Kwayedza is fantastic but surely his voice isn't high enough for Oliver? It sounds to me like it's broken already. He's also so much taller than the other boys!

I was discussing this with my sister the other day and I'm now firmly convinced that it is definitely too low for Oliver - even in "I'll be there" he was singing in a lower key than to the choir, I think. Even if it hasn't quite broken yet, I think it will by December when the show opens. It makes me wonder why on earth Cameron and Andrew put him through when they of all people should be able to tell things like this. Unless it's another one of those BBC conspiracy theories...

Hmm, now I'm confused...three spots left and vocally Jordan, Jonny, Harry and Laurence all deserve a spot. Even Gareth, Joseph and Sam have a chance.

Jonny has got to one of the last three - I just love him.

I think he has the best voice, followed by Gareth and Harry.

They'd be the next three for me.

I would like Jonny, Laurence and Jordan to get the last three Love Jonny after electricity, he was amazing in that

Im fairly sure im going to be pilloried, but a coloured Oliver is silly Olivers mother was a lady of upper class.Now i do agree complexion should have no place in our society.But common sense must prevail.It isnt possible for Oliver to be coloured.Nancy on the other hand could be.

I really wanted Gareth to go through this week. I was pleased about Alex cos I rated him in the final 12 selection clips. However, I prepared myself for him not to go through.

The Oliver situation is getting very tense now. I didn't rate tonights group performance much at all, sorry boys.

Now we are half way through the live shows it's really hitting on me that four boys have to go before the semi final and it's going to be heartbreaking for them. Gareth, Jonny, Jordan, Harry, Joseph, Sam and Laurence. Four of them ain't Oliver

Which of the Olivers is the one that some have said would make a good Dodger ?

Apart from Chester so far, they all seem a bit samey (love Kwayedza sp? but not sure you could cast a black Oliver). Gwion is cute but his accent distracts me.

I think Harry and Jordan would make excellent Dodgers

Mixed race members of the upper classes have been recorded since the seventeenth Century. They weren't common by any means, but they definitely did exist. We never know anything about Oliver's father - all we know is that Oliver's mother ran away when the father left her. If we're honest, I'd say having a mixed race child would have given her even more motive to run away.

I was thinking the same. His voice is so much more mature than the other boys, and I'm sure his voice will break by December (though it sounds to me like it already has?)

I still don't understand why Arthur is through to the semi-finals - he seems to struggle vocally to me.

Why make a perfectly ordinary senario into something convoluted just to accomadate an actor. The present Robin Hood has an Asian merry man.

It's not convoluted though is it? We're never given the details, so it's an option that, though rare, was perfectly plausible.

You toil under the misaprehension Olivers mother was married my understanding is she was not.Also Fagen is to invite this boy to become a pick pocket.What better identification if the boy ran than its that black kid. No mate silly and unnecessary.

Jonny..........I THINK HE IS SWEET

I've never mentioned them being married, and I don't see where I've implied that. Oliver's mother disappears after his father jilts her, that is the plot.

As for the identification point - there was a sizeable amount of black people among the lower lower classes at that time (and ergo, a black Nancy being perfectly plausible), so there'd be more than one black street urchin around London... I don't see where the problem is here.

It's not silly and unnecessary - it's unusual but it could have happened. All it takes is a little suspension of disbelief that this is the situation we're dealing with.

Yay! Yay! Alex is through!!! He is probably my joint favourite Oliver (with Chester). Alex has the best voice by far from what I can hear - his phrasing, breathing etc are immaculate; his singing is very refined and well trained. He was also probably one of the most articulate 11-year-olds I've seen. I loved his reaction to getting through, too. In my opinion of course, but I think his going through to the SF was long overdue.

