Saturday brought a great live show in X-Factor, didn’t it?

With the contestants really starting to show their talent, Tabby Kat and I put together our ‘Top 10′ of the performances starting with:

1. Brenda Edwards: A great performance from Brenda in the over-25′s group.Fantastic song (Rescue Me), powerful voice and a lively routine – Brenda always manages to put a smile on our faces. One of the best in the competition.
2. Maria Lawson: What a stunner Maria is! Brave of her to tackle a Michael Jackson song (The Way You Make Me Feel), but she did it brilliantly! Like Brenda, she’s got an amazing voice and a sexy stage presence. When Simon Cowell asked her how the marriage was going, I knew exactly what he meant!
3. Chico Slimani: In the space of a week, Chico’s completely won me over. Forgetting about his singing for a minute, not even Mr Cowell could deny that he was looking forward to Chico’s performance! This guy has amazing stage presence and bags of energy!
4. Shayne Ward: The hunk of X-Factor 2005. I wasn’t too fond of the song (If You’re Not The One), but Tabby was. At least she told me so after she stopped drooling…Beaten by Chico in our opinion because his performance wasn’t engaging enough. I know it was a slow song, but I almost fell asleep in the middle.
5. The Conway Sisters: A good song (You Raise Me Up) and a strong performance from the girls. Tabby Kat outvoted me on this one – I don’t think they’ll last out the competition, but a good performance on the night.
6. Journey South: Carl and Andrew did a fantastic rendition of Desperado by The Eagles. Personally, I thought their performance was still a bit ‘pub-rock’, but quality all the same. Keen to see what they’ll come up with this week.
7. Andy Abraham: You can really see Andy’s confidence in his performance. Normally I would have ranked him higher, but the song (You To Me Are Everything) is horrible and I agree with Simon Cowell’s assessment that it was Karaoke. He’s got the presence and the balls, but Andy needs to find a better showcase for his voice.
8. Nicolas Dorsett: What can I say? I just didn’t warm to Nicolas’ performance. While he’s very accomplished, I didn’t feel anything from his performance of Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye.
9. Chenai Zinyuku: A great performance, but hampered by nerves. A good selection of song (Young Hearts Run Free), but just not the strongest performer on the night. Chenai needs to raise her game next week.
10. 4tune: Not the worst act on the night (see below), but a terrible choice of song (I’ll Be There), a boring performance made all the worse when their mentor, Simon Cowell, couldn’t remember their names.
11. Phillip Mcgee: What can I say? I was already expecting the worst when Louis Walsh introduced him as nervous. Phillip was nervous, but his nerves virtually killed the song. And who the hell chose Wind Beneath My Wings anyway??? Does Louis Walsh want him to lose, or has he gone mad???

Now, I’m rooting for my fellow Northern Irishman Phillip. Hopefully next week he’ll surprise us with a bit of an edge. He may be overridden by my..errr….admiration for Maria Lawson, and my unexpected liking of Chico!