16-year-old Rai Elle shocked The X Factor 2017 judges in tonight’s six chair challenge.
This evening was the start of the Six Chair Challenge for 2017 with the super competitive Girls category, mentored by Sharon Osbourne.
Each of the Girls took to the stage one at a time, battling for one of six seats which represent places at judges’ houses.
While the judges – and the live audience at Wembley Arena – will all offered up their opinions, it was up to Sharon alone to decide who got a chair.
One of those singing for a seat was 16-year-old student from Croydon Rai Elle.
She told the judges she was going to sing Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, a cappella.
“Wow!” reacted Sharon, “Big song for a little one.”
“And that’s why I’ve chosen the song,” quipped Rai-Elle.
“Wow, she’s ballsy,” quipped Simon Cowell.
After the performance, Nicole Scherzinger told Rai-Elle: “That chair over there has your name on it.”
And Simon said: “I remember asking you if you were sure you wanted to do this part of the competition, and you looked me in the eye and said ‘I’m ready for this’. And boy are you ready for this. If Sharon doesn’t give you a chair you can take mine!”
It’s all down to Sharon Osbourne as to whether or not Rai-Elle gets a seat – and can keep it.
Another hopeful making their debut appearance on the show tonight is 20 year-old sandwich maker from Lancashire Kelsey Gill, who sings an original song called Scars.
Other girls singing for a seat in tonight’s show are Shanaya Atkinson-Jones sings I Know Where I’ve Been from Hairspray, Taliah Dalorto sings James Bay’s Let It Go and Deanna puts her spin on Emeli Sande’s My Kind Of Love
20 year-old singer-songwriter and warehouse assistant from Blackburn, Grace Davies returns with a new original song while nervous Nicole Caldwell performs Fatboy Slim’s Praise You.
See who gets a seat – and can keep a hold of it – this evening when the Six chair Challenge begins.
The X Factor 2017 airs tonight at 7:30PM on ITV.