Nicole Scherzinger’s Six Chair Challenge brought plenty of drama in Saturday (24 September) night’s ‘X Factor’, when she pitted two of her contestants against each other in a sing-off.
This year, Nicole is mentoring the boys, with the most recent instalment of the showing seeing her having some difficulty in narrowing it down to just six, who would then go through to Judges’ Houses.
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Nicole and her six remaining acts
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True, some decisions were easier than others. James Hughes guaranteed himself a seat with his version of ‘Proud Mary’, and Niall Sexton knew exactly what Nicole wanted to hear when he put his own spin on her ballad, ‘Run’.
Will Rush’s was also an easy decision for Nicole to make, but probably not for the reasons he was hoping, when his original song went down like a lead balloon with the judging panel.
However, she did have some difficulty when Christian Burrows got up to perform ‘Feeling Good’, with Nicole unsure which act to switch him up for, even asking Matt Terry (the one everyone reckons looks like Louis Tomlinson) to sing again, to defend his place in the competition.
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The sing-off made for tense viewing
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When Matt totally nailed Little Mix’s ‘Secret Love Song’, Nicole knew she’d have to keep him, instead asking Luca Valenti to leave the competition instead.
The Six Chair Challenge returns on Sunday (25 September) at 8pm on ITV, with Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne deciding which of the groups and over 25s should progress in the competition.
'X Factor' Judges Through The Years
Series 1-3 (2004-2006)(01 of11)
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The original line-up: Sharon Osbourne, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh (credit:ITV)
Series 4 (2007)(02 of11)
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All change: Dannii Minogue joins Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, with Brian Freidman replacing Louis Walsh.Dermot O'Leary also replaces Kate Thornton as the show's host.
Series 4 (2007)(03 of11)
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The return of the Walsh: Louis makes a comeback after Brian Freidman is axed from the panel after only a few days of auditions.
Series 5-7 (2008-2010)(04 of11)
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The golden era: Cheryl Cole replaces Sharon Osbourne, joining Simon, Dannii and Louis.
Series 8 (2011)(05 of11)
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A mass exodus: Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland join the only original remaining judge, Louis Walsh.
Series 9 (2012)(06 of11)
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Schermazing: Nicole Sherzinger replaces Kelly Rowland, joining Gary, Tulisa and Louis.
Series 10 (2013)(07 of11)
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She's BACK! Sharon Osbourne rejoins the panel after five years, replacing Tulisa and joining Louis, Gary and Nicole. (credit:Rex)
Series 11 (2014)(08 of11)
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REUNITED: Simon and Cheryl return alongside Louis Walsh and new judge Mel B. (credit:Syco/Thames/ITV)
Series 12 (2015)(09 of11)
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Bye bye Louis: Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora replace Louis and Mel, as they join Simon and Cheryl on the panel. Meanwhile, Caroline Flack and Olly Murs step into Dermot's shoes as hosts. (credit:Twitter)
Series 13-14 (2016-17)(10 of11)
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A vintage line-up: Nicole, Louis and Sharon all stage sensational returns to the panel after the departures of Cheryl, Nick and Rita, while Dermot also returns as host. (credit:ITV)
Series 15 (2018)(11 of11)
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WTF?! Louis Tomlinson becomes the first former contestant to join the panel permanently, while Robbie joins the panel alongside his wife and 'Loose Women' panellist Ayda Field. (credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)