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Rhydian romp could have sealed Factor

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Welsh warbler has wowed the public already says Betfair Radio pundit Ian Brindle

With seven acts left in this year's X Factor - the layers are now asking whether series four is a dead rubber following Rhydian's show stopping performance on Saturday night.

The trained operatic, who had been matched earlier in the competition at 30, sported a hairstyle that looked similar to that of the former chancellor of the exchequer, Norman Lamont, but he was to provide his own "black Saturday" to his beleaguered rivals.

Such is the confidence of some punters that Betfair have created a "Winner without Rhydian market" by popular demand.

The backers in the eviction markets got the fourth eviction spot-on with Andy getting the heave-ho. This was of little consequence to the punters that had steamed in a week earlier at odds of (1.64), and although he did not produce the worst vocal of the week, those that had punted him into outright market favouritism after the boot camps had probably had enough chance to trade out of a losing position.

Looking back to the show, it was somewhat ironic that Andy wore a shirt with the word "rock" emblazoned upon it as Pontins in Prestatyn will be the only venue that the tepid balladeer will be filling out next summer.

Blubbering Beverley produced some world class wailing that would not have looked out of place in a charity appeal. Louis Walsh - who reminded us that he was still having hits - but conveniently forgot to mention that there were covers of songs by others - can be held culpable for her appearance in the bottom two with a woeful song choice.

Same Difference were vocally modest but this did not seem to worry the phone voters. A Eurovisionesque version of "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" would not have worked in any of the previous X Factor series and its merit is symptomatic of where this year's candidate selection has failed.

That said, the element of camp probably secured the gay vote, and the slapstick choreography reeled in the younger members of the audience.

Hope should be thankful that Phoebe's vocal ensured their progression into the next phase. Simon Cowell had set them a stiff task with an Amy Winehouse song and thankfully for the mogul, one part of the group did at least deliver.

Reports in the Sunday tabloids suggest that all is not well within the dynamic of the group though this does not appear to have surfaced into their respective positioning within the Betfair markets.

Leon obviously had the children's market in mind with his pastiche of 1970s Play School legend, Derek Griffiths.

The calamity prone Scot had visited hospital this week to have his vocal chords examined. On the evidence of Saturday evening, he'd have been better off visiting the podiatric ward to have his two left feet looked at.

Dannii Minogue appears to have assumed the role of arbiter as to where vocalists are singing out of tune. In a news week that saw Jonathan Aitken given the task of advising the Tories about prison reform, one shouldn't have been surprised by this development.

Minogue's criticism of Niki was unfortunate as the Brummie's only hope of winning this series will be through the selection of contemporary numbers rather than the standards that she has made her own.

Alisha Bennett is still the outsider of the party despite avoiding the judges' vote on the last two occasions.

The Betfair players clearly have long memories as Sharon Osbourne has a track record of mis-managing this type of artist. The public do love a trier and the likeable Londoner could be around for a few more weeks, if as Louis Walsh quite rightly pointed out, the girls start to like her and ring in.

Quite what she must have thought as her manager stood up to proclaim Rhydian as the winner of the X Factor is anybody's guess.

Song choice will prove vital this Saturday night but as an artist who seems to be progressing the right way, Alisha has to be recommended as a lay in the fifth eviction market.

Rhydian's appearance from X Factor episode 13 can be seen here