‘The X Factor’ UK review: Jake Quickenden, Lola Saunders, Charlie Martinez close auditions
Today, the audition portion of “The X Factor” UK has finally come to an end, and tonight finally gave us something that we have waited a long time to see: The men finally step up to the plate, and prove that they are real contenders.
The singers listed below did well enough to advance to the next round, and they also happened to be fairly memorable on the show. Not everyone is able to check both of those boxes.
Charlie Martinez – He is not the best singer on the planet, but it is somewhat interesting that there is an American on this show, and is really only eligible because he’s there serving in the Armed Forces.
Janet Grogan – After a series of auditions (including Charlie’s) that Mel B was not even remotely fond of, this was the one that really turned things around. Janet did a great job.
Charlie Jones – Maybe this version of “Wannabe” has been done before, but we haven’t heard it. It was creative! Our concern is that Charlie is only 14, and it really feels like his voice is going to change.
Helen Fulthorpe – Helen may be one of the vocal standouts this year. We’re not sure she is the right artist for the show just yet in terms of being a star afterwards, but she could completely crush most of the competition.
Tom Mann – His voice has a little bit of range, but it also comes across as pretty whiny. That’s never a good thing. He does still have a chance to go fairly far.
Jake Sims – He is basically the same as Tom, except with a little bit more rock to him. He could be the resident rocker of this season.
Jake Quickenden – Jake was desperate to prove that he could form an emotional connection with the audience, and this was his opportunity to do that.
Lola Saunders – She has to find a way to be a little less emotional on stage, but if she can do that, she will probably be a near-unstoppable force on this show! We’ll just have to see what happens.
What did you think about this episode, and which singer was your favorite? Share your thoughts right now with a comment, and head over here to look at our review of Saturday’s episode. You can also sign up to get some further TV scoop on all we cover via our official newsletter.
Photo: ITV