... but yes, it's dawning on me that out of the 7 remaining, more than half of them are going to be disappointed. And it's going to be heartbreaking watching their dream being shattered, particularly because they're all so young and most of them are talented. Here are the three (OK, I cheat, 4) that I would put through:

Harry - I'm pretty sure Harry would go through though. He is very comfortable on stage; his acting seems one of the best; he has past experience and he is vocally strong. He's also been praised by the Lord and Sir twice (the only one so far who has been) so I think he has a good chance. Well, I hope he does, anyway. Even though he doesn't seem to suit the part of Oliver as much, I still think he deserves to go through to the semi final.

Jonny - I think he deserves a hat, too, though he hasn't impressed me since Electricity really. It's a good sign that CM marked him out today. His voice is good (one of the few that was OK in tonight's performance...).

Gareth/Laurence - I'm really starting to like Gareth; I love how down-to-earth he seems and he always seem to put a lot of expression & thought into his singing. On the other hand, I really like Laurence's voice and like Alex, his singing is well refined, trained etc so that it's always reliably pleasant. However, Laurence does lack a little stage presence (I still maintain beige is a horrible scarf colour) and I'm not sure he'll make it.

To be honest, I think Kwayedza is a bit of a wasted spot. He's really really good, but it's really quite obvious (to me, anyway) that his voice is going to break by December, and it would perhaps have been fairer to give the place to a younger boy.

I didn't like their performance tonight as much as the others - most of them were off-tune (sorry, boys!). I think the song was at fault more though. I did love watching their task.

I'm looking forward to what Alex is going to be singing tomorrow.

I am sad - none of my favourite Olivers have been put through yet. I am especially hoping for Gareth and Sam. Unfortunately I think that Sam is too much like Gwion in looks for them both too go through (same with Jonny and Alex who was put through today). I really hope that one of my favourites gets through.

Sam isn't a fave of mine, he looks like a young Gordon Ramsey! You're right he's also very similar in looks and build to Gwion.

Jordan stands out during group numbers the most, very expressive and enthusiastic, I'd like him to get through next.

But they are all good imo I'm already starting to feel sorry for the ones who'll be left behind.

I really like Harry, I think he'd be good in the role and am thinking more so every week, despite the bloody awful challenges they usually choose (faaaaar better this week).

Your implication that Olivers father left her.Implied they were together, Unlike todays society, when everyone has partners, the shame of living with someone in those days,was greater than was bearable.It still remains stupid to manipulate stories to suite caste[No pun intended].What next a Chinese Jesus for superstar,a Mongolian Henry the eighth.or perhaps a Porta recan Nanook.He will be knocked out thank you lord. Common sense to prevail.

Harry is good but I think they aren't putting him through because he has been in west-end shows before...(not sure if any of the others have, I just recognise him)

Maybe they are looking for a raw talent without the "stageschool-sparkle" that Harry has....he seems quite groomed.

Seriously? Oliver's father jilting his mother while she is pregnant is part of the plot. It's the reason why she runs away...

Wikipedia says: "Brownlow looks at the picture inside the locket, a picture of his daughter, and realizes that Oliver, who knows nothing of his family history, is actually his grandson. (Oliver's mother had disappeared after having been left pregnant by her lover, who jilted her.)" - and yes, I'm aware of the open nature of Wikipedia...

I'm still not one hundred percent sure where you think it would be a manipulation of the story considering we know nothing about Oliver's father other than he left his mother pregnant.

I've seen productions that aren't racially accurate - how about a production of Aida where the entire cast was Japanese? That's a Hell of a bigger stretch than having a black Oliver... But do you know what? I managed to suspend disbelief. If you don't buy the idea that Oliver's father could have been black (which he could), then could you not just try to not let it bother you?

For what it's worth, as much as I think Kwayedza's the most talented boy in the competition, I don't think he'd make Oliver because of the depth of his voice. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll get him as the Artful Dodger though, because he shouldn't be relegated to generic gang member.

I think it's mean they're putting certain kids through for TV's sake. It's obvious that they wouldn't have Kid #1, #2 and #3 being Oliver, and it's clear that some kids are being 'held off' before being put into the semi-finals.

Agree to disagree, I will not watch again. The powers that be, in order to be politically correct have ruined a good tale.