Tulisa in tears over sending home X Factor hopeful Amy Mottram

 
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4 October 2012
The Weekender

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Viewers saw X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos break down in tears after choosing not to put one hopeful through to the final 12.

She and fellow panellists had to make tough decisions about who to put into the dozen singers who go forward to the live stages of the show.

Among the acts to head through with a chance of winning were popular performer such as Melanie Masson, Lucy Spraggan and bookies' favourite Ella Henderson.

But Contostavlos was left with tears in her eyes as she let Amy Mottram go last night, saying she was not sure she had made the right decision.

Mottram has been given a lifeline however as one of the four acts who will battle it out to be the "wildcard" in the first live heat on October 6, with viewers voting which should be saved.

The four judges - Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh and Contostavlos - spent days with their acts at the judges' houses stage of the contest to whittle them down.

Each judge, accompanied by their guest mentors who included former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole, had to slim their team down from six to three acts, making nailbiting choices based on their acts' performances, and their prospects of a music career.

Masson, 44, has already had a taste of the music business with her own deal and session work and saw the show as her "last chance" of a full-time music career.

Singer-songwriter Spraggan struck a chord with viewers with her performances of her own tracks so far in the series. A change in the rules to allow acts with management deals into the contest has encouraged more entrants with their own material.

And show bosses are allowing them to perform their self-written songs as well as strum along this year, in a first for the live shows.

Henderson is way out in front on 11/8 to win the title according to bookmaker William Hill.

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. The standard of talent has gone up this year and I think it's the best ever line-up of finalists.

"The live shows will feel very different this year too as contestants can sing their own songs and play guitar - I can't wait for Saturday."

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