X Factor: Semi-finals

After a bottle of plonk, my friend Sarah could do better than Mary did this week. Tescos really ought to be getting the P45 ready for whoever's been manning the Mary till for the last few weeks. However, I worry that the maths might be against Matt as Mary is really the only conceivable person that the Wagner vote could go to, ridiculous as that may be. With a bit of luck they're all be out protesting about Brazilian student fees or selling grit to Scotland.

Rebecca and Wand Erection should be safe and sound. Cher has always been a Top 4 candidate in my book and I have money riding on Matt to win but neither set the place alight tonight.

Rebecca 17+19
Very cool. Still not moving a great deal but spot-on vocally and showing quite a different side to her undoubted talents.
Followed with one of the most impressive performances of the evening. 'Amazing Grace' will go down as one of the classic X Factor performances of all time. Excellent. I had once thought she would struggle to reach the last 4 but this has been effortless.

Mary 4+2
This was rubbish - something quite a few people I know do better at parties.
Followed with a dreaful first and oh-so-important first line of 'Memories' and, quite frankly, a pretty awful set of lines afterwards.

Matt 11+7
Clearly strained tonight after an illness but also clearly determined to do whatever he possibly could to stay in the competition. A good upbeat performance but not one of his best this week.
Second song was easier on the old tubes, and the ear, although still a bit wobbly which is not what he would normally do. Not a patch on last week's amazing rendition of the Moody Blues number and not the best of choices.

Cher 9+17
Another not initially showing her best talents tonight with their first song. She's fun and is good to watch, always with an original streak and very much 2010
The second track was sheer brilliance and she reminded me of a young Madonna, a little raw, a little edgy and probably totally unmanageable as she gets more successful. It wasn't a safe number to get through with, though, and more credit to her for that - if she gets away with it. She should as she well out-performed Matt tonight.

1 Direction 16+17
Great, smooth and natural performance that was always going to appeal to the girls. Still don't find Zahn convincing, he's either late or looking desperate when singing alone. The other four more than made up for that though.
Spot on second time around too with the classic Coldplay track. They're through, no worries.