six backing dancers before launching into her version of Dub Be Good To Me, a hit song for Beats International in 1990.
And the judges had nothing but praise for her as she excitedly waited for their verdict at the end of her song.
With a big smile on his face, Louis Walsh - who this year is mentoring the Over 28s group - said: 'For such a little girl, you've got an incredible stage presence, and that could be a number one.'
Dannii Minogue, who is mentoring the boys, said: 'I absolutely loved that, you were so watchable, you sounded fantastic, you were a star and commanded that stage.'
Simon Cowell, who is in charge of the groups, added: 'Any doubts anyone had about why this one [Cheryl] picked you a couple of weeks ago have just been blown away.
'You are exactly what we are looking for, which is a new little star.'
And Cher's mentor Cheryl couldn't have looked more pleased with her prodigy, as she said: 'To get up there after all the pressure you've been under says you're a star.

'I love watching you, you're cool, current, young and just what this competition needs.'
A happy-looking Cher then said: 'That felt wicked, I've proved myself now.'




Standing ovation: Mary Byrne brought the house down with her version of James Brown's It's A Man's Man's Man's World




Speaking today in the Sunday Mirror, Cher dismissed any fears about her fragility and insisted she is strong enough to win the show.
TODAY'S POLL

Who was the best on X Factor last night?
<****ON class="js-vote-****on bdrcc ccow" type=submit>VOTE

POLL RESULTS

Close
All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results


She said: 'I am me and I am here to for one thing only and that is to win.
'No matter what people say, I'm a very strong person. I'm confident. All of this is making me twice as strong as I am now.

More...

• Dannii beats Cheryl in the X Factor style wars after Mrs Cole overdoes the fake tan
• X Factor reject Gamu pleads with Simon and Cheryl: Don't let me be deported, I will face a firing squad
• Dannii Minogue 'furious' over plans to bring Sharon Osbourne back for X Factor final
• X Factor's Matt Cardle accused of dumping girlfriend after audition saying: 'I stand a better chance of winning if I'm single'

'I don't have to explain myself - I fight for what I want and I will get it. Nothing can go wrong for me now.'
'There's a lot going on in my life. I am very young and I can't believe all the things I have already been through.
'But now I am so much wiser. I so know what I am doing and I am doing it well. I am not a little girl any more. I'm like a 30-year-old up in my brain.'


Dressed to impress: Judges (left to right) Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell walk on to the stage




Ready for action: The judges take their seats ready for the first live final of the series



Cher also revealed she had received some much-needed advice from her mentor Cheryl, adding: 'Cheryl told me not to listen to what's said about me. Because things knock you down and you can't get back up.'
But while the anticipation over her performance may have been the talking point of the night, not a word was said about former contestant Gamu, who many felt should have been chosen to go through instead of Cher and Katie Waissel.
And putting the controversy fully out of everyone's mind were two other acts who managed to steal the limelight last night.
Mary Byrne - who is being mentored by Louis Walsh - brought the house down with her note-perfect and sensational rendition of James Brown's It's A Man's Man's Man's World






Pop star quality: Aiden Grimshaw from Blackpool blew the judges away with his version of Mad World by Tears For Fears




Intense vocals: Aiden had been told to connect more with the audience, but his intensity worked for his performance



Critique: Aiden waits to hear what the judges have to say, but received nothing but praise from the quartet

The 50-year-old Tesco worker from Ireland, looked stunning with her hair swept back in a plaited bun on her head as she filled the room with her powerful voice which received a standing ovation from the audience which seemed to go on for ages.
Dannii said: 'You have brought the house down here. Mary, I can only say that is one of the best vocal performances on the show. It would be an absolute crime if you went back to your day job.'
Simon added: 'We've had some real diversity but regardless of age, people love a trier and you came out here tonight and you gave it 110%.'
And Louis gushed: 'The Tesco lady from Dublin has become a diva! I am so so proud of you Mary, I so believe in you.'




