[CharlotteSometimes]

In order of how well they performed on the night (regardless of whether I like them or not) from best to worst:

Maria: The best vocalist from this year’s finalists by far, and once again the best on the night as well. Unfortunately, being an attractive woman will no doubt count against her sooner or later. In a week that promised so much but delivered so little, it’s all downhill from here, I’m afraid.

Nicholas: I really can’t stand him at all. He seems very arrogant, and the fake ‘gangsta’ drivel is extremely annoying, too. But he gave his best performance so far last Saturday, and did a decent job, even though the arrangement was played with so that he wouldn’t have to cope with the majority of the falsetto parts Al Green delivered so effortlessly.

Chenai: Her best performance so far. She proved last year and at her audition this year that she has a fantastic voice, though much the same as with Cassie last year, she loses it all when it comes to the live shows. Still, this was a much better effort, and I was pleased to see her safely through to next week’s show.

Andy: Dull dull dull, and he crooned rather than sang the song. Also lost it big time when he tried to hold the note near the end, but failed miserably. His worst week so far.

Conway Sisters: They really should never have made it this far, as they just aren’t good enough to cut it. A cheesy song, given a cheesy Nolans-esque treatment. One of them does all of the work, and the other three just sing all over each other. Ultimately, it was pleasant enough – in a twee, non-threatening kind of way. They’ll be back in the Emerald Isle before the month is out.

Shayne: A terrible choice of song this week, and therefore his worst so far. Still, there’ll be something seriously wrong going on if he isn’t in the final.

Brenda: I really fail to see the attraction, and wouldn’t have put her in the finals at all if it was up to me. She made no effort whatsoever, and only seemed to realise there was a mic available in the final third of the song. A very lazy performance.

Philip: Hilarious to watch, and another poor song choice, too. But still, his best week of the three he was around for. Trevor, however, would’ve been a far better choice for Louis’ final four.

Journey South: I never liked them at their audition, or at bootcamp, either. But they surprised me on the two previous shows, and gave good performances. This week, they went backwards. Their voices collided rather than blended. A real mess.

Chico: An abomination.