To be honest, I think any of that Top 3 could win. JLS are the only act left who have no chance imo.

I agree totally. JLS got through today on rebound votes - if they are anything but INCREDIBLE next week they are gone - and while I still predict Eoghan to win, Diana still has a lot of fans despite the haters (it's not a vote to evict!) and Alexandra is doing what Laura and Diana have done the opposite of and started well, before really blowing up.

 

I truly, truly hope Alexandra wins for two reasons. One, she is the best most talented contestant remaining in my opinion. Second, all the conspiracy theories of a fix have been levelled at Eoghan and Diana, and an Alexandra win would not only impress people that she 'beat the fix' but it might change a few minds too.

Second, all the conspiracy theories of a fix have been levelled at Eoghan and Diana, and an Alexandra win would not only impress people that she 'beat the fix' but it might change a few minds too.

 

Yes, it is very impressive how a daughter of a good old friend of Sinitta's (Melissa Bell - a former session singer/musical singer whom performed in the West End Musical Mutiny alonside Sinitta & David Essex, and vocalist with Soul II Soul) has made the Final 4, especially as she performs as part of a certain London Community Gospel choir who are used for numerous events or when top acts have performed in London such as Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, etc, such as singing backing vocals on the X-Factor's winner's song from previous year) of which Alexandra Burke was member whom performed on last year's finale show as part of the London Community Gospel Choir.

 

Now that's what I call a "ringer".

X Factor Outright Winner -

Betfair.com odds 5th December (30th November)

 

Alexandra Burke - 5/4 fav (6/4 fav) - Her odds on Betfair went as short as 10/11 on fav on Monday, but are drifting after Tuesday's newspaper allegations of her not so obscure background - which has been since apparently been proven to be factually verified; and how it's alleged that Simon Cowell (whom admitted this week on Radio 2 that he wants her to win) has been trying to "create" an Alexandra victory all along via sabotaging Eoghan (via dreadful song choices - and the Diana affair story - which is allegedly false); & Diana (via his PR agent Max Clifford posted a host of negative stories which the media have lapped up since she became early favourite, and the negative coverage in the VT clips on the show)

Diana Vickers - 13/5 (13/5) - Her odds drifted as far as 15/4 by Monday

Eoghan Quigg - 7/2 (3/1) - His odds drifted as far as 17/4 by Monday

JLS - 11/1 (12/1)

X Factor 2008

9th Elimination 5th December

 

JLS - evens fav

Diana - 2/1

Eoghan - 4/1

Alexandra - 19/2

Yep I agree TIP. Everyone is now coming out and saying they want Alexandra to win, i'm sure the vocal coach has said it, and now Brian Freedman has said it. Out of all those acts left, Alexandra would make Simon the most money because she'd appeal to the American audience. Not that it matters anyway, as all the final 4 will get signed, but being the X Factor winner is a lot better marketing tool for the US.

 

Don't you just love a good old conspiracy. :kink:

I am still supporting Diana. And, yes, Rooney, I do love a conspiracy, they make things so much more interesting :D

What's been said about Alexandra's background please?

I couldn't care less about what's being said about her background, she's got a lovely personality and she's owns that stage each week and has an amazing voice. That and she's by far the most talented left in the competition which is why I want her to win and obviously alot of other people do too and no ones opinion is gonna make me think otherwise. ^_^

I am really looking but I can't find anything that's been written - I haven't checked the Sun as they are backing her to win and unlikely to plant a negative story. I don't undestand what is meant by 'not so obscure' as far as her background goes. All I know is she has had a simple life in Islington and shares a bed with her sister, that's all I've heard about it as she doesn't go on about it like previous contestants.

 

As far as the conspiracy theory goes, it's gotten to the point of being absolutely ridiculous now - throughout the series it's been mainly 'fixed' for Eoghan (knowing winks from Simon) and Diana (Hallelujah-gate), and people were saying Simon wasn't giving Alexandra credit (like Syesha in American Idol) because he didn't want another Leona... NOW apparently it's 'fixed' towards Alexandra - and if the reason is that they've been planting bad stories about Diana and giving Eoghan deliberately bad songs - then that could mean it's 'fixed' in favour of JLS too! Well, if it's fixed towards ALL of them, I'll be sure to ring OFCOM! Ridiculous.