All-singing, all-dancing: Boy band F.Y.D were the first to peform









Entertaining: The boys were praised for being a lively and enthusiastic start to the first live show

Another act who generated a huge buzz was 18-year-old Aiden Grimshaw from Blackpool after his amazing performance of the Tears For Fears song Mad World.
Louis said: 'We have found something special in this guy, one of the best performances of the night.'
And Dannii was very excited about the youngster and gushed: 'Aiden that performance had legs and such substance, but there's also this incredible vulnerability. Blackpool - turn the lights on, Aiden is here!'






Over the top: Simon again claimed he didn't understand Katie's styling - including her fake eyelashes and bizarre hat



Champion? Katie Waissel's rendition of Queen's We Are The Champions received mixed reviews from the judges
First to take to the stage last night was one of Simon's acts, boy band F.Y.D, who sang Billionaire by Travie McCoy - and then sparked a debate between the judges over their singing and dancing.

Louis said: 'What a brilliant opening to the show, loved the song choice, styling, choreography - but I think you're probably better dancers than singers.'
Dannii added, 'Just be careful you don't do too many dance moves that interrupt the singing', but Cheryl said: 'For me personally, you need to move some more!'

Favourites: Matt Cardle wowed with his take on David Guetta's Love Takes Over, while John Adeleye was praised for his 'gorgeous' rendition of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's One Sweet Day








Up next was one of Dannii's acts, Matt Cardle, who sang When Loves Take Over by David Guetta.
Simon told him: 'This was a genius choice of record. If you put this record out now, in a week's time you'd have a monster hit.'
It was then the turn of one of Louis's acts, John Adeleye, who sang Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's One Sweet Day, and was told by Cheryl: 'I love that song and you sang it beautifully and if I had to sum you up in one word it would be gorgeous.'




Confident: Rebecca Ferguson was praised for her version of Teardrops by Womack & Womack



Compliments: Rebecca's mentor Cheryl and judge Simon watched in awe as Rebecca took to the stage



Talking of gorgeous, 24-year-old Liverpudlian Rebecca Ferguson was up next and sang Teardrops by Womack & Womack.
Her earlier nerves had been replaced by radiance and confidence as Dannii told her: 'I love your voice, but I also love you. I wanna see you grow more and more very week', while her mentor Cheryl added: 'I can't heap enough praise on you.'
Loius's act Storm Lee was up next and went all rock and roll as he sang Starship's We Built This City, his face brightly painted.




'Bonkers': The mixture of smooth stylings from acts including Rebecca, and crazy performances from stars such as Storm was described as 'bonkers' by Simon







All singing, all dancing: Storm was equipped with hoards of dancers and pyrotechnics for his performance, which even saw him fall backwards off a 15ft tall podium

And Simon told him: 'It is what it is. Louis has turned you into something out of Batman and the performance is very 70s glam rock - but I don't think you had much choice.'
Up next were Simon's girl band Belle Amie, who sang Airplanes by B.O.B and were praised by Louis for looking as though they were 'having a really good time'.
And Simon added: 'A show like this needs girl power. I think there's a place for you right now. You can rap and you can sing. I really hope you're given a shot.'

Having fun: Belle Amie were tipped to be the next big girl band









Unsure: But Cheryl didn't know what to make of the girls, and said they needed more time to gel



Next up was the first 'wildcard' of the night, Diva Fever, who arrived on stage in sequinned suits before whipping them off to reveal tight t-shirts and cycling shorts underneath.
Louis told them: 'You put a smile on everyone's face and have brought the fun back to X Factor.'

Simon added: 'I think the world has become a boring place and the music business should be fun and entertaining and it always makes me smile when you perform.'


Bringing the fun back: Diva Fever brightened up the night with their version of Sunny



Cute and camp: The boys certainly made an impression on both the judges and the audience





Another wildcard was up next, Paije Richardson, who was given another chance by Dannii and who sang ****ing Me Softly.
Louis said he reminded him of a 'soulful, cuddly Luther Vandross' while Simon called him 'infectious'.

