When it comes to the four finalists, my money is firmly rooted on Rebecca whom I have championed and loved from the start of this series. What a graceful and lovely girl, and she is so deserved of her place in the halls of pop fame. However suspicion tempts me to predict that there very well could be an upset in tonight’s show.
Each one of the finalists deserves to win. Let’s be honest it is not very often that we can turn around and say that. For the first time ever, I think that the public will face a difficult quandary when it comes to choosing whom it is that they want to crown their X Factor winner for 2010. While I am sure we each have our favourite, each one of the other finalists will also have created a fondness in our psyche that will make it difficult for us to choose.
Take for example Matt Cardle. What a fine singer, and a complete champion of the spirit of the X Factor. He’s gone on, fought his way through everything, never having complained once, having been honest with the public and the judges when he’s had bad days and put in a not so convincing performance, and I honestly think that this honestly and humbleness has bread in the hearts of the watching public an affection that Matt has no idea he has conjured up in people. Even though in terms of class I do not believe that he comes close to the level of Rebecca, I would say he is a shining example of what the youth of today should be looking up to as a role model and ambassador of the British pop world.
One Direction are by far the most amazing band that the X Factor have ever produced. Stand back the duff twins, and JLS, your time is up as One Direction are in my opinion the dark horse of tonight’s final. While they have grown into a strong, well oiled young boy band right in front of us, we’ve had a chance to feel like a part of the moulding process and watched as five young men become the best of mates and a very good performing group. It is this sense of ownership and the fact that I believe each one of us feel we have a part of their success vested in us that could lead to a major upset in tonight’s show. Whatever way it goes, I feel that the X Factor should be proud of the fact that it can take five individuals who hardly know each other, mould them, prepare them, and produce a very credible and dynamic young Boy Band to take to the world stage of pop music in the years to come. Simon and team deserve credit where credit is due, and I feel that at last the critics that slated the “groups” category can finally shut up and take heed of what perseverance and hard work can really achieve.
I also believe that mini Cheryl, Cher Lloyd is a very talented and credible artist that is going to explode onto the music scene in a massive way in the years to come. I do feel that Cher’s limitation is that she is a rapper at heart and while she is fantastically talented at rap, I personally don’t believe that there is a big enough portion of the population that will carry her through to the final as a winner just for the sheer reason that more people will be voting for the likes of Matt or Rebecca or One Direction based on their musical choice rather than their talent. I hope that Cher can realise this and while she may not have a hope in hell of winning, I hope that she realises that in her genre of music she is already a winner. I mean come on how many mega successful stars have come out and already said they’d love to work with her?
So I would say that the real battle tonight lies between Matt and Rebecca, while One Direction have an outsiders chance at stealing the show. As the results come in, I think we will all be reflecting on one of the finest X Factor finals in the 8 years that the show has been running, and I think that Simon and his crew should feel proud of their achievement this year. While yes we have had a few unpleasant instances, we finally got down to the real talent and the semi final was contested on the highest level with the best of the lot.
If I am honest I can admit that I was sad to see Aiden Grimshaw leave the show so early on, as I loved his quirky approach to music, but I quickly realised that a lot of the British public just would not get his intensity and his weird little ways, and that ultimately would go against him. I think that Trayc Cohen was hard done by when the judges sidestepped making their decisions, but in the long run I think that for the show it worked out for the best. I would have liked to see Trayc go longer, but ultimately the show must go on and the public got rid of Katie in the end. The only other freak that I was glad to see go was the Brazilian misfit Wagner, who after having had the cheek to tell Simon he could not use Storm Lee’s real name, totally refused to call Wagner by his real name till the final blow when his act has been summarily dismissed by the judges vote. Ah Louis Louis Louis! Please remove the man from the building.
My only real disappointment this year has been in Dermit Oleary. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how over friendly he gets with male contenders on stage, and how he totally blanks others. I was alarmed at how blatantly he flirted on stage with the likes of Aiden and Niall yet when Paige Richardson would be interviewed by him on stage he’d totally keep his distance. I also found his comments and comebacks to be rather irritating and in some cases rather inflammatory towards judges as if Dermit feels that judges should be answerable to him. I think personally that Dermit has sadly become far too big for the shoes he occupies on the show and hope the sleaze is replaced with some refreshing talent next year. Maybe that is one for the producers to have a think about. 
