Is this year the most ‘fixed’ X Factor of all time? From coincidental theme weeks to Honey G’s ‘final date’
Viewers are threatening to boycott this series after Gifty Louise was sent home over Four of Diamonds last night
EVERY year there's fix claims - but there have been more on this series of X Factor than Louis Walsh has told people they look and sound like pop stars.
Following the departure of Gifty Louise last night, after she was sent home over Four of Diamonds, viewers are threatening to boycott the ITV singing competition.
That wasn't the only bone of contention on Sunday evening's show.
Ryan Lawrie was saved by the lifeline vote for the third time, while the Jukebox Wheel conveniently landed on Girlbands vs Boybands for next week’s theme – the week after it landed on Fright Night ahead of Halloween.
Fix claims have overshadowed this series from the very start.
Here we take a look back at the suspicious moments that made the headlines and ask, is this the most ‘fixed’ X Factor series ever?
Auditions
Mime-gate: During the auditions viewers questioned whether wannabe singing sensations were miming their auditions or if they had been auto-tuned in post-production.
Magic mic: When 21-year-old wannabe Kirsty Murphy gate-crashed someone else’s audition to perform in front of the judges, viewers weren’t convinced by her ‘spontaneous’ desperate dash.
Several claimed it was a set-up, pointing out the fact she was conveniently wearing a microphone when she stormed onto the stage.
Double trouble: After a row with band mate Bradley Hunt, Louis told solo auditionee Ottavio Columbro: "I think you could do a lot better in a group."
It's almost like the judges knew the flamboyant performer came as a pair.
We also revealed how Ottavio originally auditioned for the show in 2012 alongside Rylan Clark-Neal, sparking fresh fix claims from fans.
The singer was grouped with the Xtra Factor presenter at Boot Camp in series nine.
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Judges’ Houses
Sinitta’s band makes the cut: Simon Cowell was accused of helping out friend Sinitta after it emerged the 80s singer was managing boyband The Brooks, made up of brothers Josh and Kyle Brooks.
An insider told : “Sinitta recently became involved behind the scenes of a band who have by ‘pure coincidence’ just got through to judges houses stage of the X Factor this year.
“The Brooks recently became involved with Sinitta who has been advising them that they will get through the competition with her behind them.”
Though the lads never actually made it onto the live shows, as we revealed 17-year-old Josh allegedly booted his former girlfriend in the face and broke her nose during their four-year fling.
'It's an insult to the music industry': The cousin of X Factor reject Samantha Atkinson branded the ITV show a fix and claimed Sharon Osbourne was “deluded” to have picked Honey G to go through to the live shows.
Jasemin Kara went so far as to set up a petition to oust the rapper from the show.
She said: "I do believe producers tell them what to do in order to bring attention to the show and get headlines."
Sun TV columnist Ally Ross offers his view on this year's X Factor 'fix' claims
"The X Factor has always been TV's least trustworthy show with a long history of voting irregularities, secret management deals, stunts and accusations of fixing that go back to the days of Louis Walsh saving The Conway Sisters, a group he'd worked with prior to the 2005 series, ahead of Maria Lawson.
This year, though, the public have clearly noticed they've taken the manipulation, production tricks and deception up to a different level. In fact, the only thing I've 100% believed, since the first episode of this run, was Simon Cowell's admission, just prior to live shows: 'I make the show up. There are no rules'.
He's not kidding."
Live Shows
Wild card: We revealed Four of Diamonds were put together in a special 'workshop' created by the show after each singer failed to progress further than their first auditions as solo artists.
They then had just two weeks to hone their sound before facing the judges.
Honey G confirmed for 'final date': Despite storming her way through the competition, it appears Honey G won’t be in the final – as she’ll be busy living it up at Kittys & Kandy nightclub in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.
According to a now deleted post on their social media page, the rapper is booked for a personal appearance on December 10 – the same night as the remaining four contestants battle it out for the X Factor crown.
Naturally the post prompted a whole new wave of fix claims.
When approached by The Sun Online, a PR for the club stated they’ve secured the date providing Honey is eliminated from the show by then – and if she’s not, they’ll rearrange.
Total Insanity: As the live shows kicked off it emerged Five After Midnight singer Kieran Alleyne is managed by a company with close ties to Sony.
Kieran, 21, is looked after by major talent agency The Insanity Group, who have a record label with close ties to Simon Cowell's label Syco.
Former contestants speak out: Marcus Collins, who came second to Little Mix back in 2011, posted a cryptic message about his time on the show, hinting that all may not be as it seems.
Sharing a shot of himself alongside his former mentor Gary Barlow, he wrote: “That awkward moment when you’ve already been told something and have to pretend you don’t know and are hearing it for the first time.”
His comment prompted a flurry of questions from fans intrigued to know if contestants know if they’re going to win beforehand.
Celebrity Big Brother star Ryan Ruckledge also sensationally slammed his time auditioning for X Factor, declaring: “It’s definitely not a singing competition.”
He reportedly got drunk on vodka and jumped in the pool at Simon Cowell’s Judges Houses last year - leading to Simon calling him “a horror of a human being”.
Ryan claims X Factor producers “egged him on” to drink heavily in order to provide entertainment on the ITV show.
The Sun Online contacted ITV for comment.