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| Just when we thought we'd ran out of X Factor shocks, tonight's semi-final result reminds us that nothing on this year's show is predictable! ... |
| The trembling contestants wait through 2 sets of performance recaps and one ad break before the lines close and X Factor hostess Kate Thornton can reveal which 3 acts have made it to the final. She tells us that during the evening over 3 million votes have been cast, the bottom place has switched, and at one point the margin between the bottom 2 was just 24 votes. |
| In the usual "no particular order" the first act Kate declares safe is Andy Abraham. The Enfield crooner reacts with shock, because this evening after singing his first song (Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do"), he received another set of lukewarm comments from Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell. Louis told Andy he was "not great, but good", Simon declared Andy's performance as "not good enough". Indeed, Simon and Louis seem nearly as shocked as Andy upon hearing the result. |
Andy immediately receives a warm hug from fellow contestant Brenda Edwards who somewhat fatalistically tells him, "Go and win it for me, right!" Next, an ecstatic Shayne Ward shouts out "Oh my god!" as he hears Kate announce his name as the 2nd act to go through to the final. |  |
| The one remaining place is between Brenda and Journey South. Brenda smiles before the result but the Journey South brothers, Carl and Andy Pemberton, can't mask the tension they're feeling. |
| When Kate announces that Journey South have made it through, Andy Pemberton releases his body tension and sinks out of sight! |
| Brenda, the last remaining lady in the contest, smiles graciously after falling at the final hurdle. She tells Kate "I'm feeling on top of the world, I really am. I've had a great time and I wouldn't change a thing" and adds jokingly "I'm gonna continue losing some more weight too!" |
| Her mentor Sharon Osbourne is feeling so choked and emotional that she is lost for words. Kate introduces the VT of Brenda's incredible journey, which began during a weekend break to a hotel in Belfast where, as luck would have it, the X Factor auditions were in progress. |
| Brenda wangled herself an audition and wowed the judges with her big laugh and big personality and most of all... her big voice! The only thing that has reduced in size since then is Brenda herself. Having lost a few stones and toned up in the gym, a slimmer more elegant looking Brenda graced the stage during The X Factor finals. |
| In fact, every performance Brenda has given in this contest has oozed class. She's shown her lively and sassy side singing numbers like "Rescue Me" and she's also chanelled her emotions into the power ballads like Whitney's "I Will Always Love You". Brenda has taken on the greats, and never once come off looking second best. |
Repeating Whitney familiar words, a smiling, tearful Brenda pays homage to her X Factor mentor... "Sharon, I will always love you, and you have the most amazing family and I just thank you so much for giving me the chance and believing in me. Thank you!" Brenda hugs Sharon, who is still incoherent with emotion. |  |
| Kate tells Brenda "I'll miss you dreadfully" and intros Brenda's reprise of the poignantly titled "Without You". |
| The camera pans over to her pretty daughter Tanisha, sobbing and holding onto Brenda's Auntie Pam. |
 | A moment later we see Louis with eyes every bit as watery as they were the night Maria Lawson left the contest. There's clearly a lot of love for Brenda in the house and hopefully we won't be living without her for too long. Her genie is now well and truly out of the bottle and this lady definitely deserves to see her wishes fulfilled. |
| The good news though is that there are still 3 class acts in next week's final. Andy Abraham, Journey South and Shayne Ward all hope to realise the dream of winning The X Factor and the million pound recording contract that goes with it. |
There's a lot at stake and nerves may well play a part in the final outcome, but as Andy of Journey South promises Kate ... "It's gonna be a great show!" Tune into The X Factor final on ITV1 at 6:40pm Saturday 17th December. |
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