Leon shakes off his inhibitions on stage tonight. He throws himself into a few snazzy dance moves and even does a spin a la Ray Quinn. His vocal is solid, if not quite as strong as last week, and overall we rate this his most entertaining performance to date.

Facing the panel Leon knows he's done something right because Simon at last compliments him on his "very good" vocal. Naturally, Mr Cowell takes all the credit for this!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...I gave you a hard time last week but... you've got a great, great voice, Leon... I'm starting to see a bit of personality. I didn't like the dancing.

Sharon Osbourne:  ...you're the dark horse, you're coming up on the outside and you are positioning yourself right for the final. You were brilliant!

Simon Cowell:  Right, Leon you said in your VT you want me to talk about your voice this week, right?

Leon: Yes.

Simon Cowell:  You Sure?

Leon: Yeah.

Simon Cowell:  Okay. It was very good... And Leon.... I think in a strange way you have me to thank for being good this week. (Groans) Because I gave you a kick up the butt when you needed it. You cannot be nervous in a competition like this. You've overcome your nerves, it was your best performance so far.

Dannii Minogue:  I have to start by saying you deserve a big band every week and 'in other words' the whole country 'loves you'!

Futureproof - Clockwise from Top Left - Richard Wilkinson, Adam Chandler, Sean Rumsey, Matthew Protheroe and Aaron Delahunty

Slick and shiny-suited Futureproof look like 5 latter-day Beatles as they arrive onstage. Adam opens with a sweet, tuneful, solo. He's joined first by Richard and Sean, then finally Aaron and Matthew take to their stands at opposite ends of the line-up.

Matthew sings a decent solo-part, but nerves are evident and he doesn't scale the sublime vocal heights previously pioneered by Richard and Adam. This is an entertaining rather than an oustanding performance.

Louis criticises Futureproof's dancing, or rather the lack of it, but the lads look comfortable on stage and perform well as a unit.

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  Guys, you picked a very good song... There was no dancing!...I've got a problem... The two guys at the end, the two bookends, you look odd. (Groans and boos) There is something not right.

Simon Cowell:  I have just got to say this, Louis Walsh talks about the book ends at the end... Coming from Louis!

Louis Walsh:  What do you mean?

Simon Cowell:  Think about it.

Louis Walsh:  What are you talking about?

Simon Cowell:  Think about it.

Sharon Osbourne:  Well, good song... I don't care about the dancing. You look great, you sound great. Fabulous!

Dannii Minogue:  ...I love you but I didn't love that song for you...(Groans) ...As a first-time vocal it wasn'tt perfect and I don't think you had long enough to perfect the dance routines. It didn't work for you.

Simon Cowell:  ...We had some big issues with the dancing over the last few days, so we had 20 minutes to prepare for tonight. The most important thing on a night like this, with a big band, is you've got to be respectful to the music and you've got to entertain and you did both. It was great.

Sexy in stilletos and robed in split-sided scarlet, Niki shows her sassy side on stage tonight. There's plenty of cheeky Chicago spirit in this performance and Niki looks like she's having a blast.

The only part of the performance that doesn't work for us is the silly section where the bandsman saunters over to blow his big trumpet between Niki's legs. We're with Simon on this one, it just seemed out of place and gimmicky.

However, Niki delivers another excellent vocal, which reaches it's climax on the last big note. Niki doesn't need any gimmicks, she's the real thing.

Panel-Bites:

Sharon Osbourne:  Niki! ...a real big gamble with this song... to get into sort of character... to move... it is so difficult to do it in a matter of hours... It paid off... I admire you for stretching yourself.

Dannii Minogue:  I love that song... you sang it really well. Those top notes at the end. She makes them sound easy but it is full-on...

Simon Cowell:  Ah, Niki, sorry to rain on your parade but I didn't really like that very much (Boos)... It was very cabaret, awkward, unbelievable and you should never have allowed that trumpet player between your legs.  (Laughter) Not during a song, you shouldn't... Because it was all a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

Niki: Not for me!

Louis Walsh:  Niki, guess what? The dinner lady can sing, she can dance and she can take on any challenge. We took a risk, it worked and I loved it! (Cheers)

Looking like a startled Polar Bear in fake white fur and sticky-up hair, Rhydian starts his song from deep within a startled audience.  Booming out Pink's contemporary number in the style of Shirley Bassey, he descends the studio steps, faces the panel and dramatically flings his fur.

The audience are loving him tonight, and with the exception of Louis, the judges are too. We're with Louis. We've seen plenty of over the top-ness from Rhydian in previous weeks, this time it just feels like 'same old, same old'. Rhydian is rapidly becoming this year's X Factor caricature.

