Bootcamp concluded on The X Factor 2017 tonight, with the likes of Anthony Russell, Grace Davies and Rak-su facing their arena auditions – and here we’ve got a round-up of all the results.
With the Wall of Songs and the group performances behind them, the second part of Bootcamp saw the contestants appear before a massive crowd at The SSE Arena in Wembley.
They had to earn another yes from judges Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell to progress to the Six Chair Challenge.
But while some hopefuls were a no-brainer for the foursome, they were divided on whether Slavko and Nicole Caldwell should remain in the competition.
Read on to find out who made the cut…
The Clique (No) – Boyband The Clique got their high heels out again to strut their stuff to TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, but going by the mixed crowd reception, they didn’t quite fulfil their promise to bring sass to the stage. “That was the worst we’ve heard, there wasn’t even any fun,” slammed Simon. “You know what they did? They sang too much,” commented Nicole. “They’re dancers. They should have just sang a couple of lines and put on a great show.” Unsurprisingly, the judges told them to sashay away.
Daniel Quick (No) – Iceland cashier Daniel surprised the judges with his vocals at his room audition, but unfortunately faced disaster at the arena, admitting to “throat issues”. After the 18-year-old fell flat on some of the higher notes of Michael Buble’s ‘Feelin’ Good’, Simon told him: “I’m not gonna kid you, I genuinely don’t think you’re ready for this right now. I like your confidence and your determination, but your voice isn’t ready yet.” Daniel tried his best to protest, but ultimately left with a no.
Scarlett Lee (Yes) – It was initially Simon that took a “leap of faith” by backing Scarlett, but after her rousing arena performance of Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, it was Sharon who wasn’t convinced, saying: “I think she’s good, I don’t think she’s the best.” However, the make-up artist appeared to have won over Simon, who claimed she “could be really, really good” – and his approval helped her through to the next round.
Anthony Russell (Yes) – Anthony’s “manic” rendition of Naughty Boy’s ‘Runnin’ was stopped halfway through by Simon, who requested that he sing the song a capella. Afterwards, the music mogul commented: “It worries me that he’s not focused, and he’ll never quite nail it because of that nervous energy.” Nicole stuck up for him, saying: “He did a lot better when you gave him his notes.” Louis added: “He’s raw and he’s talented.”
Anthony did bag a spot at the Six Chair Challenge – but it’s unclear how much further he’ll progress, as bosses recently confirmed he has quit the show for “personal reasons”.
Rak-Su (Yes) – Rak-Su’s original song ‘I’m Feeling You’ made their audition one of the most memorable of the series, so it’s no surprise that they chose another self-penned track, ‘Knock Knock’, for Bootcamp. It was a big hit with the crowd, but while Sharon thought the four-piece boyband were “really good”, Nicole wasn’t too sure: “That was like a pre-chorus to a chorus, I was waiting for it to get better.” That didn’t ruin their chances however, as they left with a yes.
Tracy Leanne Jefford (Yes) – Excited to be performing in a venue that’s played host to some of music’s biggest stars, Tracy impressed with her take on The Ronettes’ ‘Be My Baby’. Describing it as “the best song choice ever”, Nicole said: “We got to really hear her tone.” Simon also enjoyed it, branding it “deliciously retro” – although he had some reservations about her stage persona: “The funny thing is, even in a moment like that, she always plays the fool. If just once she could stop clowning around…”
Slavko (Yes) – It wouldn’t be The X Factor if there wasn’t at least one slightly barmy act, and former Eurovision Song Content participant Slavko is now another step closer to the live shows. He stunned the judges by whipping his trademark ponytail off during a high-energy dance routine to Rihanna’s ‘Where Have You Been?’. “He had the whole place on its feet, he was so good,” argued Louis, while Nicole reckoned it was his “best performance by far”. Simon, however, was eager to point out that the panel’s decision to keep the Montenegrin actor wasn’t unanimous.
Deanna (Yes) – Deanna, who has travelled all the way from the Caribbean island of Anguilla to take part in The X Factor, chose to perform Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ because it “makes everyone happy” – and she certainly made the judges happy with her effortless high notes. “I think she’s very natural,” commented Sharon, while Simon described her as “charming”.
Taliah Dalorto (Yes) – City worker Taliah proved that she’s worthy of trading in the office for stardom with a powerful performance of Jess Glynne’s ‘Take Me Home’, which won a standing ovation from the 4,000-strong audience. “That was her best performance,” claimed Louis, while Sharon noted: “She put her soul in to it.”
Nicole Caldwell (Yes) – Nicole suffered from extreme nervousness during her room audition, and found the pressure mounting again backstage at Wembley as she compared herself to the hopefuls that went on before her. Simon didn’t help matters when he interrupted her performance of Alicia Keys track ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, telling her she looked “asleep” on stage. After a pep talk from Scherzy, Nicole gave it a second go, and it turned out to be a far better showcase of her “Joni Mitchell tone”.
Delivering the verdict, Sharon curtly told Nicole that she doesn’t feel strongly about her – but support from the other judges gave her a ticket to the Six Chair Challenge.
Grace Davies (Yes) – The final arena try-out came courtesy of Grace, who became an early favourite to win after wowing viewers with her own song, ‘Roots’. Proving that lightning can strike twice, she took to the piano to play another original, ‘Don’t Go’ – and its heartbreak-themed lyrics left Nicole in tears. After a standing ovation from the audience and judges, Simon told her: “What’s so great about you is that you’re relatable. If you carry on doing what you’re doing you’ll give yourself a real shot.” Sharon added: “Every time you sing you get to Niccy and I. That song was just wonderful.”
With Bootcamp over, the Six Chair Challenge is now on the horizon – and tonight’s show ended with the judges finding out which categories they’ll be mentoring this year.
Simon got the groups, Nicole got the overs, and Louis landed the boys.
This left Sharon with the girls – a result she’s not too happy about: “They’re too young and I don’t want to hurt anyone!”
The X Factor continues tomorrow night at 7.30pm on ITV, when we’ll find out which girls get to take one of Sharon’s six seats.