'Jedward' saved by X Factor fans

Lucie Jones has become the fifth contestant to leave ITV1's The X Factor, losing out following a sing-off with twins John and Edward Grimes.

The deciding vote was left with Simon Cowell, who refused to send the twins home despite previously saying he would leave the country if they won the show.

Instead, the fate of the two acts was decided by the public vote.

ITV's X Factor message boards have been flooded with support for Jones, 18, who was a 16/1 outsider to leave the show.

One wrote that Cowell had deferred the decision because "he will make more money out of the twins being on the show".

"After banging on, week in week out, about how the twins were rubbish and it was a talent/singing competition, he threw away the chance to prove it," another wrote.

"Lucie sang beautifully - she should still be in. I won't be watching anymore."

But another said: "Simon was spot on, she was never going to win.

The pair "pull in the crowd", they added.

John and Edward, nicknamed "Jedward", have divided public opinion with critics saying they lack the singing ability to justify their continued presence in the competition.

"Who would I rather see again? I'd probably rather see the boys"

On Saturday night's movie-themed X Factor show, they sang Ghostbusters while Jones performed This Is Me, as featured on Camp Rock.

In the sing-off on Sunday night's results show, the twins sang Robbie Williams's Rock DJ while Jones sang Whitney Houston's One Moment In Time.

Following those performances, the Irish double act's mentor Louis Walsh voted to keep them in the competition.

But fellow judges Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole both wanted 18-year-old Jones to remain in the contest.

Left with the deciding vote, Cowell said: "I think, Lucie, my problem has been with you that I believe there's a ceiling and, with John and Edward, we've had some horrific performances.

"Having said that, who would I rather see again? I'd probably rather see the boys."

He added: "I'm going to let the public decide."

After she learned of her fate, Jones, from Pentyrch near Cardiff, said: "I'm gutted but the boys deserve to be here - they work harder than anyone."

Minogue, who mentored Jones, said: "I just wish all the good singers good luck in the singing competition."

Cowell has previously said it would be "a complete and utter disaster" if John and Edward won the X Factor and that he was "praying" it did not happen.

But on Saturday night, he praised their Ghostbusters performance as "possibly more entertaining than anything you have done before".

The Sunday night results show attracted the biggest X Factor audience so far this series - an average of 14.4m, according to overnight figures.

On Saturday, it attracted 11.8m viewers, compared with 8.7m for BBC One rival Strictly Come Dancing.

The two overlapped for just 15 minutes on Saturday night.

The BBC and ITV were criticised in September when the shows clashed for up to an hour, forcing some viewers to decide between the two.

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