Beverley is firmly back in the running after last week's terrific rendition of "I'm Every Woman". Tonight she makes the most of a somewhat disjointed version of Harry Nilsson's classic 'Without You'. The arrangment disrupts the flow of the song, which means this performance doesn't quite feel right. It's a shame because Beverley sings a fine vocal and puts a lot of feeling into her delivery.

Beverley receives a positive set of comments from all of the judges. However, Simon Cowell does raise the spectre of the X Factor without Beverley. Thankfully he doesn't sing Harry Nilsson's song back to her, but he does say "it would be a tragedy for this show if you did not make the top five next week..."!

Panel-Bites:

Sharon Osbourne:  Beverley... one of the greatest love songs... you did it such justice. You were spectacular tonight... I got goose bumps all over... a magnificent performance, really.

Dannii Minogue:  I don't know what you ate but... it wasn't like that this afternoon when you sang it. Did you like this song?

Beverley: I loved this song. I just wanted the opportunity to just give it everything I had... I got into the zone... I've been married for 14 years, I love my husband so much and I just completely saw his face... and that was for you John.

Dannii Minogue:  Well you got in the zone tonight because something changed...  I don't know what happened. It was very good.

Simon Cowell:  ...When you started...I thought "Oh God we're gonna have a problem with this song"... You were so nervous... an important week because you want to make it into the top five. ...Even though it wasn't perfect you made it special... I believed everything that you sang. I think it would be a tragedy for this show if you didn't make the top five next week, because I think that you battled your way here. I think you've got a terrific story and I think you're a great person. So, fingers crossed.

Louis Walsh:  Beverley, what a performance. You look like a diva, and you sung like a diva and I want everybody at home to vote for you. Please vote for Beverley.

Quality vocals from Sean and Sarah show that they can wow the audience even without a mega-dance routine.

This is Same Difference's most 'grown-up' performance and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" may turn out to be a very apt song choice. Simon delights the smiling siblings by telling them "It was the perfect pop record for you and I think you would have a hit record with that."

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  Sarah! Sean! ...I think that was your best performance so far ...I am glad you got rid of all the dancers and all the gimmicks. If I was looking for two nice happy people you would be the perfect people... but, guys if you won, it would be a travesty, it really would be a travesty. (Boos)

Dannii Minogue:  It was great to see how uncomfortable Louis was during that whole performance. It was brilliant. (Cheers) It wasn't note-perfect the whole way but the big notes that you pulled out were spectacular. That's new singing we haven't seen before.

Sean: (To Sarah) Well done, sis!

Dannii Minogue:  You're really improving, you looked the best you've ever looked and you know I am a big fan. (Cheers)

Sharon Osbourne:  You know what, I am so happy that Daddy Warbucks let you grow up tonight, because you did. You look fantastic and he has taken you out of 'Blue Peter' and taken you into '07' ...Also, I want to come to your house because it looks like you have a Willy Wonker bed there and I want to join in, it looks so much fun. But anyway, really well done, you look amazing and you were fantastic.

Simon Cowell:  I hope that Louis Walsh bumps into James the club manager one dark night.

Louis Walsh:  ...Simon, we're not looking for a club act!...

Simon Cowell:  ...Ignoring Mr Grumpy I thought it was by far your best performance, and I'll tell you why... Because you sang your socks off, you proved that actually you're both good singers. It was the perfect pop record for you and I think you'd have a hit record with that. Great. (Cheers)

Styled beautifully in bright red dress and matching lipstick, Niki delivers a lovely, powerful rendition of Jennifer Rush's 'The Power Of Love'. Although her vocal strays off key during the final few bars, her emotional intensity carries the performance.

Aware of her technical error, Niki's emotion spills into a few tears as she faces the judges. She clearly fears the worst, but the panel's very positive response soon lifts her mood.

