X Factor 2018 auditions! The top performances from Week 1

Here’s a look at the top performances from Week 1 of The X Factor 2018 auditions.

Last weekend saw try outs for The X Factor this year pass the half way point with another pair of episodes on the Saturday and Sunday.

We’ve ranked the top auditions based on online hits and shares over the weekend and here are the top five in out countdown…

Janice Robinson

The stand-out moment in episode one came courtesy of 90s dance diva Janice Robinson, the original frontwoman of Livin’ Joy. She brought the roof down at the SSE Arena with the group’s number one single, ‘Dreamer’, which had Dermot and the production staff backstage dancing along.

“You are not just The X Factor, you are every single letter in the alphabet factor!” grinned Ayda. Simon was so thrilled that he said Janice would have got his Golden Buzzer, had it been Britain’s Got Talent.

Anthony Russell

In what will no doubt be remembered as of the most emotional moment of the series, Anthony returned to The X Factor, having quit last year’s series due to “personal reasons”. It was a touching moment for Louis, as he’d become close friends with the Liverpool lad, having offered support through his struggles.

Anthony’s piano version of Avicii smash ‘Wake Me Up’ visibly moved Louis, while Simon described his voice as “sensational”. Ayda added: “You just completely surrendered to that moment and it was phenomenal.” Louis initially refused to vote due to their friendship, but Simon talked him round, meaning Anthony left with four yesses.

Danny Tetley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmiG0xZYQBA

Simon faced a blast from his past when cheeky chappy Danny took to the X Factor stage – almost two decades after the media mogul first rejected him on Pop Idol. Kicking off what he described as his “World Cup final”, Danny stunned the room by performing Jennifer Hudson’s ‘And I Am Telling You’, and this time he won Simon’s seal of approval.

“I think I remember saying to you seventeen years ago, you should come back in seventeen years’ time,” he joked. “I could not be more thrilled for you, I mean that.”

Brendan Murray

Brendan has already been on the cusp of success. He was once a member of boyband HomeTown, who topped the charts in their native Ireland, and made an ill-fated attempt to represent Ireland in last year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Now Brendan’s aiming to finally hit the big time – but his X Factor journey didn’t exactly get off to the best start.

His initial performance, of Ella Eyre’s stripped-back version of ‘We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off’, was interrupted by Simon, who said: “Lyrically that song didn’t suit your voice.”

Misunderstood

Original songs are all the rage on The X Factor after Rak-su romped to victory last year, and the first self-penned track of 2018 didn’t disappoint. Jeff and Stefan – a.k.a. duo Misunderstood – had the crowd on their feet with ‘Juicy Fruit’, a song about “celebrating the big curves, the juicy parts of someone’s body”.

“That was off the chain! That was epic, sick, cool, that was incredible!” exclaimed Ayda. “That song was incredible, I can hear that on the radio. You’re born to do this lads,” added Robbie.

The X Factor 2018 continues Saturday and Sunday nights on ITV.