We're sure there's more to Rhydian than has been presented thus far. We'd like to see him break out of caricature and break into his true character!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...I loved you the last few weeks... You are so different. I am glad you are in the competition but that was all a bit over-the-top!... (Boos) ...Right artist. Wrong song.

Sharon Osbourne:  Rhydian you look like the Snow Queen from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but only you could get away with it, only you. (Cheers) ...I'm speechless!

Simon Cowell:  ...I absolutely loved it. ...That to me is what tonight's all about... 'Putting on a show'. ...The vocals at the end were incredible... (Cheers)... For a lot of reasons it has been my favourite performance of the 'X Factor' this year.

Dannii Minogue:  That's what we want to see on ITV! You did it! Thank you so much! Thank you.

Louis Walsh can't imagine what Same Difference are going to perform for 'Big Band Night'. Why, 'S Club 7' of course! 'Reach' isn't what we'd call a big band number, but a big band supplies the music, so, maybe that's all that matters!

Okay, a dodgy song choice, but there's no faulting the way Sean and Sarah, perform on the X Factor stage tonight. Great singing, superb dancing and their smashing smiles all add up to another fun packed performance.

Is Louis melting? He admits he's starting to like Same Difference, a little. However, he also says he only sees them doing panto! Oh yes he does! Oh no we don't!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...A lot better than I thought I was going to be... But, I can only see you working for ever and ever and ever in panto. Forever! (Boos)

Sharon Osbourne:  Nothing wrong with panto, I love it!... I love you... you are never going to get a hard word out of me... I want to know what your mum put in your milk. Where did I go wrong?...

Simon Cowell:  Well, that's a long story!

Dannii Minogue:  ...I caught you rehearsing in the canteen yesterday... it all pays off. You are getting better and better every performance.

Simon Cowell:  ...I just love you two... You really put me in a good mood every week.. everything you do is... You get the choreography absolutely right... Terrific performance...

Dermot O'Leary:  The whole world loves you... apart from Louis...

Sarah: Louis, we....

Louis Walsh:  I am starting to like them a little bit, Dermot. I'm getting worried. They are really nice people but I just don't see them in the charts...

Dermot O'Leary:  Listen Louis, Louis and you at home, look at the lovely little puppy dog faces. (Wags Sean by the chin and kisses him)

Two weeks in the bottom two means Alisha is in need of a confidence booster... Or is she? Tonight she proves the pluckiness of her character by delivering a great rendition of Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie'.

Looking great in strapless green, shaking her tambourine and swaying to the big band rhythm, Alisha looks like she's having a ball on stage.

The urban, edginess of this Amy Winehouse number sounds like a much better fit to Alisha's own vocal style than her earlier songs. There's definitely an appealing bit of attitude in this young lady that fortunately found it's outlet tonight.

What a difference a song makes. The difference being that Alisha should, and surely will, keep out of the bottom two later tonight!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  Alisha... (Almost drowned by cheers) ...Your best performance yet. You look like a star. I love the fact you sang a contemporary song and if there's any justice you won't be in the bottom two tonight. You were fantastic.

Dannii Minogue:  Alisha... (To cheering audience) QUIET! ...sometimes we have to be pushed to be our best and boy you did it! Loved it. That's the song for you.

Simon Cowell:  Alisha, your best performance so far. You know what, everyone likes a fighter, Alisha and I saw you fighting your way through every second of that song to go "Keep me in the competition". Good for you!

Sharon Osbourne:  You got me and I'm so proud to have you on my team. It's just you and me, missus. I love ya!

Dermot O'Leary:  All right honey, that was knockout. (Kisses her cheek) Way to go, you.

Alisha: (Smiles and offers her other cheek) Two, hello!

Dermot O'Leary:  Two! (Mutters jokingly) Always tells me off for kissing...

We don't get the song Simon has selected for Hope tonight. 'Hanky Panky' is, in our view, a cheeky novelty number which does nothing to show off the girls' talents. Except perhaps their bum-slapping skills!

Perhaps the idea was to draw attention to the girls' more obvious assets. However, we saw plenty of those last week, when a skimpily clad Hope performed Lady Marmalade! They say "sex sells", but will it win votes? This is a vocal contest after all, isn't it?

On the plus side, the girls do at least perform the song with a cheeky enthusiasm, especially when, mid-performance, they visit Simon at the judging table to plant a smacker on his chin.