Panel-Bites:

Sharon Osbourne:  Niki! Okay. Niki, amazing song, sang it with great emotion and one thing about Louis, he knows a good diva! ...You tonight were unbelievable and you deserve to be here 'til the very end missus.

Dannii Minogue:  Niki, a great performance. I can see how emotional you are. The whole week, going back to the family. I know how important that is. Just leading up to the end you lost it on the notes... You know that... (Niki nods) ...and it's such a scary note that last one, but the rest of it was great.

Simon Cowell:  Yeah. I've got to tell you Nik, it's very, very difficult to be really critical tonight when I have seen those films and stuff and I know how much it means to you. But look, it was a million times better than last week Nik. (Cheers) And why I am so impressed with what you just did... because we have now got ourselves a competition. Good for you.

Louis Walsh:  Niki, you absolutely nailed it. You look like a diva and you're a real star tonight. And very few people iin this competition... could sing the first part a cappella like you did. You're a real singer. (Cheers)

Dermot O'Leary:  All right. Lady in red. Look at you. Wonderful... Feel like you're back on track?

Niki: Sort of. (Laughs) I am glad Simon said something nice to me this week, and thank you, Simon, it means a lot.

On his VT Rhydian acknowledges that last week's gimmicky 'Go West' was a mistake. There's definitely no gimmick this week, just Rhydian at the mike singing a beautiful rendition of 'Somewhere'. Yes,  ¯ Somewhere, there's a place for Rhydian ¯ and based on this performance it may well be a place in the X Factor finals!

Rhydian's ex-nemesis 'Missus' Osbourne, now one of his biggest fans, reminds us that he slipped through Lord Lloyd Webber's net on 'Joseph' (BBC's "Any Dream Will Do"). She then tells the Powys powerhouse "I am so glad that Lloyd Webber messed up and we have got you." Simon Cowell is also glad, and he goes a step further, telling Rhydian "I think that you would be an incredible winner for this competition!"

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  Rhydian, Rhydian.... You are a true professional. You are one of the most professional people in this contest. You are definitely going to make the final. You're very passionate and you're head and shoulders above everybody.

Sharon Osbourne:  Rhydian, is it true that you auditioned for Joseph?

Rhydian: (Shakes his head and smiles) No.

Sharon Osbourne:  You didn't?

Rhydian: Oh, on the BBC?

Sharon Osbourne:  Yes.

Rhydian: Well, I thought... good job I didn't get through so I can come on the ITV and do the better show.

Sharon Osbourne:  No. ...Let the Mother speak! ...Because I was just gonna say that Lloyd Lloyd Webber, I thought he had taste, but he messed up on you mister because he let you go...(Cheers) ...But he gave us the opportunity to have you here and I am so glad that Lloyd Webber messed up and we've got you.

Simon Cowell:  Here, here. ...I'm glad that we got to show you in the films as the person we've all got to know, because you are a decent guy ...I love your family, they're terrific and great supporters of you. Let's remind ourselves what the purpose of this show is. The idea is that maybe out of all the hundreds of thousands who apply we may find a star. After that performance I thought the vocal was perfect and I think that you would be an incredible winner for this competition! (Cheers)

Rhydian: Thank you so much, thanks a lot.

Dannii Minogue:  I honestly can't even speak, that was so beautiful and I'm sure everybody at home will think the same as me. I felt you were singing it personally, you know, to me. I felt that was just incredible. (Applause)

Phoebe Brown takes on lead vocals for Hope's Christina Aguilera number, with the other girls coming over a bit like her backing singers. They're singing 'Hurt' and some of them are really feeling it!

The arrangement is rather puzzling, because with the focus on Phoebe for the second consecutive week, Hope are coming over like a solo act! We're wondering if maybe Simon has abandoned all Hope but Phoebe! Perhaps a solo contract may be awaiting her at the end of her X Factor journey?

Phoebe is clearly a talented 17-year-old, but singing a Christina number is still quite some challenge. Her rendition has sincerity and passion but her tuning is notably off-key at times.

