With Cheryl Cole still absent, the contestants in Manchester have one last chance to impress Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger in the final audition show before boot camp begins next week.

Rita Ora picks the TOP 6 girls in the 1st show of the six chair challenge..

Guest judge Natalie Imbruglia helps Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh select the best solo singers and groups at the auditions in Birmingham, where highlights include a female duo whose attitude fails to impress Simon. Plus, more from London, where a pair of twins from Paris bring back memories of Jedward for the judges.

Tonights theme: Number one Singles. Dermot O'Leary hosts the first of the live shows. Thousands of singers auditioned across the UK and their numbers have been whittled down so that now only the 12 finalists remain to battle it out for a life-changing record contract. Each finalist is mentored by one of the judges - Dannii Minogue returns from maternity leave to support the boys, Cheryl Cole looks after the girls, Simon Cowell is mentoring the groups and Louis Walsh is helping the contestants in the new over-28s category. Tomorrow night, the first act will leave the competition.

The 10 remaining acts battle it out to win the public's votes and stay in the competition.

Britain has been voting over the last 24 hours and now the semi-finalists find out the result of the public vote. The act with the fewest votes will leave the competition, and the others will compete in next week's final. Including live performances from the cast of hit US series Glee, former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke and chart-topping group the Black Eyed Peas. Hosted by Dermot O'Leary.

The finalists go head to head as they sing live in a bid to win this year's competition and bag a life-changing recording contract. Also battling it out are judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, while host Dermot O'Leary is on hand to keep the warring parties at bay. Plus there will be performances by some amazing international guest stars. The voting lines open tonight as the countdown starts - tomorrow night, one act will win the X Factor.

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The results of last night's live show are revealed, and 3 contestants go through to the finals.

Watch all 11 acts strut their stuff as they make their claim to The X Factor throne. Tonight the competition really hots up, and Whitney Houston is a special guest tomorrow night. Louis Walsh will be absent from both shows as he attends Stephen Gately's funeral in Dublin.

Join Dermot O'Leary live for the results of the public vote. The two acts with the lowest number of votes must perform again in the final showdown. Then judges Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole will decide who stays to sing another day and who leaves the competition.

The battle for the crown continues as the eight remaining acts step onto Britain's biggest stage for the fifth live show. Each of the performers will be hoping to impress the voting audience at home as well as judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh. Host Dermot O'Leary will be on hand to deal with the war of words as the judges give their views on each performance and defend their singers. Next time, one act will be leaving the competition.

Only seven acts remain and the competition will be getting fiercer than ever as the performers battle it out to stay in the running. Judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh will be on the edges of their seats as they support the singers they are mentoring

Dermot O'Leary hosts the all-new Sunday night X Factor results show, as the nine acts find out the results of the public vote. The two with the lowest number of votes will sing for survival in the final showdown, then it is up to the judges to decide who stays to sing another day and who leaves the competition.

The final acts perform in the hope of impressing the judges and the audience at home, while a lineup of guest performers takes to the stage.

The judges reveal who has made it through to the live finals.

Tonights theme: Heroes.

There are only six acts remaining in the competition, and today they must sing live again in a battle to win the biggest prize in pop.

It is time for the seven remaining acts to find out the result of the public vote. The two acts with the lowest numbers of votes must sing for survival in the final showdown. Then judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh will decide who stays in the competition and who is sent home.

t is time to reveal the results of the public vote. The two acts with the fewest votes will have to perform again in a sing-off, and then it is up to the judges to decide who stays in the competition and who is eliminated.

After weeks of gruelling auditions, the remaining 16 contestants have reached the live rounds. Dermot O'Leary presents the first of the live shows, in which the finalists perform for the judges, the audience and the viewers at home. Gary Barlow is mentoring the boys, Kelly Rowland is looking after the girls, Louis Walsh is helping the over-28s and Tulisa Contostavlos takes charge of the groups.

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Live Show 4 Results

The remaining 24 acts jet off to the Judges' Houses stage. Offering a glimpse into the jetset lifestyle that the winner could have, the contestants travel to glamorous destinations across the world, and with just one more chance to impress their mentor, each act will be hoping to convince them that they have the star quality required to reach the live shows.

Those who have made it through travel to the judges houses where they have one last chance to impress before the judges decide who they will put through to the live stages of the competition.