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| Day 2 (25s and Over Boot Camp with Sharon Osbourne) |
| At the end of day 1 Sharon whittled her Over 25 category down from 89 to just 14. She also gave her chosen few a list of 5 songs. They must choose just one to rehearse overnight. The songsheet includes... |
(All song and artist links are to Amazon.co.uk) -
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me  (Elton John ) -
I Only Want To Be With You (Dusty Springfield ) -
Walk On By (Dionne Warwick ) |
| Back at the hotel cheeky Chico Slimani is finding the the learning process a bit tough, he admits "I'm not the best at learning songs very quickl" but is quick to add "I can make a song up on the spot". |
| When the contestants turn up in the morning Sharon lets them know that rather than hear them singing straight away she wants to get to know them a little better. She has arranged a bit of speed-dating in the decadent setting of a Café de Paris boudoir! |
| Sharon will have a 3 minute one-on-one with each of them in the decadent setting of a Café de Paris boudoir! She hopes that by the end of it she will have a better feel for them! No, not that kind of feel! She simply wants to get to know them all a little bit better. |
| Andy Abraham is first up on the bed with Sharon. "Bin men don't get this evey day you know!" he says. Sharon wants to know why he's never taken singing up professionally. Andy tells her it's been "lack of confidence in front of cameras". Now he's got over that hurdle he justs wants to be a "much, much beter singer" than he is now. She tells him not to hold back and he promises he won't. |  |
| Someone who seems like she never holds back is Brenda. She gets a warm hug off Sharon, who tells her not to 'blow it'. |
| "I'm not going to blow it" quips Brenda, "I'm going to blow your hair off!" |
 | They all make the most of their 3 minutes, but no-one moreso than charming Chico who arrives with flowers for the lady. "Chico, you're such a tart!" cries Sharon, laughing. The smooth-tongued Moroccan explains "I have never had a date with a woman and not got her flowers. I just don't want to break the tradition." Sharon accepts the flowers gracefully, though it's not clear if Ozzy ever gets to know about this! |
| It's Brenda Edwards who kicks off the singing after lunch. She does a great job on Elton John's Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, and she's certainly hoping that the sun won't set on her X Factor chances. Gary Farrow rates her as "just a great gospel choir singer". Sharon rates her as a great personality. |  |
| Dubliner Richie Glynn, who has hardly been featured on the show until Boot Camp, gives the same song more of a rock vibe. Richie's voice has a dramatic intensity about it which gives the song a totally different edge. |
| Stunning Sally is another Boot Camper who we haven't got to know in the early shows. She makes a good job of Walk On By, but we don't really hear enough to make a proper assessment of her vocal. |
| Contestant 24821, a beautiful and sassy black lady whose name unfortunately is not supplied, sings a really impressive version of "Walk On By". Andy Abraham is equally impressive singing the same song. His voice is richly textured and very soulful, and Andy keeps his promise to Sharon and doesn't hold back. Sharon smiles approvingly. |  |
| Chico takes to the stage wearing a beret and looking somewhat French. Perhaps it's part of a master-ploy to woo Sharon's vote, because instead of the Walk On By lyrics he sings "You know I'm a superstar. And I've travelled so far. I've done all that I can do you've gotta put me through. Sharon... don't let me slip by baby! Ooo-oh!" He stops, looks Sharon in the eye and tells her "Now put me thorugh." |
| The vocal is by no means perfect, but Chico scores high in the stakes of creativity and persuasion. Sharon naturally can't stop laughing. "Not one bleedin' word did you know of that song!" she tells him. Chico exits with his winning smile. However, he has yet to win over PR man Gary who complains "He can't dance, he can't sing... he can't even remember!" |
| Before her set, Haifa Kayali tells us that she's "hungry for this" and that she'll be happy as long as "I feel I've given it my best shot". Unfortunately she loses her way whilst singing her Dusty Springfield number and she knows it's anything but her best shot. "I can't believe I just did that" she tells Kate afterwards, before having a little cry. Haifa seems convinced that she's just ruined her chances in the contest. |  |
| Joanne Hindley also seems to be feeling the pressure and she has a few tuning problems on her number. |
| 'Glamour' model and Playboy TV presenter Michelle Thorne is shaping up well until she forgets the words for Walk On By. Michelle walks off wearing a brave smile but once off stage she can't hold those tears back. Gary Farrow labels her as "just a glamour model trying to sing", but Sharon seems to be fighting her corner "I think she's endearing! I like her!" |
| After an unfortunate stream of goof-ups from the girls, Maria Lawson steps up and sings "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and she performs it so well it would be impossible not to. Maria looks like she's got it all, a powerful soulful voice, the looks and oodles of stage presence. |
| Sharon has another tough job, cutting from 14 down to 7, primarily because a few of the acts didn't show what they were capable of on stage today. Perhaps Sharon will also take into account their performance on the bed... (no not like that!)... during this morning speed-dating to help her finally decide? |
| Michelle steps up feeling like her problem with the words has ruined her chances. It has. |
| Also feeling the wrong end of the Boot Camp boot are Aaron Davidson, Ricardo, Sally, Tony, Contestant 24821, and a.n.other still mysteriously unidentified. (Well don't blame us! We're only watching the programme!) |
| Sharon has better news for the rest... |
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Sharon tells Andy he might work with rubbish but rubbish he isn't. Andy is in. -
Sharon tells a tearful Joanne that she's disappointed... but she's going to give her one more chance. -
Sharon tells Richie that he did 'okay', but 'okay' is good enough for the top 7. -
Maria arrives tense-lipped, hoping for good news to take to her wedding tomorrow. Sharon thinks she's amazing and proposes... that Maria should make her top 7. -
Chico's cheeky charm and creative lyrics only mean that Sharon is "really, really sorry" that she's going to... put him in her top 7. -
Sharon tells Brenda how "really hard" it has been for her to... include her in the top 7 too. -
Haifa doesn't look at all confident, especially when Sharon tells her she let herself down. Sharon's agonising pause is too much foir Haifa to bear. "Sharon, tell me please!" she pleads, dabbing down her tears. When she finally hears she's made the top 7 her tears and her hugs flow freely. |  |
| To recap on Sharon's final 7 alphabetically... |
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Andy Abraham -
Brenda Edwards -
Chico Slimani -
Haifa Kayali -
Joanne Hindley -
Maria Lawson -
Richie Glynn |
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