X Factor flops blast 'cruel' Walsh

Last updated at 14:47 16 October 2005

The first act to leave ITV's X Factor have revealed how they confronted judge Louis Walsh to ask why he "cruelly" voted them off the show.

Addictiv Ladies believe Walsh chose them to leave the show just to get at fellow judge Simon Cowell. When they tried to talk to him afterwards, they claimed he walked away in embarrassment.

Fleur East, 17, said: "We just told him that what he did was wrong. He didn't even know what to say and walked away looking sheepish."

"He was just cruel and malicious picking on a young group of girls like us," added Vivienne Umeh, also 17.

Chico reprieve

The foursome were up against former stripper Chico for the final place in next week's live show but their rendition of Jamelia's song Superstar was not good enough to save them.

Walsh was forced to cast the deciding vote after Sharon Osbourne backed Chico, who sang Rod Stewart's If You Think I'm Sexy, and Simon Cowell backed the girl group.

Walsh had said earlier in the show that Addictiv Ladies "were really good fun but not ready for the big time". They were "amateurish" and needed more vocal coaching, he said.

Chico on the other hand "owned the stage" and was "born to boogie". Despite not having the best voice, the 34-year-old was a great dancer, he said.

But Addictiv Ladies said they were not too disheartened and believed they would eventually make it.

"We will one day be a British Destiny's Child," said Stephanie Yamson, 17.

But for now East, Yamson, Umeh and 16-year-old Nicola Owusu-Akontoh, from Walthamstow, east London, are going back to college to complete their A Levels.

They backed R&B singer Nicholas Dorsett to win the show.

X Factor won the ratings war with Strictly Come Dancing with the number of viewers for the main show peaking at 8.9million viewers compared to 8.6million for the BBC1 show. The number of viewers for the results programme rose to 9.5million while only 6.8million tuned in to see who won the BBC programme.