Katie Waissel was up next and took to the stage in a Gwen Stefani-meets-Lady Gaga outfit to play keyboards while singing her version of We Are The Champions by Queen - intriguingly, the song she fluffed at her first audition.


Cuddly: Wild card Paije Richardson was compared to Luther Vandross



Signor Italiano: Nicolo Festa sang Lady Gaga's Just Dance
Louis said: 'I thought you were more style than substance and after that, I haven't really changed my mind'
Dannii added: 'Vocally that was fierce - my negative is, I don't get the whole look.'
Italian Nicolo Festa was next on and sang Just Dance by Lady Gaga and was told by his mentor Dannii: 'You sound fantastic. You, as I said, you are my big risk but I love that about you.'


Coldplay cuties: One Direction sang Viva La Vida



Impressive: The teenage group were praised for their performance of Coldplay's famous track

Simon's other boy band One Direction were next up and sang Coldplay's Viva La Vida, and were told by Louis that they had made it their own, while their mentor said: 'What was so impressive was that when one of you screwed up at the end, Liam jumped in and brought it together, that's what bands do.'
Louis's wildcard Wagner left the judges and the audience laughing with his mash-up of Ricky Martin's She Bangs and the B52's Love Shack.
Dannii told him: 'Having to compose myself, just when you think it cannot get any crazier! A medley with a bongo thing in the middle? Yeah! Entertaining. It was fun.'

Bonkers: Wagner performed a mash-up of Ricky Martin and the B52s





Expressive: Wagner looked thrilled to have been given a second chance and gave the performance his all




Distraction: But Wagner admitted he was so distracted by the attractive female dancers that he had even forgotten his own name!


Simon added: 'The most bonkers performance I have ever seen in my life - but embrace the madness.'

And last but not least was Cheryl's wildcard Treyc Cohen, who wowed the crowd with her version of
One by U2, with Cheryl telling her: 'I actually feel like the luckiest judge tonight because that was incredible.'
However, it was alleged today that Treyc has a management deal and has already released a single - meaning she's in breach of X Factor rules.

The News Of The World claims her single A Time To Be Heard is still available to download and has a management deal with Birmingham based Artimis Music Management Ltd.
The paper says X Factor bosses have brought in lawyers to get her out of her management deal - as they did with Katie Wassel to get out of her U.S. record deal.
A statement from a show spokesperson said: "We are looking into this."

The first finalists will be eliminated in a double eviction after a public vote on tonight's live show, which starts at 8pm on ITV1.


Amazing: Wild card Treyc Cohen gave the performance of the night






Vocally stunning: Simon praised Treyc for having one of the best vocal performances of the night



Aiden was this morning favourite to win the X Factor following his performance last night, with odds of 7/2.
He was closely followed by painter/decorator Matt Cardle, who has odds of 4/1 with William Hill bookmakers.

Mary saw her odds slashed to 9/1 following her rendition of It's A Man's World, while Cher and Rebecca are also among the favourites.
Belle Amie and Wagner Fiuza-Carrilho are the favourites to leave the show in the double eviction tonight.
Fans took to Twitter in their millions last night to express their opinions over their favourite acts, with celebrities including last year's winner Joe McElderry backing Mary, Treyc and Paije to progress in the competition.
Olly Murs, who was also a finalist on last year's programme, added on his Twitter page: 'I'm soooo happy for treyc!!! She deserved to get through. We kept in contact all this year and to see her in Final 16!! I LOVE HER!!! X'
Aiden Grimshaw and Diva Fever even became trending topics on Twitter this morning, thanks to the amount of fans tweeting about the acts.

The X Factor is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm.

Similar Threads:

• Star Plus’ show Baa Bahu Aur Baby has received innumerable mails and SMSes........