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...I've watched ye backstage. These girls are taking this competition so seriously. They rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. You've great energy and there is a big gap in the market for a new girl band. I want the girls to back you and vote for you, back you and get Girl Power back in the charts.

Sharon Osbourne:  ...I wasn't crazy about the song but I love the way you're dressed this week and I just love you... Great personalities... So much fun. And yea, more Girl Power!

Louis Walsh:  More Girl Power.

Sharon Osbourne:  Yes!

Dannii Minogue:  I think, um, Simon, you're living out some kind of weird fantasy with these girls. (Laughter)

Simon Cowell:  What, you didn't like that?

Dannii Minogue:  I liked it a lot.

Simon Cowell:  I know you did.

Dannii Minogue:  Girls, you look great. You're not the strongest vocalists in this show but you're pulling it together in a really nice way. It was fun.

Simon Cowell:  ...What people don't know tonight was... we had to change this routine with the mikes....

Dannii Minogue:  (Laughs and points to the lipstick on Simon's chin) I can't take you seriously.

Simon Cowell:  ...with seconds almost to go before the show.

Louis Walsh:  You've got lipstick on your face.

Simon Cowell:  Oh shut up Louis, I am trying to say something...

Louis Walsh:  You have lipstick on your face!

Simon Cowell:  All right, they kissed me ...What I loved... you didn't take yourselves too seriously... You look like stars... I've gotta tell you and it was actually my favourite performance of the night. (Grins)

Phoebe: We really respect the judges comments and I'm sure Simon enjoyed his little dance. I hope he enjoyed it...

Dermot O'Leary:  Simon, your mum watching tonight?

Simon Cowell:  Er, yeah. Oh yeah.

Dermot O'Leary:  Would you get a spanky for that, or...?

Simon Cowell:  What, from my mum? Probably yeah.

On his intro VT Andy again complains about "hurtful" comments from the panel. There's only one way he can put this to rights and that's by turning in a great performance.

Unfortunately, Andy doesn't quite pull it off tonight. He sings well enough, but for much of the arrangement he is drowned out by the big band.

Towards the end of the number he starts to pump up the volume and the emotional intensity. It's just a hint of what he's really capable of. Hopefully we'll see more of this next week... providing of course there is a next week!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...You definitely deserve to be in this competition... you look like a popstar and you sing like a popstar. However, I didn't like the song. I think it's too obscure. (Boos) I think with the right song girls are going to vote for you...

Sharon Osbourne:  Er, Andy, you've got a great voice, there's no doubt about that. But it's all a bit weak. I need to see some kind of oomph in there and I didn't quite get it... This competition is so tough, for guys. You've gotta raise it up a bit.

Simon Cowell:  ...I thought the end worked... For the very, very first time since you've been on the show I actually heard an attempt to sing. Having said that ...you look at Leona Lewis right now, she's No.1 in charts, she's killing everyone else in the charts (Groans) It's true! So you can get a star off this show ...I don't see you at the moment as a recording artist... That was much more somewhat something I would hear in a hotel... The end part was okay.

Dannii Minogue:  I think every girl in the country sees you as a recording artist and I loved that, it was so romantic and beautiful. I loved it.

6T are in the house tonight, so Mrs Trotman gives her little pupils, plus the millions of viewers, a lesson in vocal excellence.

Robed in red, with pretty flower on shoulder and hair slicked back, Bev looks like a '50s diva and sings like one too. It's a perfect vocal, and a great emotional delivery.

Every second of this performance is captivating, and when it's over 6T are in ecstasy. So, too are the panel and so are we! Beverley's beaming smile tells us exactly how she's feeling and she's 'Feeling Good'!

Panel-Bites:

Sharon Osbourne:  (Hand raised) Mrs Trotman... Mrs Trotman!... I always say to people who go up and perform "It's your moment up there and own it" and you owned it! Fantastic.

Dannii Minogue:  It's not just your students who are in love with you now. We're all in love with you. ... That was just the stand-out performance of the night, it really was.

Simon Cowell:  ...You had a bad first week. You had a good second week. You've had an incredible third week! ...You have been under Niki's shadow for three weeks but not tonight, you outsung her tonight. (Cheers)

Louis Walsh:  Beverley, you had the best performance tonight by a mile, absolutely. (Cheers) ...You're a contender to win this competition on your performance tonight. Absolutely brilliant.

Beverley: ...I am so grateful for your comments this evening. Thank you very much. And I love 6T!

Dermot O'Leary:  6T. All about the 6T! ...One last big cheer, class 6T. ... There they are. They're up quite late...