Despite the shock exit of Emily, The X Factor moved seamlessly on and produced another great show on Saturday night. Having Nigel Wright and his 27-piece big band really gave the artists a challenge and plainly not all of them rose to it.
Rhydian: a sparkling performance worthy of Shirley Bassey. Photograph: Ken McKay/Rex Features
The sing-off came down to a battle of the bands, Hope and Futureproof, suggesting that the experiment of putting individual rejects together might not have been such a marvel of alchemy after all. Futureproof's extraordinary rendition of I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You got them the boot after mentor Simon Cowell decided to give some further Hope to the girl band.
For Sharon, who lost Kimberley in the first week and Emily to happy-slapping allegations last week, there was a reprieve as Alisha pulled a life-saving performance out of the bag.
Only Dannii now has all three of her original acts left - but Rhydian is the only one of them who has a prayer of going all the way. In fact Louis is the judge in pole position, with the show's two strongest acts, Niki and Beverley.
I'm also enjoying Dermot O'Leary - I doubted his appointment and once copped some flak for mourning Kate Thornton's passing, but the guy has the perfect light touch while seeming in total control, injecting waspish humour without belittling the contestants.
A few thoughts about the eight remaining acts:
Andy: he is on borrowed time. An anaemic This Guy's In Love With You was only a notch better than his Stayin' Alive atrocity last week.
Leon: has a better voice than Andy but he is simply not good enough. His dancing on Saturday was all wrong.
Rhydian: he has a great voice and produced the night's most imaginative song choice with Get The Party Started, stealing the show in his sequinned suit. But the Rhydster is starting to seem like a one-trick pony. Oddly, he is reminding me of his compatriot Shirley Bassey - in fact, Dannii, if you're reading this, get him to do History Repeating, Dame Shirl's classic collaboration with the Propellerheads. It would bring the house down, trust me.
Alisha: got out of jail with a soulful and sassy performance. She has a few weeks in her if she keeps her game up.
Beverley: she hit a series high with Feeling Good, but it's not clear she can handle a more up-tempo number. For vocal talent she'll take some beating - expect her in the final three.
Niki: for the first time overshadowed by Beverley, but she dared to go outside her comfort zone and made a decent fist of All That Jazz, which could have been an utter catastrophe. She has to be in the final three and remains the favourite for me.
Same Difference: they're a weird pair, so permanently upbeat it's bewildering and wearying to watch them. The S Club song was a tedious choice and hardly a great use of the big band. They probably have a few weeks in them but there isn't enough talent or variation there to make them contenders.
Hope: Hanky Panky was another unimaginative selection. Their attempts at raunchy vaudeville are backfiring for me and suggesting desperation. Expect them and - if there's any justice - Andy in next week's bottom two.
