This weeks theme is Barry Manilow, and all the contestants are also singing one song of their own choice.
Ray – “Mandy” and “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
The MacDonald Brothers – “Shang-A-Lang” by The Bay City Rollers and “Can’t Smile Without You”
Leona – “Can’t Live” by Mariah Carey and “Could It Be Magic”
Ben – “Somebody To Love” by Freddie Mercury and “I Made It Through the Rain”
This Saturday’s X Factor sees the the first show this series where the judges have lost the power to decide which of the bottom two acts leave the show. With only four acts now remaining, Ben, Leona, Ray and The MacDonalds, it will be up to the amount of viewers votes as to which act gets sent home.
In other words, the act with the lowest number of votes will be automatically sent home and the judges DO NOT get a say. The only slight power that they do have is to try and influence who viewers vote for by their judges comments.
Speaking about if they became winners of The X Factor, The MacDonald Brothers said they would like to fight for funding for music lessons in school and use their voices to encourage children to take up music lessons. Brian from The MacDonald Brothers said:
“Music lessons aren’t cheap and we’ve had them since we were really young. There should definitely be some sort of budget for music. Music helps people develop and makes you more creative. It can keep kids off the street.”
Brian from the MacDonald Brothers added: “I remember sitting there for four hours practising the guitar because I loved it. Lots of people may be interested in music and good at it but just don’t know it. I would definitely like to campaign and teach other kids.”
Leona has appealed to any female fans of X Factor, who usually vote for the male contestants, to support her, saying: “I’m really, really proud that I’m the only girl left. I’m still trying to hang on in there and fight my corner for the girls and hopefully people will vote for me.
Leona admits that she started working as a receptionist in order to save enough money to record. She said: “I’m doing it for everyone else that ever had a dream, as well as myself. I would love it to be a fairytale ending and I’m asking people to please vote and support my dream.”
Leona, who has revealed that she usually says a prayer before she goes on stage to face the live X Factor audiences every Saturday night said: “I know that someone is watching over me. My parents are not really religious. It’s more my own thing.”
She added: “My mum and dad have always been behind me and saved up so I could go to stage school. My boyfriend also applied for the X Factor but he’s an electrician and he doesn’t want to be a singer and he just did it for moral support.”