Simon Cowell has been accused of consulting The X Factor’s executive producer Richard Holloway before making his decision to send the show to deadlock and effectively save John and Edward Grimes last night.

The Sun reports that Cowell and Holloway were seen “in deep discussions” during the ad break which preceded Lucie Jones and Jedward’s sing off.

A source said: “[Cowell and Holloway] seemed to be discussing what to do. Should they get rid of Lucie, who can obviously sing really well, or finally get rid of the twins?”

The insider added: “The producers always claim that Simon doesn’t know how the voting goes before he makes his decision. But after the intense conversation with Simon, Holloway was seen whispering in the ears of judges Dannii [Minogue], Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh.”