I have several moans about the X Factor today; I’m sure you can guess what one of them is about… Laura White’s exit. Of course I don’t need to go into detail with that one because everyone’s outraged that someone so talented should leave the show at any stage – never mind this stage – so I’m not going to keep picking at that scab…

However, I feel very badly for Ruth who must be feeling terrible with this awful row about Laura leaving going on, given that she was the one who stayed. Neither of these two incredibly talented women should have been put in the bottom two and nobody seems to know how this happened, but Ruth deserves her place 100%.

Anyone who saw her breathtaking performance of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door cannot possibly begrudge her her place. I would go and buy that track in a heartbeat. I’ve watched the video of her singing it on YouTube about fifty times now; Ruth’s stage presence – as well as her amazing vocal – was incredibly good and she is without any question under rated and under challenged in the X Factor. Take a look at it and tell me you disagree… I won’t believe you of course.

Vastly talented rock singers don’t historically do that well in the show – remember the fabulous Ben and Tabby? – because the mentors tend to stick with the mainstream pop songs and rarely do the contestants get the chance to demonstrate abilities such as those Ruth showed on Saturday.

If she had been in the sing-off against almost anyone else – with perhaps the exception of Alexandra – she would have stayed based on that performance alone and there would have been no big row over it.

Yes it was incredibly stupid that Laura left but Ruth deserves to stay and in the backlash over Laura, we’re losing sight of that. Ditto Austin; he should not have gone.

What X Factor bosses need to do is change the format of the show because clearly, there’s been a big cock up somewhere. Either the public vote is being greatly influenced by the likes of the gorgeous Chris Moyles – which frankly defeats the object of the entire show – or else the phone lines are overloaded, thereby causing thousands of votes to go astray, or the public need to vote for who they want to leave, not who they want to stay.

Personally, I haven’t been voting because there’s so many of them who I want to stay I’d run up a massive phone bill. If I could vote only for who I want to go, I’d vote every week.

Then there is of course tactical voting and I don’t know why anyone’s shocked about it. Since when is this news? Of course some of the judges will want to get rid of the competition and that’s why they shouldn’t have a say in that format. What I believe needs to happen is that we the public vote off who we weren’t impressed with and THEN the judges choose out of the bottom two.

This would be much fairer and would mean that those who deserve to stay, stay.

The standard of the talent in this year’s show has to be among the highest there has ever been on X Factor. For instance, when Leona was on the show, there was no question that she was going to win. It was a foregone conclusion from the moment she stepped on the stage but this year, it’s going to be impossible to guess, especially if Laura and Austin had both stayed.

But again, at the risk of repeating myself, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that Ruth earned her place on the show on Saturday and that shouldn’t be forgotten in the hoohar over Laura.

Now my final moan is about the fact that Rachel wasn’t even in the bottom two. Her song choice, her look and her delivery of the song on Saturday was pants. I have to say, I don’t like Rachel so maybe I’m biased, but I thought she was off key, lacked any enthusiasm, failed to do the song any kind of justice and is in general a whiny, demanding, arrogant, aggressive and irritating woman.

She talks over the judges and presenters all the time – notably Holly on Xtra Factor – and she considers she knows better than everyone else and considers she’s better than everyone else. Newsflash Rachel, you’re not.

In my opinion, she should have gone long ago but she most definitely should have gone on Saturday based on her performance on the night.

This is a girl who, by her own admission, has lived a life that hasn’t been a pretty one; ok, no harm no foul there, and good luck to her in making good… IF she was willing to take the opportunities offered with good grace and a semblance of humility and was willing to acknowledge the fact that while she’s been busy doing the things she repeatedly tells us she isn’t proud of, her mentor and the rest of the X Factor judges and bosses have spent years utilising their talent and business sense to become multi-millionaires and achieve worldwide fame.

Point being Rachel, you don’t know better than them so shut up and listen to them. And when you’re on a show, but not the centre of attention, don’t try to butt in every two seconds and be quiet while someone else gets a word in edgeways.

She seems to think her talent will see her through. Well again, newsflash Rachel; Laura has more talent in her little finger than you do and she’s now gone. She is also a much nicer person and was grateful for the chances X Factor gave her and didn’t spend almost every waking minute bemoaning her lot and having diva style strops that she hasn’t earned the right to have.

So, to sum up, get rid of Rachel, bring back Laura and don’t blame Ruth for still being there; she deserves to be.

And finally, Simon and other X Factor bosses – change the voting format. Yes, you’ll lose some money but at this rate, you might lose the whole show if you don’t.