Ella Henderson, chimney sweep Kye Sones and single mom Jade Ellis make it
Gary Barlow has declared this year's X Factor finalists the “best ever” as 16-year-old Ella Henderson and chimney sweep Kye Sones easily progressed to the live shows.
Barlow was pleased with the selection of all the judges, saying: “This year we really got the crème de la crème with our finalists and it was difficult for all of us to choose our three acts.”
He continued: “The level of talent has increased this year and I think it is the best finalist line-up ever.”
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“The level of talent has increased this year”: Gary Barlow and his X-Factor colleagues have selected their candidates for this year’s live shows
THE BOYS – Mentor: Nicole Scherzinger
WHO: James Arthur, 24, from Middlesbrough.
Did you know? After running away from home, he often slept outdoors and says music was his coping mechanism.
Why he thinks he should win: “I will bring versatility, passion and pure emotion to the competition and when given the chance to showcase my songwriting skills, I will hopefully show exactly why I should win the competition.”
What Nicole says: “He is so brilliant, he is a modern poet. He is really something special. He is a real artist and I am very happy to work with him.”
James Arthur: “I will bring versatility, passion and pure emotion to the competition”
WHO: Rylan Clark, 23, from Essex.
Did you know? When he reached boot camp, he was stripped naked and dragged through a bar before passing out in a hotel elevator.
Why he thinks he should win: “I'm going to perform on The X Factor that no contestant has ever done before. I want to be the first dance artist to come out of the show. I just hope people pick up the phone.”
What Nicole says: “He's full of spikes and glitter, we need diva music and powerful diva anthems for him. He would definitely have his own audience.”
Rylan Clark: “I want to be the first dance artist to come out of this show. I hope people pick up the phone.”
WHO: Jahmene Douglas, 22, from Swindon.
Did you know? Before wowing the judges at his audition in London with his rendition of Etta James’ “At Last,” he worked at Asda.
Why he thinks he should win: “I am not confident in any way, but I express myself through singing because speaking is not my strong point at all.”
What Nicole says: “He has an incredible voice – he needs a lot of support and love and I'm definitely ready to give it to him.”
Jahmene Douglas: “Singing is my way of expressing myself because speaking is not my strong point at all.”
THE GIRLS – Mentor: Tulisa Contostavlos
WHO: Jade Ellis, 25, from London.
Did you know? She worked as a bicycle mechanic and has a six-year-old daughter named Cayden.
Why she thinks she should win: “There is a gap in the market for young British female urban singers. From the beginning I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and grow.”
What Tulisa says: “She's amazing – when you hear a voice like that, you just can't let go.”
Jade Ellis: “From the beginning, I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and develop myself.”
WHO: Ella Henderson, 16, from Grimsby.
Did you know? Grammy-winning singer Cher recently expressed her joy over Ella's cover of her song “Believe” on Twitter.
Why she thinks she should win: “I believe I have a lot to give and I am fully dedicated to my music. I know that through this show I will grow as an artist and my confidence will grow every week.”
What Tulisa says: “She's so incredible. She just radiates this innocence when she sings and loses herself in the moment. It's beautiful, really.”
Ella Henderson: “I will grow as an artist and my confidence will grow every week.”
WHO: Lucy Spraggan, 20, from Sheffield.
Did you know? When she's not performing in shows, she sells baby portraits to earn some extra money. She used to work as a demolition expert.
Why she thinks she should win: “I want the public to see how hard I have worked, to share my experiences with them, to entertain them and to succeed in the music industry. If I could do that by winning this year's show, I would be over the moon.”
What Tulisa says: “I love her more than anything. As a mentor, you like the music your artists play and what they sing, but it's rare that you can be a fan of the contestants, and I'm a fan of Lucy.”
Lucy Spraggan: “I want the public to see how hard I have worked. I want to share my experiences with the public, entertain them and be successful in the music industry.”
OVER 28 YEARS – Mentor: Gary Barlow
WHO: Melanie Masson, 44, from North London.
Did you know? She has collaborated with the likes of Kasabian, Stereophonics, Fatboy Slim and Happy Mondays, released a single in 2007 and signed a deal with industry heavyweight EMI.
Why she thinks she should win: “It would be so positive to show that no matter where you are in your life, what you've done before or how old you are, you can still achieve your goals, achieve your dreams, be taken seriously and continue to be relevant.”
