Why did the judges put him in a group when he is probably the best singer the competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-_za504_2k

I am sure they realise it now.Not sure about his range as a solo thou but he has the sound

Before the XFactor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeS1jYzCHq8

BIB - Not really, he is probably better than his band mates but even in the boys category he would have got swallowed up. He was in the group because he didn't make it to the 6 chair challenge.

Because, to put it bluntly, he hasn't got the right look for a solo artist

lol Yeah I don't think hes the best in the competition but compared to the others in his group.. it certainly makes him look that way lol! I think Simon had his sights set on finding a new boyband right from the start. He probably struggled to find any decent singers and chose James to be the unfortunate one to end up as the lead singer of the 8 man army.

I can't stand watching him when he sings! He has this one eye open one eye closed thing going on and points to the ceiling. Ugh

He always tilts his head to the side when he sings.

He's very handsome....just has an "ugly" singing face with the squinting, head tilt thing.

Think he might have a bit of a lazy eye anyway and it gets worse when he strains for a note

He gets RIGHT on my T*TS! I cant stand his eye closed side mouth head movement thing he does when singing it does my head in!

He's very talented but yeah, his image is way off.

And that irritating head tilting and finger up are getting a little tiring by now.

A great singer in a group with 7 mostly also-rans, is bound to end up squinting, pointing & tilting

He's a decent enough singer I suppose, although I hate the quiff - but he's nowhere near as good as Jaymi from Union J if we're talking about singers in a boyband who are better than their bandmates ... he used to sing and the hairs on my arms stood up.

Although I did get more of a sense of a 'group' with Union J (even if they were slightly manufactured by the producers with the addition of George) than i get with SK, who seem more like 8 randoms put together on the stage.

I love his voice and range. Dont care what he looks like.

He is a very good singer I,m surprised he didn't make it through solo, It's a relief when I see him stepping forward to sing with sk the rest of them are pretty awful at times.

Same. He is carrying that boy band single-handedly. He is easily good enough to have been put through as a solo singer - miles better than Jake or Jack.

I disagree that he could have been put through solo. He's good in terms of being in a boy band, however I noticed in the sing off the other night when he had quite a big solo part, that he wasn't actually as good as I thought.

He can sing I'll give him that but he is as bad as Diana Vickers with her claw, and Steph Nala with her hand inflection and now we have this little git with his trademark pointy finger. What is it they are teaching these stage school kids about these unnecessary gimmicks. Are the actually trying to remember the words through sign language or is it some sort of counting mechanism I am not aware of. Why Brian or even their mentors never nipped these in the bud or the judges have even said "All right enough of that rubbish" is beyond me.

My thoughts entirely.

Has anyone else noticed that 3 out of 4 times on his long end note one of the others will slap him on the shoulder before he's finished the note? It must drive him mad.

He has the oddest singing face I've ever since (and its not nice to watch) but he really aids the group. His vocals are very solid. He does need the prettier boys around him though to make it work.

Oh come on he ain't that ugly. In fact I think he is rather good looking even if I can't abide his pointy finger.

Probably hard to sing when one of your bandmates is grabbing you round the neck or shaking your shoulder all the time

Despite looking like Quasimodo when he sings, he takes women to nearby hotel rooms....and they pay! LOL

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/...oUF8WEBB9Aa4y8

I don't think he looks bad at all. His voice is great.

He's very good looking. I don't know what a lot of the posters in here are on tbh!!