Melanie’s exit shows singing last on X Factor does not ensure survival

It was almost fact and not a conspiracy theory in the past that singing first on the X Factor put an act in the bottom two and performing last meant guaranteed survival, but the latest elimination of Melanie Masson suggests this year may be a little different.

Melanie represented a second shock elimination to start the live shows after Carolynne Poole’s exit in week one, with Gary Barlow now down to just two acts and all other judges at full quota.

Although never likely to win the show, Melanie was still 16/1 to be voted out in week two to show the height of the surprise of her departure.

One of the reasons for this was because she had the previously lucrative last slot on the live show.

In the previous eight seasons of the X Factor, only two acts to perform last had ever gone home before the semi final-stage.

One was Katie Waissel in 2010, who had already survived four sing-offs before this point, and Ashley McKenzie back in 2006 after being in the bottom three in the previous week.

With voting previously not opening until the end of the show, the last act was obviously the most memorable for viewers and going on first was less than ideal if there were another eight or nine performances to follow.

Furthermore, the start of the X Factor would sometimes clash with the end of Strictly Come Dancing, so some voters did not even see the acts to perform early.

Things have changed this year, with no crossover between X Factor and Strictly, while voting opens before the show now starts.

This should finally mean that all acts have an equal chance of progress and mean that going in one of the opening slots is not such a disadvantage.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing