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Last Monday I wrote, "Aiden (Grimshaw) has to be the most boring contestant ever to appear on The X Factor. If you don't connect with the public then you simply won't win". Now I don't mind a bit of stick, in fact I welcome it. But more than half the comments I received last week were criticising me for labelling Aiden boring, and some of you even thought that the dullest teenager in Britain should be favourite to win this year's competition.

Well actually, Aiden was favourite - albeit briefly - after his stunning performance in the very first live show. But since then he has gone downhill faster than an alpine skier, so much so in fact that I tipped him up at big odds in the 7th Elimination market. Unfortunately for me he was the eighth person eliminated!

But the end result is the same... Grimshaw has gone... and I'm quite pleased about that despite losing a few quid on the miserable blighter.

After watching Saturday's show it's quite clear now that this year's competition has developed into a three-horse race, and I'm more than happy to have two of the runners well and truly on my side - Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction.

I completely concur with the criticism that has been aimed in Ferguson's direction recently, that she has performed the same type of song each week and is yet to demonstrate that she can move around the stage in the same breathtaking fashion that she can sing. And yes, I'd also like to see her do a few up-tempo numbers and prove that she deserves to be as short as 3.5 to win the competition. But that time will come, and when it does she will prove that she has got the X Factor. I'm not saying she is a sure-fire winner this year, but I wouldn't be wanting to back anyone else at this stage of the competition.

Of course, Matt Cardle (3.0 in the Winner market) is also a serious contender. He performed a difficult song exceptionally well on Saturday and fully deserves to be the favourite to win this year. He is extremely likeable, and similar to the boys from One Direction (3.7), he appears to be having the time of his life out there. I'll be a lot poorer if Cardle wins, but I certainly won't begrudge him his victory if that's how it turns out.

This week's 9th Elimination market is very interesting. Katie Waissel is the 2.0 favourite but I believe she is definitely worth opposing. There might (and probably will) be a double elimination at the weekend, and if that's the case then the ninth person to leave to competition will be the person who receives the fewest public votes. I have a hunch that Katie won't be that person. She might not be the best loved performer still in the competition but she is surely gaining a lot of admiration for the way she keeps raising her game when it comes to the sing-off.

I'm of the opinion that Wagner (3.6) still has enough supporters out there to prevent him from finishing bottom of a public vote, or to keep him out of the bottom two if it turns out to be just a single elimination. Therefore my selections to be the next eliminated are going to be Paije Richardson (6.4) and Mary Byrne (14.0). Both have been hovering just above the bottom two if rumours are to be believed, but this could be the week when one of them gets to say those immortal words, "This is not the end for me".


By Mike Norman

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