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09.10.2014

The Xpress catch-up: room auditions week two

This weekend's X Factor offerings were chock-full of talent – from cutie American soldiers to heart-broken pub singers. Isabel Mohan did great reviews on both Saturday and Sunday's shows, but if you're short on time, here's this week's Xpress catch-up, filling you in on the five most memorable moments:

Monica Michael

Grab your tissues for this one – the 24-year-old youth-worker's teary audition saw her singing her own song, Pretty Little Sister, dedicated to – you've guessed it – her pretty little sister, aged 16. Though it had the potential to be cringe-worthy, Monica's vocal performance was soulful and genuine.

Kerianne Covell

Having taken an unauthorised day off from her job at a shoe shop, Kerianne risked unemployment for a shot at singing stardom. Thankfully, she blew the judges away with Adele's One and Only and made it through to the next round – plus, Simon gave her manager a call to help her keep her job for the short term. Win!

Jake Quickenden

Remember this one? He got all the way to Nicole Scherzinger's judges homes stage in 2012, but unfortunately missed out on a place in the finals. After starting with a strange, bouncy version of John Legend's All of Me, he made it through with Say Something by A Great Big World.

Michael Rice

This softly-spoken chip shop worker took on the late, great Whitney Houston's I Look to You – and all four judges were left open-mouthed. Only 16 years old, his voice was soulful and strong - who's betting the Sam Smith comparisons will start rolling in soon?

Raign

A definite contender for this year's Marmite Contestant role, the 31-year-old songwriter got off on the wrong foot with the judges, boasting about her friend who worked at Marc Jacobs and her pop success overseas. It seemed as if her X Factor journey had come to a quick end after her performance of Zedd's Clarity fell flat, but Simon was won over when she sang her own ditty, Don't Let Me Go. Cheryl, however, was still unmoved, describing Raign as "my idea of hell". Raign better keep her fingers crossed that Cheryl doesn't get the Overs category...

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08.09.2014

Strictly 1, The X Factor 0

Oh dear – after round one of The X Factor's many scheduling clashes with Strictly, Cowell and co have come up short. Last night's Strictly launch was watched by 8.4 million viewers, approximately 600,000 more than The X Factor's fourth batch of room auditions (7.8 million).

However, Simon took the close defeat on the chin, tweeting this:

Attaboy, Simon - better luck next time!

02.09.2014

Would baby Eric Cowell pass the X Factor test?

Bryony Gordon doesn't think so. After Simon stated that changing nappies is a choice that a parent can make, Bryony compiled a list of other "helpful" tips that Simon may impart upon new fathers - including the fact that crying babies do not sound good.

02.09.2014

Simon Cowell: the world's most unlikely rapper

To promote the return of The X Factor this weekend, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh dropped into Capital FM's breakfast show to give an exclusive performance of Tinie Tempah's rap featured in Cheryl's former number-one single, Crazy Stupid Love. If you had the (mis)fortune of missing it, it's available on SoundCloud in all its awkward glory.

01.09.2014

The Xpress catch-up

In case you missed it, here are five of the most memorable moments from this weekend's episodes:

• Jay James

This ex-Naval officer won the hearts of the judges with an emotional performance of Say Something, A Great Big World's hit with Christina Aguilera.

• Kitten and the Hip

In Sunday's "quieter" audition episode this weekend, we met this short-lived act: they went into the audition room as a duo and left as solo artists, as the judges saw more potential in one half of the group. (Guess which.)

Look out for the extremely awkward moment when the 28-year-old "Kitten" Scarlett Quinn revealed that she and Ashley Slater (aka "the Hip"), aged 53, were husband and wife, to have an unfiltered Louis Walsh respond with "Oh! I thought you were father and daughter!"

Oh, Louis. Never change.

• Chloe-Jasmine Whichello

"Where are you from?" asks Mel B.

"I'm from England, " says Chloe.

After quite a bizarre beginning, 23-year-old Chloe-Jasmine impressed with her rendition of the standard, Black Coffee. If she looks a little familiar, you've probably seen her on Sky Living's The Face, where she tried her hand at modelling under the wing of Naomi Campbell.

• Andrea Faustini

One of the more surprising auditions, Andrea came from Italy, armed with a miniature Scary Spice figurine and a belting voice. He shocked the judges with his performance of the Jackson 5's Who's Lovin' You.

• Linzi Martin

Sunday's episode ended with 34-year-old Linzi. A former protégé of Simon Cowell's, having been in Nineties girlband Girl Thing, she sang a nerve-ridden version of Jackson 5's I'll Be There. Needless to say, it was difficult for the judges to decide her fate.

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01.09.2014

Highest ratings in two years

The X Factor returned over the weekend (hooray!) with its highest ratings since 2012 - probably due to the reunion of squabbling pair Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.

Both having been absent from the judging panel for three years, a peak audience of 10.6 million tuned in to see their love/hate friendship unfold on Saturday, which our very own Serena Davies described as "brilliantly entertaining". Another possible attraction was former Spice Girl Mel B's debut as a permanent judge, following previous guest appearances and a stint on Australia's Got Talent. It seems as if reality TV can't get enough of the Spice Girls, as they've all had a go at judging in some form or another. Maybe Mel will bring one of the Spices to assist her at the judges' home stage...

29.08.2014

Cowell is ruffled by Strictly scheduling clash

This year, BBC's Strictly Come Dancing will be broadcasting at the same time as The X Factor on Saturday and Sunday evenings - and a certain Simon Cowell is NOT happy about it.

Speaking to The Telegraph at the official launch event, Cowell said: "They [the BBC] didn't have to put it on at the same time as us but they did, and it means people now have to make a choice, whereas before it was more of a gentleman's agreement...They say that this isn't a ratings battle – it is. That's why they did it."

Adding insult to injury, Strictly has nabbed former Xtra Factor presenter Caroline Flack as one of the celebrity contestants. Even so, some are saying that Strictly's line-up is less star-studded than previous years, which may have an effect on the ratings.

Which will you be watching?

New judging panel

Once again, the panel of judges has been revamped - and it's looking like a good'un. Two people returning to the shiny desk are none other than show creator Simon Cowell and newlywed pop singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, both back after a three-year break. They've had a well-documented tumultuous friendship, reaching a near-breaking point when he fired her from the (now-defunct) X Factor USA in 2011.

Also joining the team is former (Scary) Spice Girl Melanie Brown, fresh from a stint of judging on another of Cowell's moneymakers, Australia's Got Talent. When she appeared as a guest judge in 2011 she was refreshingly blunt with some of the less talented contestants - here's hoping she brings more of the same this year.

And of course, making an appearance for the 11th series in a row is boyband extraordinaire Louis Walsh, despite previous claims that last year would be, well, his last year.

We've made a list of nine things you can expect from the new series, including Louis v Cheryl v Simon squabbling, and an Ed Sheeran-esque auditionee. Can you think of any more?