‘The X Factor’ UK postmortem: Why Gifty Louise was eliminated
It’s been a few days now since the elimination of Gifty Louise on “The X Factor,” and some of the shock is starting to subside a little bit. As for the frustration … well, that’s an entirely different story. It’s easy still to be frustrated at the show for putting her in a position where this can happen, and we want to start this article by making one thing abundantly clear: We don’t think that Gifty was the victim of some elaborate conspiracy by the show or that the viewer-votes were rigged against her. You can argue about just about anything else and we wouldn’t be anywhere near upset at you.
Here are the problems that we feel most played a role in seeing the former favorite get sent home well before her time.
1. Performing first on the night – We think this hurt Gifty more than anything else, mostly because there is a noted history of singers who start off the show being the ones who are in the most danger of being in the bottom. People tend not to vote until the end of the show, and by then, people tend to be forgotten.
2. The song choice – We don’t think “In Love with a Monster” by Fifth Harmony did her much good, even though she performed the heck out of it and really seemed to give in to the fun of the Halloween theme. While we don’t think it would’ve been an issue in a different spot on the night, Simon Cowell seems to think that this was the reason for her elimination more so than anything else.
3. Her own confidence – It sounds silly, but knowing you’re talented at times seems to be a hindrance more than a help. For whatever reason, viewers tend to vote for the wide-eyed / often insecure contestants over the confident ones. Saara Aalto is another example of someone with confidence who’s been in the bottom before, whereas Ryan Lawrie’s someone who seems to have more of an “aw shucks” demeanor, leading to him being saved with the Lifeline Vote several times.
Gifty still has a good shot at a career — she’s just gotta be grateful for the experience and move on. Focus on making great music now and working towards that as a career.
Want more news surrounding Gifty’s exit? Then be sure to head over to this link. (Photo: ITV.)