 

On a serious note, I think providing Alexandra gets to the final, she is well sorted. Simon is obviously becoming fond of her now and I can't see her not getting an album. If she wins, she gets the career. If she doesn't win especially if she loses to Eoghan, there will be the Rhydian style uproar that I think will see her sell more than him when their albums DO come out. Also, Diana has lovers and haters, Alexandra has lovers and those who just aren't that bothered, if Diana wins, people that hate her will petition for the others to get record deals, for sure.

What's been said about Alexandra's background please?

Yes, it is very impressive how a daughter of a good old friend of Sinitta's (Melissa Bell - a former session singer/musical singer whom performed in the West End Musical Mutiny alonside Sinitta & David Essex, and vocalist with Soul II Soul) has made the Final 4, especially as she performs as part of a certain London Community Gospel choir who are used for numerous events or when top acts have performed in London such as Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, etc, such as singing backing vocals on the X-Factor's winner's song from previous year) of which Alexandra Burke was member whom performed on last year's finale show as part of the London Community Gospel Choir.

 

Now that's what I call a "ringer".

Basically her mum is supposedly friends with Sinitta and Sinitta is close to Simon so they're saying it's like some sort of favour that Simon and co. are getting her this far into the competiton.

 

But, like you said, it's a new conspiracy theory every week. I have to say, I don't find it hard to believe that Simon wants Alex to win. Last week he was practically urging the public to keep her in and she's not his act...yet.

I don't get the it's fixed if the favourite wins it malarky. :wacko: I've never got why it's apparently "fixed" if they become favourites. I mean Diana has been the favourite since the start of the final shows. Apparently "fixed" (Before the winners song choice was even chosen). And now Alexandra is favourite and it's apparently "fixed" coz she's favourite to win! :wacko: I don't get it :(

People will always say it's fixed when the contestant they dislike is the favourite to win though. :P

Would be fantastic if it was Alex who ends up winning it, it's rather obvious thought that all the final 4 will get signed at some point.

Oh, well that's nothing new, we all knew Alexandra's Mum was a famous singer, well I did, it hasn't been hidden. And if you want any more ammo, Alexandra is friends with Joss Stone - give a $h!t... she has had the same Mum and the same friends for the whole competition, it's never been a secret and she's only been favourite to win for one week.

 

At the end of the day if her talent was questionable, ie if she had a voice like Paris Hilton, she wouldn't be there. You can't get through such a public competition on 'who you know' alone.. Alexandra is one of, if not THE, most talented of the 12 finalsists and of the entire series.

 

And THAT's why it's not surprising she is in the final 4. No other reason but hard work and talent.

Edited December 5, 200816 yr by Adam

Oh, well that's nothing new, we all knew Alexandra's Mum was a famous singer, well I did, it hasn't been hidden. And if you want any more ammo, Alexandra is friends with Joss Stone - give a $h!t... she has had the same Mum and the same friends for the whole competition, it's never been a secret and she's only been favourite to win for one week.

 

At the end of the day if her talent was questionable, ie if she had a voice like Paris Hilton, she wouldn't be there. You can't get through such a public competition on 'who you know' alone.. Alexandra is one of, if not THE, most talented of the 12 finalsists and of the entire series.

 

And THAT's why it's not surprising she is in the final 4. No other reason but hard work and talent.

 

In terms of consistency Alexandra is the best act in this series, because she has yet to put in a dud performance.

 

But I completely fail to see anything extra special about her compared to the likes of UK soul singers Beverley Knght or Kele Le Roc or US idol contestants Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and especially this young US act who is going to be huge in 2009:

 

Jazmine Sullivan - Bust Your Windows

 

The bottom line is like in all walks of like whether it is business, with friends and so forth, if you have got the network connections and contacts then you will get further than a complete stranger will due to the devil you know syndrome. Whilst like in a job interview and on a CV, Alexandra's background is much more solid and reliable than the other remaining acts. In short she is less likely to breakdown post victory than Leon Jackson did with his throat problems.

 

That is why Simon Cowell went on Radio 2 to through his full support behind her, Brian Friedman has done numerous interviews all saying he wants Alexandra to win & today Louis Walsh on today's This Morning has said that Alexandra should win....

 

Forget conspiracies theories, this year will go down is how much the raw talent levels seen at auditions / bootcamp have turned out to be bland, erratic and mediocre 'artists'.

 

This year a whole bunch of talented people have been wasted IMHO. Whether it's the mentors or the others behind the scene are to blame is open to speculation as time and again we've seen good raw talent descend to mediocrity with what was special about them disappearing due to a combination of bad image, wrong song choices or pure and simple deliberate sabotage turning the acts into something they never were losing what was special about them in the first place.

