‘The X Factor’ UK final preview: Will James Arthur or Jahmene Douglas win?

In just a matter of hours, “The X Factor” UK is going to crown the winner of what has been a crazy and at times controversial season; but even in spite of all the criticism surrounding the likes of Christopher Maloney and Rylan Clark each making it as far as they did, it is also hard to necessary say that the voters made the wrong decision at the end of the day with the final two. Jahmene Douglas and James Arthur are immensely talented, and either one of the boys (who have been strong since the beginning) could be stars in the recording industry.

So who is actually going to be the winner here? Think of this almost as a last-minute version of our rankings we have been doing almost all season long, and we’re really just basing our pick two things: performance quality, and perceived fan support.

With these in mind, we’re willing to say that there is probably an 80% likelihood that Jahmene Douglas wins the title at the very end of this. He’s got a great voice, a humble personality, and has become more and more open on stage as the season has progressed. It is likely that audiences are going to choose to reward much of this along with the story about where he came from as a grocery worker, which is something that is easy to relate to. Plus, Jahmene has never been in the bottom two … though James has.

Could it actually be better for James if he doesn’t win? That’s an interesting question, since part of the guy’s edge seems to come in how he manages to perform with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. This would clearly keep him motivated, and it could help his fans to push him to be a success just like it did with both Olly Murs (a former runner-up) and a certain third-place act in One Direction.

Who do you think is going to win “The X Factor” UK? We want to hear your thoughts in the poll below, and you can take a look back at Sunday’s performances over at the link here.

Photo: ITV