I hope Maris gets online soon.

If she doesn't appear tonight I may have to use the generator again to select the wildcard act so we can open the vote then get to theme reveals etc.

Does everyone agree that would be the fair thing to do?

I'm afraid I can't prolong the vote any further.

By random draw, the act selected to represent the groups in the Wildcard Vote is...



Voting details coming up.

There's always room for one more. Now you, the public, have the opportunity to have a say on who gets to the live shows! Each mentor has chosen a wildcard act for their category:

WILDCARD VOTE:
Matt Terry (Boys)
Gifty Louise (Girls)
Kayleigh and Stefan (Groups)
James Wilson (Over 25s)

To vote, you need to rank from 4 to 1 (4 being your favourite act and 1 being your least favourite) and send your rankings to me via private message. Judges are able to vote as well and even if you're someone who doesn't usually vote, give it a go! Your votes can change the result of the vote.

Lines will close at 7:50PM, so you have just around 25 minutes to cast your vote!

Very close between 2 acts at the moment.

The lines are now CLOSED.

I can reveal there was just 1 point separating the top two acts. The winner of the wildcard vote and making the Final 13 is...

It's now time for the theme!

WEEK 1 – ‘EXPRESS YOURSELF!’

This theme requires you to choose songs that represent who your contestants are as artists. This should represent what they would release in the real music world and the type of music they will perform throughout the show. Anything goes, really.

The first live show will be on Tuesday 29th November 2016 at 6:15PM. You have three days to find your songs judges, good luck.

The wildcard stats will be revealed along with the others at the end of the series.

Our Final 13!

NicPlays and the Girls
Emily Middlemas
Faye Horne
Gifty Louise
Sam Lavery

danyal_ahmed and the Boys
Christian Burrows
James Hughes
Niall Sexton

RileyHollyoaks and the Over 25s
James Craise
Janet Grogan
Relley C

Mariesteller and the Groups
Brooks Way
Four of Diamonds
5 After Midnight


Feel free to comment on who's the strongest etc, until the show on Tuesday!

Also judges, I'll need sing off songs incase your act ends up in the bottom two.

Still plenty of time to get your songs in judges.

I would encourage you to send your songs by tomorrow so you have a day to prepare comments etc.

I have Nic's songs in, just waiting on the others now.

A reminder I need sing off songs as well in the event that one of your acts falls into the bottom two.

Just waiting on Maris now and the running order can be sent.

I have two surprises in store for tomorrow's show, one I think the judges will love and another they will hate.

Still just waiting on Maris to send her songs in.

Songs are in and the running order has been sent to the judges!

Viewers join us tomorrow evening at 6:15PM for the first ever The A* Factor live show! It's going to be a good one.