‘The X Factor’ UK review: Nicholas McDonald, Kingsland advance; Rough Copy has visa issue

Now, we know the entire roster that is going to be at the judges’ houses on “The X Factor” next weekend. Not only that, but we have to say that this “chair challenge” was a success when it comes to one simple thing: Enabling us to actually get to know all of the singers better. That way, there are no surprises when it comes to singers that advance.

This is a continuation of the article that we composed yesterday here, so be sure to check that out if you want to see the rest of the Overs that are going to be making it through to the live round. Singers with their name crossed out were put into a chair, and removed later.

The Overs (Sharon Osbourne)

Shelley Smith – She is almost like Sam Bailey in that you knew from the moment that she started singing, she was going to be great. She, along with Sam and Joseph Whelan, are probably the biggest contenders from this group.

Katie Markham – Who in the world is Katie Markham? We’ve never seen her all season, so when she took a seat, we had the feeling that this was going to be one of those singers who took a spot, then gave it up.

Andrea Magee – See Katie. We didn’t necessarily think that Andrea was phenomenal at all, but we’re starting to get that Sharon’s philosophy here is to put you through unless you are absolutely terrible.

Lorna Simpson – Lorna started pretty awful with her take on a Whitney Houston hit, but then improved as it went along to a fantastic conclusion. This was enough for Lorna to take a spot … and Sabrina from last night’s episode was sent packing.

Zoe Devlin – Sharon is like Oprah when it comes to giving away chairs. We really thought that her vocals here were just okay, and the real drama here came when Joseph almost had a heart attack when he thought that he was going home, but it was revealed instead that we were losing Katie. Now, we have ourselves the full lineup for judges’ houses.

The groups (Gary Barlow)

Brick City – This feels a little more like a four-person choir than a “ready-made group,” as Louis Walsh put it. But given that this is in some ways a weak crop of groups this year, they are going to the chairs.

Rough Copy – Interesting story here. One of their members dropped out since a visa situation would again keep him from going to judges’ houses, and the other two were left to perform on their own.

Kingsland – This is probably the most debatable group this year. They have the best look to be a modern boy band, but the vocals are not that tight on their own; plus, they are a little dated. Gary obviously feels like he can teach them some things.

Xyra – A better-than-expected performance from a group that really has not done that well so far. They’re a little feisty, which should create some interesting dynamics if they make it far.

Tenors of Rock – These guys seem like pure judges’ houses fodder right now. Are they talented? Sure, but they don’t really have any place in the market save as a tribute act.

Code 4 – They did awesome flips! However, their vocals were spotty, to put it best. There was not that much in here that we can say beyond that, since Rough Copy is better vocally.

Unnamed Girl Group – Put together by three rejects from the past round of bootcamp, we thought that this was a complete mess and out of tune. The only reason that Gary should have put them through is if he thought that there was someone who he really didn’t want; and so, he sent the rock tenors packing.

The Boys (Louis Walsh)

Sam Callahan – First of all, congrats to Louis for getting a group that he could actually get to the finals with this year. Sam’s a guy that the ladies are going to love this year, and he’s a good pop-rock singer to boot.

Paul Akister – Paul is a vocal beast. There’s really no other way to describe it other than this. He’s probably the best pure singer out of all of the guys this year, so did you really think that he was going to be denied a seat?

Alejandro Fernandez – Louis knows how to market young male singers very well, and you have to believe that he is going to want to do the same exact thing with Alejandro.

Ryan Mathie – A very good singer, but there was not really enough shown of him here to get much of an opinion one way or another.

Luke Friend – There is probably the most potential here when it comes to Luke out of the boys. He has such a unique look to him, and while his voice is not phenomenal, it’s distinctive. That really does mean something.

Giles Potter – He was probably our favorite audition out of everyone this year, but he probably does need another year in order to be ready to be at this stage. There were a few breaks in his voice in what was an otherwise-strong performance of “I Won’t Give Up” from Jason Mraz.

Nicholas McDonald – The last artist performing on the night, Nicholas was by far the best of the group tonight. This kid has a huge voice that reminds us almost of a more mainstream Jahmene Douglas. If he is not in the live shows, we will by beyond shocked.

Do you think the judges made the right decision when it comes to the judges’ houses acts? Be sure to share your thoughts below.

Photo: ITV