Twenty Five, Not Six Times Four

With a strange twist at the end of tonight's programme my headline for the last post wasn't strictly accurate! You'll see what I mean at the end of this article and maybe can figure out what's going on better than I can can. Part two was a straight continuation of last night's ending where you knew Adam Brock was getting through but the producers had said "Hey, here's a great idea: that guy Adam looks a mess and is wailing a lot about how He Must Sing and all that so let's leave the audience watching him plead overnight...'

Once that long drawn out affair had ended we moved on swiftly to the equally un-Idol-looking Jeremy Rosado who sings well, really well. In fact, one of the best guys, vocally. He's a nice guy too that had been supporting teens Eben and David Leathers a lot throughout the dreaded Hollywood stage and he deserves his place on the big stage Live Shows. These guys are all so different that anything can happen and it's no easy predicting who will fall at the first few stages. Jeremy is also just a teen still at 19, although he looks nearer 30 at the moment. No doubt the makeover team will transform him soon.

Shannon MacGuire is only 16 but you'd find that hard to believe listening to her and watching this great singer and performer. I'm not totally convinced of her talent, though, and she's in a tough group of initially similar and very impressive girls. It'll be a close call as to how she gets on from here and copes with the competition. another year she might have sailed through to the Top 10 but this year much is down to that makeover team and where she positions herself.

Skylar Laine could be one of the strongest country girls and definitely is the one who comes across as the most passionate. She has a great personality too and is so natural. Once again, though, she has one particular very tough competitor in Baylie Brown - and there'll only be room for one as the shows progress which is going to make for fascinating viewing.

I don't know what it is about Hallie Day but we get virtually nothing about this girl, just a glimpse of an earlier performance. She's brilliant, looks good and I can only imagine that the producers have reckoned that she's going to around for a long time so don't think we need to see much of her now.

The same goes for Chase Likens, the very good-looking country crooner boy, apparently through without so much as a note for our benefit. He is also pretty much unopposed with the demise of Richie Law, the other guys not, well, not so far, venturing on his territory so the whole of Texas will be behind him.

Aaron Marcellus is the younger version of X Factor USA's Leroy - very decent, likeable guy who teaches music, hits the notes right and will be totally reliable on Live Shows. I'm really not sure where he fits in to this Idol thing, though, and suspect he may exit somewhere in the middle and not be noticed that much with so much else going on around him.

DeAndre Brackensick we finally met properly in Hollywood where he was quite amazing in his group and, again, he shows off his super range, spot-on notes and unique style that could well blow several of his competitors away. He's Adam Lambert in curls - a superb singer and simply has to be in the Live Shows.

We're now down to the very last few and, with just one place remaining for the Top 12 girls they bring on Shelby, Ariel and Hollie Cavenagh together. Hollie is another that we have seen so very, very little of but is very, very talented. She is one of the best this Season. As she gets through and the other two don't she can't do the ecstatic jumping up and down thing much or really celebrate as much as she's obviously like to while they're being comforted and this is all a bit odd. At least now she'll be guaranteed a fair amount of TV time and my feeling is that she'll be around for a long time in what could well turn out to be the Hollie, Hallie and Haley Show.

The last of the boys to make the Top 12 is a choice between two teens Eben Franckewitz and David Leathers. They come on together and we get that awful moment when Eben gets through and David doesn't and Eben tries to restrain from going over the top but can resist a bit of celebration and David looks gutted. Understandably. It's the right choice although Eben will need to develop pretty rapidily to bring a personality to the show that can compete with the likes of Reed, Heejun and others. His singing is almost perfect and he could do the choir boy stuff better than any of the others. Recent weeks have shown that he may be able to perform too in a way that you wouldn't expect from the clean-looking kid and this could bring out the girls' votes big time if he can carry on developing some appeal in the Live Shows. He's the one guy that the makeover team can leave alone as he looks cute enough already.

So, just as we thought that was it - and the list matched the Rumours - the producers pulled a surprise move that I hadn't seen coming on any of the spoiler sites so, presumably, they've been caught out too! In an obviously hurried addition to the broadcast we get four contestants' images on screen with the message that one of these will also be performing in the first Live Show, making it a Top 13 Boys now. the choice is between Jermaine Jones, a low, low voiced crooner who got smacked around by, and sang Righteous Brothers with, Richie Law, who is also on the list. That'll please Heejun. About as much as it would Chase. Then we have diddy David Leathers, last seen looking very glum in the preceding paragraph, who is an X Factor USA Astro minus the rap and attitude. Completing the foursome is Johnny Keyser, someone who impressed me all the way through and always seemed to be totally reliable, especially in the Hollywood round when he performed well  and came across as an all-round good guy. Who will they choose? Johnny would be my choice on talent but he's not that different to some of the guys there already. Richie could be needed as they're low on country guys but he really didn't sing that well. David seems too young and nervy which leaves big ol' slow guy Jermaine as the likely and probably unlucky Number 13.

