X Factor said goodbye to two of its most controversial contestants last night as both Katie Waissel and Wagner Carrilho were booted off the show.
In a surprise double eviction the contestant with the lowest amount of votes was automatically asked to leave while the remaining two competed for the chance to stay in a sing-off before the judges.
Katie was revealed to have pulled the lowest votes and was immediately sent home. The 24-year-old has been at the centre of a controversy storm throughout the series, first after being chosen over Gamu Nhengu despite fluffing her words and later being repeatedly saved by the judges despite being severely unpopular with the public.
Mary Byrne and Wagner, both contestants in Louis’s over 28s category, ended in second and third place and were forced to sing for survival in front of the judges. Cheryl, Dannii, Louis and Simon voted unanimously to save Mary, bringing Wagner’s time on the show to an end.
The Brazilian crooner had attracted a loyal anti-Cowell following who’d mounted an online campaign for him to win and ‘throw a spanner in the works’ of the X Factor machine.
He poked fun at his status as a novelty act with a poor voice on Saturday’s live show by singing Radiohead’s Creep, which includes the words “What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.”
Cowell spoke of his relief at Wagner’s departure, saying: “I got to know Wagner over the past few weeks and you have been a good sport.
“Why I am happy with the decision is because there were people out there trying to derail this show for different reasons and what has happened tonight is that we have put this show back in the hands of the public.”
Mary, 49, will now go on to compete in the semi-finals after winning the judges over with her rendition of Shirley Bassey’s This Is My Life. Remaining acts Matt Cardle, Rebecca Ferguson, Cher Lloyd and boy band One Direction will all be joining her.
Matt, 27, is the favourite to win the show, with bookmakers Paddy Power placing his odds at 4/5.
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