John and Edward Grimes are said to be consumed with guilt that their pal Lucie Jones was booted off the X Factor last weekend. After the boys found themselves in the bottom two acts alongside Lucie, Simon Cowell made the shock decision to save them, effectively sending Lucie Jones home.

The Mirror reports that later that evening Jedward told Lucie: “We feel bad. We’re so, so sorry that you didn’t get through, you are an amazing singer.

“We think you are going to have a brilliant career and we hope you won’t blame us.

“It’s been incredible to perform on the show but the last thing we want to do is upset anyone.”

A source said that the pair shadowed Lucie unti, she left the house on Monday morning.

Lucie, 18, said later: “They felt guilty and unnecessarily so.

“It is not their fault. They didn’t say to Simon, ‘Pick us, pick us’. They were lovely and didn’t need to apologise.”