The cream of the crop: 16-year-old Ella Henderson, chimney sweep Kye Sones and Essex boy Rylan Clark all make it to the live shows on The X Factor
|
Gary Barlow has deemed the finalists for this year's X Factor the 'best ever' as 16-year-old Ella Henderson and chimney sweep Kye Sones has sailed through to the live shows.
Happy with all the judges' picks, Barlow said: 'This year we really have got the cream of the crop with our finalists and it was tough for all of us to choose our three acts.'
He continued: 'The standard of talent has gone up this year and I think it’s the best ever line-up of finalists.'
'The standard of talent has gone up this year': Gary Barlow and his fellow X Factor judges have chosen their contestants to take through to this year's live shows
THE BOYS Mentored by Nicole Scherzinger
Who: James Arthur, 24, from Middlesbrough.
Did you know? He used to sleep rough after running away from home and says music was his coping mechanism.
Why he thinks he should win: 'I will bring versatility, passion and raw emotion to the competition and if given the chance to show my song writing abilities hopefully that will show exactly why I should win the competition.'
What Nicole says: 'He is so brilliant, he is a modern day poet. He’s really special. He’s a real artist and I’m really excited to work with him.'
Who: Rylan Clark, 23, from Essex.
Did you know? When he got through to Boot Camp he was stripped naked and dragged around a bar before passing out in a hotel lift.
Why he thinks he should win: 'I'm going to bring performances to The X Factor that no previous contestant has ever done before, I want to be the first dance artist to come out of this show, I just hope people pick up the phones.'
What Nicole says: 'He’s all spikes and sparkle, we need diva music and empowering diva anthems for him. He would definitely have his own audience.'
Rylan Clark: 'I want to be the first dance artist to come out of this show, I hope people pick up the phones.'
Who: Jahmene Douglas, 22, from Swindon.
Did you know? He used to work in Asda before wowing the judges with his rendition of Etta James' At Last in his London audition.
Why he thinks he should win: 'I'm not confident at all with any aspect of myself but singing is my way of expressing myself because talking is not my strong point at all.'
What Nicole says: 'He’s got an unbelievable voice - he needs a lot of support and love and I am definitely ready to give that to him.'
Jahmene Douglas: 'Singing is my way of expressing myself because talking is not my strong point at all.'
Who: Jade Ellis, 25, from London.
Did you know? She worked as a bike mechanic and has a six-year-old daughter called Cayden.
Why she thinks she should win: 'There is a gap in the market for a young British female urban vocal. From the start I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and grow.'
What Tulisa says: 'She is fantastic - hearing a vocal like that, you just can’t let it go.'
Jade Ellis: 'From the start I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and grow.'
Who: Ella Henderson, 16, from Grimsby.
Did you know? Grammy award winning singer Cher recently took to Twitter to express her delight regarding Ella's cover of her song Believe.
Why she thinks she should win: 'I believe that I have a lot to give and I'm fully dedicated to my music. I know that by doing this show I'm going to grow as a performer and my confidence will build up each week.'
What Tulisa says: 'She is so amazing. She just has this air of innocence about her when she sings and gets lost in the moment. It’s beautiful, it really is.'
Ella Henderson: ' I'm going to grow as a performer and my confidence will build up each week.'
Who: Lucy Spraggan, 20, from Sheffield.
Did you know? She sells baby portraits when she's not performing at shows to make some extra money, and used to be a demolition operative.
Why she thinks she should win: 'I would love for the public to see how hard I've worked, share my experiences with them, entertain them and be successful within the music industry. If winning this year’s show made that happen for me, I would be over the moon.'
What Tulisa says: 'I love her to bits. As a mentor you like the music your acts perform and that they sing, but it’s rare that you can be a fan of your contestant and with Lucy, I am a fan.'
Lucy Spraggan: ''I would love for the public to see how hard I've worked, share my experiences with them, entertain them and be successful within the music industry.'
THE OVER 25s Mentored by Gary Barlow
Who: Melanie Masson, 44, from North London.
Did you know? She has worked with names including Kasabian, Stereophonics, Fatboy Slim and Happy Mondays, she also released a single in 2007 and was signed industry heavyweight EMI.
Why she thinks she should win: 'It would be so positive to show that you can still reach your goals, achieve your dreams, be taken seriously and still be relevant no matter where you are in your life, what you've done before or how old you are.'
What Gary says: 'She’s an amazing talent. She’s a proper soul singer.'
Melanie Masson: 'It would be so positive to show that you can still reach your goals, achieve your dreams, be taken seriously and still be relevant no matter where you are in your life'.
Who: Carolynne Poole, 32, from Huddersfield.
Did you know? Her dreams of stardom were dashed when Louis Walsh sent her home following the Judges' Houses stage of The X Factor in 2011.
Why she thinks she should win: 'I think The X Factor needs to see that Country isn't just line dancing and cowboy boots!! It'd be so awesome to show the world that the big country voices don't just come from America!'
What Gary says: 'She’s got an amazing voice, she knows who she is and where she is going, and to top it all off, she’s gorgeous.'
Carolynne Poole: 'I think The X Factor needs to see that Country isn't just line dancing and cowboy boots!!'
Who: Kye Sones, 30, from London.
Did you know? He earns his livelihood sweeping chimneys for other people.
Why he thinks he should win: 'If I won The X Factor it would be a victory for anyone who has never given up on something. It would show people that you should never give up on your dreams no matter how many knock backs you experience.'
What Gary says: 'I’m looking forward to learning from him because I think he is someone who knows a lot about music and I think he’s going to be an amazing contestant.'
Kye Sones: 'If I won The X Factor it would be a victory for anyone who has never given up on something.
THE GROUPS, Mentored by Louis Walsh
Who: GMD3 - Greg, 18, Dan, 19, Mickey, 18 - from Windsor.
Did you know? They met at school and love watching the Inbetweeners, going to the gym and playing football.
Why they think they should win: 'We hope to show people something fresh and exciting that hasn't been seen before on this amazing show.'
What Louis says: 'I love them. These boys can sing, they’ve got amazing harmonies, they’re nice guys, they work hard and they tick every box.'
GMD3: 'We hope to show people something fresh and exciting that hasn't been seen before'.
Who: MK1 - Charlotte Rundle, 19, and Simeon Dixon, 24 - from London.
Did you know? Prior to their trip to Las Vegas for Judges Houses Simeon broke his ankle and Charlie had to push him around in a wheelchair for the entire trip. Now his cast has been taken off Simeon is having physiotherapy to make sure he’s in top form for the first Live Show.
Why they think they should win: 'The thought of being the first two piece to win is really exciting. We’re a niche band as well which should hopefully work in our current market.'
What Louis says: 'They are so current and relevant to today’s charts and Charlie has an amazing, original and brilliant voice.'
MK1: 'We’re a niche band as well which should hopefully work in our current market.'
Who: Union J - Jamie Hamblett (JJ), 24, George Shelley, 19, Josh Cuthbert, 20, and Jaymi Hensley, 22 - from Ascot, Bristol, Luton, and Newmarket.
Did you know? Jaymi is a part time singing and dancing teacher, Josh works in IT Sales, JJ works with horses, and George works part-time in a coffee shop.
Why they think they should win: 'We’re new and fresh. We have not been together long but I hope the public realises the potential in us. We’re four normal down to earth guys who love to sing.'
What Louis says: 'The boys have a great young image, girls are going to love them, they have it all – great energy, looks and the vocals to match.'
Union J: 'We have not been together long but I hope the public realises the potential in us.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2210871/X-Factor-2012-The-finalists.html#ixzz280Hq2XCJ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook