torresgirl

This song really suits Ben.

I do like One Direction despite my urge to want to slap Harry Styles. Good performance. They aren't normally the best live.

He should be embarrassed he really should.

Simon is embarrassing himself LOL!!!!

Ben smashed it audience reaction said it all. Fleur now awful vocals but who cares she can dance like the girls behind her :)

Good God Olly really cannot sing can he.

I've always assumed his attractiveness is more about his demeanour than being good looking. But I've never got him at all so.... His popularity seems to be because he is so ordinary and people can relate to him.

Olly? He is so average looking imo. Nothing remotely special about him. Ben is 10/10 for me :) Looked absolutely stunning in his suit singing with Ed last night. I do agree about celebs being hailed as more good looking than they are just because they are famous though but not in Ben's case.

ooo do you know something we don't :) Success is always a mixture of things but the combination of likeability, looks and good material is a great one. If you are aiming at a certain market. I doubt if 5 people with Andrea's image sang What Makes you Beautiful it would be a worldwide #1. Like you say all about the package :)

Matt better looking? Yikes. That is subjective but Matt did not have the right personality. He was nowhere near as likeable. Shayne was very nice looking but Ben is better imo. Also Shayne was the most successful of the male winners so the point I'm making has some validity there. He did well for a while with not great material and his looks definitely helped him.

I doubt many 50 year olds buy One Direction records that's true but you are still missing the point. Older people buy a lot of music and isn't all about 20 year olds buying fellow young people's music. Artists like Ed Sheeran, even Buble etc are bought by teenagers to the middle-aged and that is why they are so successful. They appeal to a wide demographic. Also being successful is not all about itunes. There are many singers who are not #1 but make a living performing live and selling consistently smaller amounts. There is a market for older people as well as the young. They just have to be marketed right. An example Joe McElderry won the show but his first album was marketed at the completely wrong audience and flopped. His second played to his strengths and his audience more and sold 3 times as more and was successful. I doubt many teenagers bought that album. Also racism will have nothing to do with it if Fleur comes second! Look at Alex and JLS, people voted in their millions for both because they were great.

That's true but it really helps if people like you. I mean look at Alexandra as an example of an XF contestant. I like her but she has some qualities that make her unlikeable to a lot of people. Having people want to route for you is massive. Look at Olly Murs. he is so average its criminal but people seem to warm to him (he's so down to earth etc etc) is all I ever hear. His terrible singing seems to be irrelevant :) As for Ben his looks are a massive plus and what imo can give him a better shot than previous male winners.

But that is where your point falls down. Its not only 20 year olds that buy music. There are all sorts of reasons people vote and image/likeability is massive for most of the contestants. I doubt as many people would be voting for Fleur if she was dancing around like that 2 stone heavier or for Ben if he wasn't so good looking. Its a combination of things. Don't get me wrong I would never vote for any of those contestants you listed but most are influenced by something other than the "talent" which is subjective anyway.

How patronising of you. I assume when you get older (whatever age you deem that to be) you are ready for your opinion to dismissed as worthless.

Although I agree Syco are not the best, I think the main criteria for doing well is whether Simon believes you are worth investing in. In this regard coming first or second is irrelevant. I think (and hope) that he has seen enough of the reaction to Ben and the kind of fan base to see enough potential to give him a fair chance. IF he wins of course. Both are signed regardless imo.

I agree with this. Demons was really great and suited him to a tee and the duet he sang well and had a good chemistry with Ed. The duet seems to be going down a storm on social media and can only help him. As someone else said if he was doing this type of song all along he would probably have won already. As it is he's had some terrible song choices and still got to the final.

So happy Ben is through,go win it lad!

They always do but I'm almost positive Ben is polling hiigher

People saying Fleur sang well there are lying to themselves. It was awful! Labrinth not much better either!

Fleur's vocals really exposed here. It doesn't sound good at all.

Interesting crowd reaction to Fleur, seemed more cheers, screams for Ben and also Andrea.

The bias of the judges though LOL

Not sure the rapping is gonna help Fleur and shaky vocals already. This is quite bad :/

Not sure what to say about Andrea good voice but way over the top and I just want it to be over half way through. Nice guy but its kinda enough now.

I loved that from Ben (not surprising) but still a great performance and that song really suited him!