‘The X Factor’ UK review: Are James Arthur, Union J in the final?

After countless performances, claims by Louis Walsh that Union J is the next “boy band,” and Gary Barlow dead-tilts during his introductions, “The X Factor” UK has finally unveiled the final three contestants.

But was it the right final three? Before the show even started, the consensus from this vantage point was simple: so long as Christopher Maloney was sent home, we could forgive the show in part for the far-too-early exits of Melanie Massone, Kye Sones, and Ella Henderson. However, seeing the man in the final three after butchering Michael Buble’s “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet” would be a crime against singing competitions all around the world. It’s not that he is a horrible person or even a horrible singer; rather, he just doesn’t have that sort of persona that would make him into a pop star.

Over a million votes came in for the show (which is rather huge considering that these people have to pay for them), and the results came in beginning at about 8:48 p.m. local time. James Arthur was through, and he was quickly followed by … Christopher. He didn’t get booed this time around, but there were some noticeable groans in the audience when his name was called. Unfortunately, the results played out just as you would have expected leading up to this episode: Jahmene Douglas was safe, and Union J was sent home.

This is a sad exit just from the standpoint of growth: the boys got better and better every week, and they genuinely did deserve to make it through to the final round of the show. Do they have a career in this business long-term? It will be tough given the flux of boy bands at the moment, but they have a great shot.

Do you think that Britain made the right choice, and how upset are you that Christopher is still there? Be sure to share your thoughts below, and you can also check out our pre-show predictions for the results over at the link here.

Photo: ITV