X Factor: Nicolo and FYD are booted out!

X Factor: Nicolo and FYD are booted out!
X Factor: Nicolo and FYD are booted out!

Nicolo Festa and FYD have become the first two acts to be voted out of The X Factor 2010 live finals, following the first public vote of the series. Italian-born Nicolo was first to go after it was revealed that he had polled the fewest number of votes from viewers. Five-piece group FYD, meanwhile, lost out in the sing-off to Katie Waissel, who was also in the bottom three. Although Katie had been the bookies' favourite to leave on Sunday, she made it through to next week after impressing the judges with her performance of the Beatles' song Don't Let Me Down. Ultimately, FYD were only saved by their mentor Simon Cowell, with all the other judges opting to save Katie on the strength of her sing-off song. "I'm going to make a decision based on performances," Dannii Minogue said of her decision, after Simon had voted to save FYD and Cheryl, who is mentoring the girls, had cast her vote for Katie. And Louis, who had the casting vote, kept the performers in suspense. "I'm going to save the act I think most deserves to stay in the competition and has the most passion," he said. "My head is saying one thing, my heart is saying another." Afterwards, FYD could not hide their disappointment, but took the defeat graciously. "This is not the end of FYD," band member Gavin said. "We're going to stay together - guaranteed." "I was thinking last night I had no idea who would go home," Simon added, "but that's what happens in a competition like this, and I believe in the guys." Nicolo meanwhile looked devastated to be the first out of the competition and summed up his feelings succinctly. "I feel like crap," he said when quizzed by Dermot O'Leary. The 21-year-old had divided the judges when he performed Lady Gaga's Just Dance on Saturday night, although FYD, who began the show with their rendition of Travis McCoy's Billionaire, had been praised for their performance. 14 acts now remain in the competition, with favourites Cher Lloyd, Matt Cardle, One Direction and Aiden Grimshaw all making it through on the public vote. Quirkier performers including Storm Lee and Wagner also made it to next week. The double elimination means that Simon and Dannii have each lost one of their four acts while Louis and Cheryl still have all of theirs. Teenager Aiden Grimshaw is the new favourite to win following his much-praised version of Mad World on Saturday night's show.

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.