The X Factor has returned for the first live show, without an injured Simon Cowell.
Judges Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger put on a united front as they strutted out in front of waiting crowds, ahead of the first elimination.
Nicole looked fabulous in a split gold skirt while Sharon looked chic in a black floor-length gown and Louis rocked a velvet blazer.
Party of three: Judges Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger put on a united front as they strutted out in front of waiting crowds, ahead of the first elimination
As host Dermot joked; ‘You’re loving it’ then said ‘who put the banana skin at the top of the stairs?’ Nicole responded ‘It was a team effort.’
Dermot said: ‘This is like murder on the orient express’
Sharon said:’ it was me in the library with the candlesticks’
Louis deflecting the blame said; ‘I was downstairs buying the milk, it was one of those two’
Tonight Louis Walsh’s Boys Category and Sharon Osbourne’s Girls group will perform with the theme being Express Yourself.
Joker: As host Dermot joked; ‘You’re loving it’ then said ‘who put the banana skin at the top of the stairs?’ Nicole responded ‘It was a team effort’ (above with Liam Payne)
Glam: Nicole looked fabulous in a split gold skirt while Sharon looked chic in a black floor-length gown and Louis rocked a velvet blazer
Wardrobe malfunction? Nicole appeared to pull down her skirt as she curtseyed
Grace Davies, Holly Tandy, Rai-Elle Williams and wildcard Alisah Bonaobra will take to the stage for Sharon while Lloyd Macey, Sam Black, Spencer Sutherland and wildcard Leon Mallett will represent Louis.
Dermot revealed for the first time viewers will find out who has received the highest number of votes on each night, with the Saturday and Sunday winner going head-to-head for a glittering fly trip to New York where they will meet Pink.
Rai-Elle Williams, 16, from Croydon took to the stage with a mashup of three songs Doo-Wop (That Thing) and the Meghan Trainor track No.
It was you: Louis was loving his new role as the show’s alpha male as he pointed at Sharon
Shock: Dermot said: ‘This is like murder on the orient express’
Thumbs up: Louis deflecting the blame said; ‘I was downstairs buying the milk, it was one of those two’
Work it; Rai-Elle Williams, 16, from Croydon took to the stage with a mashup of three songs Doo-Wop (That Thing) and the Meghan Trainor track No
Polished; The teenager prowled the stage clad in a sequinned t-shirt and cut-out trousers
The teenager prowled the stage clad in a sequinned t-shirt and cut-out trousers.
Sharon said: ‘You should be so happy. You are just everything, you’ve got talent, you’ve got a brilliant future.’
Louis gushed:’What a way to start the show. Watching you there was like watching an established star.
Nicole raved: ‘You might be four years old but you pack a lot of punch. You’re so diddy, iddy, biddy. That’s probably my favourite mash-up I’ve heard on the show.’
Next up was Spencer Sutherland, 25, from Ohio, with Jessie J- Who You are.
Sharon said: ‘You have a really strong voice. But your look is a bit boyband’
Powerful: Next up was Spencer Sutherland, 25, from Ohio, with Jessie J- Who You are
Positive: Sharon said: ‘You have a really strong voice. But your look is a bit boyband’
Fire; Louis then retorted ‘He works really hard. There’s nothing wrong with being boyband’ leading Sharon to spit back ‘he’s a soloist’
Feedback: Nicole gushed ‘You did a great job’ as Spencer listened intently
Louis then retorted ‘He works really hard. There’s nothing wrong with being boyband’ leading Sharon to spit back ‘he’s a soloist.
Nicole gushed ‘You did a great job’.
Cheryl also made a cameo on-screen expressing her love for absent judge Simon from the audience.
She said: ‘First of all I really miss you Simon. We love you, we’ll be cheering for all the groups. The public did a great job with Jack and Joel’
Holly Tandy, 16, from Yorkshire wowed with a powerful performance of Tori Kelly’s Hollow surrounded by acrobats.
Animated: The judges were clearly loving being back on the panel
Making fun of his catchphrase, Louis said: ‘We need another popstar, you DO look like a popstar. That was incredible.
Nicole said: ‘Are you the youngest/ You’re so beyond your years already, you’re such a natural on that stage. It’s not big balls, you got big lungs.
Sharon said: ‘As Louis says, you look like a popstar, you sing like one. Mrs, who knew?’
Simon will miss the first X Factor live show after falling down the stairs and getting a concussion – sparking ‘panic’ among contestants.
This comes as X Factor sources claimed that the judge’s sing-off will be completely scrapped, leaving the voters in complete control of which contestants leave the show.
Whilst judges previously had the final show over which of the two hopefuls with the lowest public votes would leave following a tense sing-off, the contestant with the lowest numbers will now leave immediately.
As the live show finalists posed for pictures ahead of the weekend’s first live show, an X Factor source told The Sun: ‘The sing-off had been popular but Simon believed that it had become sour and focused too much on who was leaving rather than championing the talent who was in the lead.
‘He wants to celebrate the best acts on the show rather than give screen time to the less popular performers who haven’t struck a chord with the public.
‘It does mean though that there is little point in the judges being there, apart from offering their opinion. They will have no direct impact on who goes or who stays.
Another major shake-up will be an increased amount of contestants being voted off the show.
While in previous years Saturday’s show would see the performances and public votes, Sunday’s show was dedicated to an eviction night.
However the overhaul will reportedly mean one contestant will now leave each night, voted completely by the public with the judges simply providing their opinions.
This weekend Liam Payne and Stormzy will perform and act as celebrity mentors.
The wild card contestants brought back by the public, Leon Mallet, Alisah Bonaobra, Jack and Joel and Talia Dean, will also make their cameo on this weekend’s show.
Sunday night’s show will see Nicole Scherzinger’s Overs category of Matt Linnen, Tracy Leanne Jefford and Kevin Davy White perform, with the former Pussycat Doll bringing back Talia Dean, 32, for her wild card.
She will be joined by an injured Simon Cowell, who picked Rak-Su, Sean Price and Conor Price and The Cutkelvins for his Groups, with the public bringing back Jack and Joel as the wild card.
Simon, 58, was stretchered out of hisLondon mansion to hospital in a neck brace after the accident while going to get a cup of hot milk to help him fall asleep at around 7.30am on Friday.
The fall came just a day before the first live X-Factor show of the year on Saturday and confirming he may not well enough to appear he said: ‘I will be back but I don’t know about tomorrow’.
A source close to Mr Cowell later told The Sun: ‘There were some rumours that Cheryl was going to step in for Simon but this isn’t going to be the case.
‘Simon is expected to be fine for Sunday’s show, but right now he needs as much rest as possible – every one knows he’s a workaholic and no one can stop him from returning.
‘They’ll switch the singers which means they’ll be panic for some contestants but everyone totally understands.’