 

Just look at some of the final 12:

 

JLS - Looked a highly promising modern 21st Century sounding Another Level/Blue act, but have been turned into an Urban Westlife thanks to some hideous images and awful song choices especially the Beatles medley.

 

Laura - Was a really contender early on, but once her relationship with the floor manager was out in the open the tide changed. Then whoever decided to set up that bizarre performance, choreography & song choice of the duet Endless Love is either stupid or was trying to set her up to take a fall which she did.

 

Austin - A fantastic singer, but given a couple of awful songs to sing by Simon, and he lost the momentum & support of the public without ever getting safe popular choices like Eoghan.

 

Rachel - Was a great raw vocalist in the bootcamp stages. But come the Final 12 she was given an older looking image to make her look like the 90s UK singer Gabrielle's sister, whilst given some bizzarre song choices by Dannii as if someone did not want her to do well.

 

Diana - Can be summed up as before and after Laryngitis-gate. And if she has been given to sing Madonna's Hung Up & the Spice Girls' 2 Become 1 as leaked on Heatworld .... Well those choices are so ridiculous and awful for her voice/style, it's got to be fake surely? Otherwise she would be better off packing her bags and walking off the show now 24 Hours early compared to JLS and especially Alexandra's brilliant song choices (if they turn out to be true). But if Diana is singing those songs and sings first then it is game over... in the fiX Factor.

 

Eggnog - The chosen one for Simon, but suddenly within sight of the finishing line, Simon Cowell seems to be giving him some strange and awful song choices, as if he is trying to sabotage his own acts chance of winning. Then again in the last month Leon Jackson's album has bombed, hence the change of strategy...

 

The only act who has not been given poor song choices seems to be Alexandra, who has been consistent but always around the 3rd/4th favourite mark to avoid the radar of the media. Only since being made favourite have they gone back to her background that was first revealed back in September.

 

It's criminal it has turned out this way, but at the end of the day it is Simon Cowell's show, the winner gets signed to Simon Cowell's record label, so it looks better if Simon Cowell gets the act he wants to win the series.

I agree that some of the people had more potential than the live shows gave them credit for, but the show has a history of people not being able to perform to the same level when the live shows hit. I refuse to believe someone like Cheryl Cole who is very well off would completely sell her soul for money and give her act a bad song choice if Simon Cowell instructed her to. There'd be absolutely no point of being on the panel.

Daily Star report that Diana survived by less than half a percent last week, Alexandra topped the voting but Eoghan is still winning on most weeks

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/61310/Diana-nears-exit/

X FACTOR star Diana Vickers survived being booted off the show last week by less than half a per cent.

 

The Lancashire lass, who missed a week singing with laryngitis, is being shunned by voters.

 

Early on she was the bookies’ favourite, but show sources have revealed she has won only one week of voting.

 

After last Saturday’s poll she was only a whisker in front of eliminated Ruth Lorenzo, 25.

 

Now it is Irish lad Eoghan Quigg who is pulling in the votes. He has not been out of the top two and has led the voting six times.

 

Current bookies’ favourite, Alexandra Burke, 20, pipped 16-year-old Eoghan to first place last week, the first time she had topped the voting.

 

An ITV source said: “Eoghan’s been pulling in about a third of votes in most weeks. He’s still in the game but his fans can’t get complacent. “However, Diana’s a lucky girl. She’s got to pull her socks up.”

 

JLS are tipped by bookmakers to lose out in tonight’s semi-final.

 

Meanwhile, superstar Beyoncé Knowles, 27, is in talks to sing a duet with Alexandra if she makes next week’s final.

 

And 56-year-old Louis Walsh’s manband Boyzone will perform with JLS if they make the final, even though Boyzone’s Stephen Gately, 32, is tipping Alex.

 

Crooner James Morrison, 24, is lined up to sing with Diana, 17, while boss Simon Cowell, 49, has not made up his mind who will duet with Eoghan.

That actually doenst suprise me. Obviously if Diana mucks up tonight she's a goner and really now i think Alex could potentially finish second now.

That actually doenst suprise me. Obviously if Diana mucks up tonight she's a goner and really now i think Alex could potentially finish second now.

I think she's looking at first. I mean Eoghan's popularity is decling quite rapidly.