It was finally the time for Stereo Kicks to leave us, and I can’t help but feeling a hole in my heart where James Graham used to be.
Via.
How long will it be before he leaves those seven in the dust and goes solo? Perhaps that was Simon’s plan all along.
Each contestant sang two songs this week: one chosen by the public and the other by a popular artist (three strongly associated with The X Factor: Tulisa, Little Mix & One Direction; then Emile Sande and Sam Smith).
There were some more interesting introductions this week: lots of people visited home, teenage boys ate with their moms, Mel B wore cute pajamas–but none of it was as fun as the time Nicole Scherzinger went tanning with Rylan.
On Sunday, Adam Lambert performed with Queen (there were other performances, but who cares about those?
Via.
Cheryl wore this cuteness!
Via.
Grunge is dead; long live grunge
Dermot and the X Factor dancers.
Worst pajama party
Why didn’t Andrea’s parents get some footie pjs?
Even Mel B and her daughter wore them! Those snacks look SAD.
Never been kissed
On my new new favorite show Loose Women, Andrea made a confession:
All three via.
Best fans
Ben Haenow had lots of people in his hometown hugging him.
But then there was this:
His nonna DOES seem pretty rad:
Best fans 2
Fleur East went home too. She went to her old school, where the kids were so happy to see her.
None as happy as this adorable munchkin, who wanted a hug!
Like Ben, Fleur also had people yelling at her from their cars. England sure is a friendly place!
Weirdest fans
WHO IS THAT GUY IN THE BACK?
Strangest set piece
Ben sat on some touring crates with his name on them.
Let’s look at them a little closer.
Best dressed
WORK IT, GURL.
Best family time
Stereo Kicks hung out with their mums. They were definitely coached beforehand, because they called their kids by their Spice Girl nick names:
Via.
I love how he’s expressionless.
All the boys were obsessed with Reece’s mom, who they called “fih.” I then realized they meant “fit.”
Via.
Also, Fleur and her sister eating chips on a bench in their hometown:
Worst family time
Two episodes in a row = Lauren’s brother is being trotted out for votes. Lauren was in the bottom this week. Her outfit was hideous.
Most hair-raising performance
I was fascinated by the dancers when Ben did “Come Together.”
It’s like Ben can’t believe it either!
Presented without comment
Favorite performance
While I loved the hair dancers with Ben, his voice doesn’t really do it for me. Stereo Kicks were boring as shit this week, and Lauren’s first performance was SO OFF, so I had to make other decisions.
Emeli Sande picked Tina Turner’s “A Fool in Love” for Fleur and she SMASHED it. I hope she wins.
Another celebrity pick, Sam Smith chose Sia’s “Chandelier,” a very contemporary song for Andrea. I am such a sucker for falsetto.
All screencaps by me, all other photos from the X Factor facebook page.