The One Where We Meet At Least One Of Series 11's Top Ten

This is the big round. 15 of the Top 24 are chosen in this first part of two programmes at the Green Mile. The 12 girls and 12 boys who will appear on the Live Shows and forever have the Series 11 tag, however well they do, will be revealed. Compared to earlier years and X Factor's Judges' Houses round, Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez are handling this really well. Good comments and judgments with, so far, at least, no Louis Walsh oddballs or Paula-Nicole emotional pleading for someone they fancy. The Top 24 is finally chosen and now I can remove the 'spoiler' alerts at last.

Jen Hirsh is first through. Her song was strange for such an important audition. Jazzy but not that impressive. She's quite confident and should be reliable and will perform well and naturally. With the right tracks she might surprise us but she's not an Idol yet.

Creighton Fraker is second through. He's a reasonable sort of guy with a good voice and, again, should be a reliable performer but, unless he has something new to bring to the tv shows, I'm not sure he'll be around that long.

Joshua Ledet is third though and one of the better final auditions. This guy sings well and is just a natural rythm guy who even sings his thanks to the judges when he gets the news. There's some tinniness in his voice at the top end but plnety of nice tone and he can add shade rather than simply belting it out like many others. A good choice. Now will the public take to him?

Haley Johnson is a very photogenic cover girl for the show that we've only started to see more of. A nice girl, confident attitude and, yes, a great voice. We'll see plenty more of her all right. The camera just loves her.

Elise Testone seems older than the other girls and gives us an earthy, bluesy, very professional performance. Mature but looking very good, she'll be a great contribution to the show and is one who should add some colour and, hopefully, some rock and roll excitement in amongst the more predictable stuff from some others.

Reed Grimm has an amazing 'quirky charm'. I'm quoting Ryan seacrest there as I couldn't put it any better myself. He is one of the few who have a back story that backs the idea of him being a star rather than some sad story or irrelevant something or other. It seems that he was brought up by a family who all sang and danced and you get the feeling he's never done anything else! I like this cheery and cheeky chracter and he'll be great fun to have around over forthcoming weeks. I have a feeling voters will love him as long as he doesn't take tracks he's given completely off the wall (or rails!). An excellent choice.

Erica Van Pelt has been a mobile DJ which you'd never have guessed from her quite traditional and almost 'normal American slightly older girl' appearance. She looks like she should be doing washing powder ads. She ventures into Elise's territory with a low voice and I have no idea what her final audition song was. I get the feeling she just edged into the final 24. The judges may have taken a chance and, whilst she'll be reliable and not one to worry about putting on the stage, much will depend on the tracks she gets and she may be one of the early departures.

Chelsea Sorrell is a good-looking country girl we haven't seen much of so far. Nice girl who I can see appealing to an audience and who may be able to break out of the pure country field into something wider. She'll have tough competition, though.

Baylie Brown will be one of those competitors, possibly even more good-looking but maybe a little weaker on stage when performing. So they're equally balanced but my feeling is they're both vulnerable to someone we've yet to see get through. More about that next time.

Heejun Han, of course, has to be through. we've already realised that this guy has that certain something that appeals to viewers. His battle with Richie Law (who we saw eliminated just previously) got us all on his side and the arm-wobbling seems under control now and the hoodies should be consigned to the bin. We don't hear much of his final audition but enough to know that he's not at all bad. His singing is a bit boring but he's going to be a big draw for the show and is one nice guy that we'll enjoy watching (if not listening to) for a while.

Colton Dixon didn't even intend at the outset to audition but was persuaded to join his sister when she started. She got eliminated in the Hollywood second cull and we now get a very clever and passionate Fix You by Colton as his final audition. That was possibly just what he needed to impress the judges. He could be popular on the Live Shows. A little uncertain as to what he'll do and where he'll take songs but a good choice.

Jessica Sanchez is a young one, just 16, but you'd never know as she is one big singer and has guts and style and very good indeed. I'd like to see her doing more modern stuff but that was still one stand-out audition. She's emotional and maybe a bit of a risk but if she can hold it together she is going far.

Phillip Phillips is through too. We don't hear a great deal of him but, with guitar on the stage, he has a raw, unusual way to deliver tracks and it'll be interesting to see how he shapes up against his obvious rival, Creighton and the extent to which he is overwhelmed by the force of Reed's personality. A very likable chap but not sure how long he'll last.

Brielle Von Hughes is the last confirmed Top 24 choice in the first part of the programme. She's another young girl with bags and bags of natural talent. This one also has determination and just goes for it each time. So very much will depend for her, though, on how they dress and make her up, the songs they give her and how she distances herself from the other girls in this tough field. One year she might have been the one and only young great singer and performer with an earthy, natural talent. This year she has competition. It'll be interesting, or a disaster.

The first part ends with David Brock saying how he must sing. He has a big voice but shows in his final audition an nice touch. His Georgia alst week was impressive and propelled him this far. This audition was messy in places and I don't think he's Idol material. The judges have their doubts too but he'll be through.

That's fifteen. Nine to go.