The X Factor: time's up for Jedward!

The X Factor: time's up for Jedward!
The X Factor: time's up for Jedward!

Twins John and Edward Grimes have become the latest act to be eliminated from X Factor after finding themselves up against Olly Murs in the sing-off. The Irish twosome - who caused controversy after Simon Cowell saved them from the axe a fortnight ago - found themselves in the bottom two once again following Saturday evening's Wham/ and George Michael themed show. This time, however, the pair were unable to beat Olly, who is tipped to win the series - and for once, the result was decided by the judges rather than reverting back to public vote. Both Louis - John and Edward's mentor, and Simon - Olly's mentor, voted in favour of their own acts, although the latter admitted, "If you go tonight, I'm actually going to miss you." Cheryl, meanwhile, admitted she had "really loved" their performances over the past few weeks but voted to save Olly - leaving Dannii with the casting vote. And having questioned the show's status as a "singing competition" when her own act Lucie lost out to the twins two weeks ago, it was all too obvious who she would vote for. "I have a question," she said. "Is it a singing competition we're voting in here? "I'm going to have to judge it how I judged it the whole time but since it's a singing competition I have to send home John and Edward." Afterwards John described his time on The X Factor as "the greatest experience of my life". "Olly deserved to go through," he added. "He shouldn't have been in the bottom two, I hope Olly and Stacey go all the way." And Louis was full of praise for the pair. "I've had the best time of my life working with these guys," he said I feel young again." John and Edward's departure means that Louis now has no acts left in the competition. It also means that once again the series will be won by a solo performer rather than a group. So far a group has yet to win an X Factor title, although both JLS and G4 were runners-up in their respective series. Five acts - Lloyd Daniels, Joe McElderry, Stacey Solomon, Olly Murs and Danyl Johnson - now remain in the competition. Both Cheryl and Simon have two acts remaining while Dannii has one. From next week the competition hots up as the five have to perform two songs each - while all results will be decided by public vote from this point on.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.