X Factor: Andrea’s on the drift with fantastic Fleur the new fav
Published:If you’d asked us before Sunday night to pick the final finishing positions in this year’s X Factor competition we’d have been pretty confident about our selections.
The equation has seemed fairly straightforward throughout the 2014 edition.
Andrea Faustini was the clear winner, Lauren Platt would finish second while Fleur East and Ben Haenow would fight it out for third spot.
It was all looking so straightforward. That is, until Andrea found himself in what has to go down as a pretty humiliating sing-off with Stevi Ritchie (who we also tipped for a top-six spot!) as the curiously thrown together Elton John v Whitney Houston week drew to a close.
Have Andrea’s supporters become complacent and now stopped voting for the popular Italian?
Or does the 20-year-old from Rome need to freshen up his act and pull out something different to haul himself back into the reckoning?
The continually improving Fleur is the new favourite to win with Ladbrokes making the London singer an even-money shot to top the pile.
Is this shift decisive? We think it could well be.
Here’s our round-up and rankings with just five acts remaining:
Fleur East – Evens
Once available at 33/1, the odds have continued to tumble on Fleur’s chances of securing the ultimate success.
She’s got the lot and absolutely smashed I’m Every Woman to put herself at the head of the market.
Are the bookies playing around with the prices?
Fleur’s recent performances would suggest they’ve got it pretty much spot-on at the moment.
Ben Haenow – 10/3
Yes, he was stitched up when lumbered with the task of taking on Whitney Houston’s iconic number, I Will Always Love You. However, I don’t get the appeal and I don’t see why Mr. Haenow is still in the top two of the betting.
He’s not a better singer than Andrea or Lauren meaning it can only be his good looks that have punters piling in.
Andrea Faustini -4/1
Oh dear, Andrea. Where has it all gone wrong? Having been odds-on for victory at one point, Mel B’s star act is now in danger of falling away.
Needs a big performance and to show something a little different if he’s to convince the public and the judges that he’s a worthy winner.
Lauren Platt – 10/1
Another massive drifter, perhaps this year’s shot at stardom has come a little too early for Essex-based Lauren.
She deserves a lot of plaudits for the way she’s conducted herself and for the quality of her performances.
But ultimately there’s little point in backing Lauren to be winning act now, even at this price.
Stereo Kicks – 12/1
They’re the rank outsiders and you’d think that the 6/4 on Stereo Kicks to be the 12th act eliminated was an absolute steal.
But as we saw when Jay James left in week 6 there’s always the potential for an upset.
Click here for the latest X Factor odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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