I don't think they should have told them all to say why they should stay in the competition, it is about the X factor, the singing, the whole package and not a begging contest. It just felt a bit too desperate for ratings and drama. The whole doing it live thing 100% did not work- it also took away all the emotion of them finding out. It just felt too rushed and messy.

I also do not agree with the live audience aspect of it tonight. What on earth does the live audience see with Max? I am totally not getting him at all. I actually cannot believe he is through over Jennifer. With Bupsi, I sort of predicted as the "joke" act. But her and Max over Jennifer, who was one of the best vocally throughout along with Louisa and perhaps Anton and Che. But I think the live audience screaming for Max swayed Simon. Ah well good luck to him and Bupsi. But that was disappointing.

Now I am left thinking that tomorrow, for the drama, Mason Noise will get through over someone like Che. I get a feeling it will be Mason Noise, Josh and Seann.

Girl wise, we would all have multiple heart attacks at the shock of Louisa not getting through, if that was to happen- she has been pushed as the "winner" from day 1! Then Keira and I think maybe Lauren. No real shock will come from the girls I expect.

It's degrading, especially as the judge has already chosen who they want to go through to lives, it's just prolonging the suffering!

They need more garbage to fill the time...

I to thought it was degrading and disgusting. The thought of thing you would expect to see in the gutter press or the Jeremy Kyle show.

The head of production should at least offer to resign, although with their head so far up their proverbial ... we wouldn't hear them.

It was godawful tv. The 6 chair challenge is cruel but I at least understand why it's done. This was just horrible to watch and pointless. I hated watching them beg when it was so obvious that the decisions had already been made anyway.

Just extra humiliation

I watched it a little later so was pleased that I could fast forward through all the begging. Things like that make me cringe with embarrassment. I'm a big X Factor fan and think a lot of DS'ers moan just for the sake of moaning but with this they have a point!

This was the worst episode in the show's entire run, and that's not even close to an exaggeration. Of course, it could still be beaten by the Sunday show...

Begging the judge to pick them... humiliating and also pretty pointless seeing as the producers will already have the final 12 nailed and the judges are following a script. Not a chance in hell did Simon change his mind on his decision. The final 12 will have been decided in long production meetings, songs prepared for them for the Lives, contracts drawn up etc.

At last someone who clearly understands how this works

It's all to feed Cowell's planet sized ego, reminds me of the scene from The Wizard Of Oz when they met the wizard for the first time and they turned into quivering wrecks. Cowell loves the power and control over people and he's got them feeding out of his hand, they genuinely believe that Cowell holds the key to success, sad really.

Yes, it is sad. Because he doesn't hold that key, he just uses and more recently "abuses" them for his own success! I use abuse loosely, because it may be offensive, I just mean in the sense that they are now made to beg for it and also go through the humiliation of being voted in and out and back in during 6 chair challenge. To me that's him abusing their dreams.

So in a way, although they don't know it. They are the keys to Simon's success, because they are prepared to play into his game! And so are we in a way by buying into it. The entertainment industry, folks!

Yep the producers would have picked the final 12 already and I suspect the contestants also knew

I think Simon needs to spend more time in the UK, this is the sort of thing you would expect from the USA, surprised the producers went along with it.

Luckily I recorded it and fast forwarded through that bit, it was just too cringe-worthy.

I'm just watching last night's show - the overs are currently begging for a place in the final 3. When the groups started doing it, I was thinking "What the.....???!" Apart from the fact that it's degrading to the contestants and pointless (as has been pointed out in this thread already, the decision will already have been made before last night's live show), we have the same things being said over and over again ("We've been singing since we were foetuses", "This is my last chance", "I'd give my right lung for this", "I'm doing this for me nan"...etc).