What Gary says: “She is an incredible talent. She is a true soul singer.”
Melanie Masson: “It would be so positive to show that you can still achieve your goals, realize your dreams, be taken seriously and still be relevant, no matter where you are in life.”
WHO: Carolynne Poole, 32, from Huddersfield.
Did you know? Her dreams of fame were shattered when Louis Walsh sent her home after the Judge's House stage of The X Factor in 2011.
Why she thinks she should win: “I think The X Factor needs to realise that country is more than just line dancing and cowboy boots!! It would be so great to show the world that the great country voices don't just come from America!”
What Gary says: “She has an incredible voice, she knows who she is and where she is going, and to top it all off, she is beautiful.”
Carolynne Poole: “I think The X Factor needs to realise that country isn’t just line dancing and cowboy boots!!”
WHO: Kye Sones, 30, from London.
Did you know? He makes his living sweeping chimneys for other people.
Why he thinks he should win: “If I won The X Factor, it would be a victory for anyone who has never given up on anything. It would show people that you should never give up on your dreams, no matter how many setbacks you experience.”
What Gary says: “I'm looking forward to learning from him because I think he's someone who knows a lot about music and I think he'll be a great candidate.”
He's through: Kye Sones has made it to the live performances
THE GROUPS – Mentor: Louis Walsh
WHO: GMD3 – Greg, 18, Dan, 19, Mickey, 18 – from Windsor.
Did you know? They met at school and enjoy watching the Inbetweeners, going to the gym and playing football.
Why they believe they should win: “We hope to show people something new and exciting that they haven’t seen before in this great show.”
What Louis says: “I love them. These guys can sing, they have a great harmony sound, they are nice guys, they work hard and they tick all the boxes.”
Cheeky guys: GMD3 will undoubtedly have many female fans on the show
WHO: MK1 – Charlotte Rundle, 19, and Simeon Dixon, 24 – from London.
Did you know? Before their trip to Las Vegas to see Judges Houses, Simeon broke his ankle and Charlie had to push him around in a wheelchair the whole trip. Now his cast has been removed and Simeon is getting physical therapy to make sure he is in top shape for the first live show.
Why they believe they should win: “The thought of being the first duo to win is really exciting. We're also a niche band that hopefully works in our current market.”
What Louis says: “They are so current and relevant to today's charts and Charlie has an amazing, original and brilliant voice.”
Double trouble: Duo MK1 also takes part in the next stage of the competition
WHO: Union J – Jamie Hamblett (JJ), 24, George Shelley, 19, Josh Cuthbert, 20, and Jaymi Hensley, 22 – from Ascot, Bristol, Luton and Newmarket.
Did you know? Jaymi is a part-time singing and dance teacher, Josh works in IT sales, JJ works with horses and George works part-time in a café.
Why they believe they should win: “We are new and fresh. We haven't been together long, but I hope the public sees the potential in us. We are four normal, down-to-earth guys who love to sing.”
What Louis says: “The guys have a great young image, the girls will love them, they have everything – great energy, looks and the singing to match.”
They are overjoyed: The boy band Union J jumped for joy when they found out that they had made it through
And of course they are all on Twitter…
The young
James Arthur @jamesarthur23
Rylan Clark @RylanClark
Jahmene Douglas @JahmeneDouglas
The girls
Jade Ellis @jadaface101
Ella Henderson @ella_henderson
Lucy Spraggan @lspraggan
Those over 28 years old
Melanie Masson @MelanieMasson1
Carolynne Poole @CarolynnePoole
Kye Sones @Kyesones1
The groups
GMD3 @GMD3music
MK1 @mk1official
Union J @UnionJworld
Bookmakers’ odds
Ella Henderson 5/4
James Arthur 6/1
Carolynne Poole 12/1
GMD3 14/1
Melanie Masson20/1
Christopher Maloney 28/1
Amy Mottram 40/1
Adam Burridge 50/1
Jahmene Douglas 6/1
Kynes Sones 8/1
Lucy Spraggan12/1
Jade Ellis 20/1
Union J 20/1
MK1 33/1
Ryan Clark 40/1
Times Red 50/1 (William Hill)
VIDEO: Tears at X Factor. The selection of the final 12 was more than just emotional…