Louis, like ourselves, has a problem with the 'Phoebe-focus', but the other judges remain fairly upbeat about Hope.

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  ...I'm really glad I saved you... You really do look like a girl group... I don't know why Simon gave a Christina Aguilera song to a group... because Phoebe is carrying the group. So we've got one lead singer and we've got 4 girls going 'oohs and aahs'. I know Simon likes girls going 'ooh and aah' but 4? I don't know about that. (Groans, boos and oohs) ...It is not fair on the other 4 girls.

Man in audience: Pipe down and keep to the Boyzone. (Laughter)

Sharon Osbourne:  Alright, girls. Yeah, Phoebe, listen, you were given the song by your mentor and there's only one lead vocal and you sang really, really well tonight, you did Phoebe... But, girls, you know I love you, but this contest is so hot right now and there's such big time competition in there. I just wish you girls luck. I really do. I hope people pick the phone up and vote.

Dannii Minogue:  Girls, I don't know if we made a mistake not putting Phoebe through as a solo artist in the girls section. That's what I felt tonight. It was full of so much passion and you could really, really feel it. It wasn't note perfect but my God... (Points to Phoebe) ...Watch you!

Simon Cowell:  Well, let's just pick up on the ridiculous thing Louis said about having you sing lead, because... (turns to Louis) ...what would you be doing if you had Take That?

Louis Walsh:  They had Robbie and they had Gary and they had the 3 big singers.

Simon Cowell:  Listen, when they did 'Patience' one person was on lead vocals. So it was a really petty nasty thing to say.

Louis Walsh:  No, Simon, you made a mistake and you, you should face...

Simon Cowell:  Shut up! ...It is a sign of confidence that on this song you allowed one person to do the lead, because more than one lead on that song would be ridiculous. I think, honestly girls, we saw the real you tonight. I love the way that you've taken on a Christina song. And I pray that you're gonna stay in because I think this would be a travesty if they were to go off the back of that performance. It was great.

Dermot O'Leary:  ...Phoebe... what have you got to say after that performance?

Phoebe: Erm, I just wanna say, we really appreciate your comments but we are a group and these girls are so talented and they mean the world to me and we all work so hard together and we all supported each other, so...

Listening to Leon Jackson sing 'You Don't Know Me' we realise he's right... we didn't know he was this good! His delivers an outstanding vocal and looks totally confident on stage tonight. At just 18, Leon is now looking and sounding like a seasoned professional. His bluesy, jazzy treatment fits this Ray Charles number perfectly.

Leon deservedly receives a great response from the X Factor panel. We agree with Sharon Osbourne as she reaffirms Leon as this season's dark horse. And with the finishing post in sight, this dark horse is just getting into his stride!

Panel-Bites:

Louis Walsh:  Leon, I love that song, you picked an absolutely brilliant song and as Sharon said you're only 18-years-old. You're getting better and better and better every week. The only thing... my only little bit of negativity... stop listening to Michael Bublé, I want Leon... because you're as good as Michael Bublé.

Sharon Osbourne:  Leon, you were totally in your comfort zone, you were so relaxed, so spot-on tonight and as I said a couple of weeks ago 'you are the dark horse in this contest'.

Simon Cowell:  Er, Leon, you kind of messed up the start, didn't you? You lost your way, it just felt that you were out of time a bit and I am going to be honest with you, Leon I....

Louis Walsh:  No!

Simon Cowell:  ...Let me finish... (Boos) ...Let me finish! ...I have sat here week after week, wondering why you are still in the competition... (Boos) ...Until now! ...(Cheers)... Because I've got to tell you, forget the Michael Bublé thing, it doesn't matter. This is what you do, young man, incredibly well and by any standard that was an incredible performance. (Cheers. Leon looks emotional)

Dannii Minogue:  I am going to make a real fool of myself because I am absolutely crying again. I am so proud of you and I feel like part of the family. I... Rrrggh! I love you.