‘The X Factor’ UK results: Max Stone, Monica Michael sent home amidst Olly Murs flub

Tonight’s new episode of “The X Factor” is the rare case of an elimination almost being completely overshadowed in some way by the surrounding flubs by both a host and a contestant.

Let’s start with the facts, as Max Stone became the first person eliminated in the episode. Ultimately, it was not a shock to see his name be called out, given that he performed early in the show and probably had the weakest overall performance of the night. We liked him, but we never really knew just who the real Max truly was. The nightmare continued for Simon Cowell as his only remaining act Anton Stephans was in the bottom two alongside Monica Michael.

What happened next was mostly embarrassing just for show host Olly Murs, as he proclaimed that Monica was going home over Anton after the vote reached deadlock well before he was supposed to. We feel for him, since it was clearly an accident, but this was yet another reminder of how we miss Dermot O’Leary. We do think that Olly and Caroline Flack are good hosts, but they were far better at “The Xtra Factor,” where they could be fun and rather flirty. Here, they have such a serious job that it saps the energy right out of them.

Of course, Olly’s mistake just shows further that the entire reveal of the result is in many ways a charade for the viewers, and that the hosts know in one way or another who goes home before they “open the envelope” with the results on the other side of it. It’s TV magic, people!

With that said, the fix is clearly not in; if it was, Monica wouldn’t have been brought back in the first place.

What is your take both on the result and on the gaffe on the part of Olly? Share now in the comments, and head over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)