Daniel Evans gets X Factor boot

Daniel Evans has become the sixth act to be booted off ITV's The X Factor.

The 38-year-old pool cleaner lost a sing-off against Rachel Hylton with a performance of the Simon and Garfunkel hit Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Judges Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell all voted to oust Evans, sparing Dannii Minogue, the mentor of both acts, from choosing between them.

Evans, from Essex, said: "It's one of the best experiences I've ever had, the ups and the downs."

Cowell described Evans' earlier performance of Tom Jones' hit It's Not Unusual as "a little bit drunk dad at a wedding".

He had been regularly criticised by Cowell and Walsh, who had previously said Evans reminded him of "Ricky Gervais singing karaoke".

Diana Vickers made her return to the stage after missing last week's live show due to a throat infection.

Her rendition of Coldplay's hit Yellow did not go down well with the judges, and she received her worst reviews to date.

Laura White's shock exit from the show last week sparked online petitions calling for her reinstatement and the issue was even raised in Parliament.

Next week's show will have a Take That theme.

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