Top 10 X Factor Fails

The Welsh duo of Ant and Seb described themselves, as a heady mix of Usher, P. Diddy and Rick Astley. And they wasted little time in making an impression on the judges, who were moved to tears by their rendition of Peter Andre’s “Mysterious Girl”. Unfortunately for the pair, who Simon Cowell went on to christen Ant and Deaf, "those tears were of laughter. Although rejected by the judges, the boys were undeterred, attempting to launch into another classic rendition, before security ushered them away. Awkward.

Totoshko came all the way from Japan to meet Simon Cowell, but while she got to shake hands with the man himself, it proved to be an otherwise wasted journey. Auditioning with the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way”, Totoshko certainly lived up to the song’s title with a truly unique interpretation of the swing classic. Adopting a whisper-like singing style, Totoshko definitely had a unique style, but it wasn’t enough to see her through. She did get two yesses though.

“X Factor” contestants can be a little dramatic from time to time, but few have pulled out all the stops quite like Onka. Keen to showcase his talents as an entertainer, he decided to ramp up the emotion halfway through his tone deaf version of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” by dropping to the floor. A painful performance in every sense of the word, Onka left the audition with sore knees and four nos.

Some people are absolutely, unequivocally convinced of their singing talent. Holly Gervis was one such person. A holiday camp singer who was adamant she could win the “X Factor”, Holly dreamed of one day holding the entire nation captive with her singing talents. She certainly managed it too, with her audition arguably among the most memorable on offer that year. And thanks to an unusual singing technique, Simon Cowell nicknamed her “Cave Mouth”.

Emma Chawner’s audition was epic from the get go. Arriving in something akin to a wedding dress, she proceeded to deliver a fabulously flat, childlike version of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” - stopping midway through when she forgot the lyrics. Though nerves undoubtedly played a part, a lack of talent was the main reason she failed. Not that her family was deterred, with Emma’s mum and dad confronting Simon Cowell over his critique. Cowell soon set them straight.

A little attitude can go a long way in the music industry, but overdo it and you might end up like Rachel Lester, who’s one of the rudest contestants to ever appear on the show. Describing herself as an “extremely good vocalist”, on par with the likes of Prince, she proceeded to belt out Sheena Easton’s “Sugar Walls”. But when she got a negative response, things soon turned sour. Eventually, she had to be escorted out.

Michael Jackson songs are a favourite for talent show auditions. On this occasion, self-confessed MJ fanatic Michael Lewis decided to pay tribute to the man he considers “a God”, with a rendition of “Rock With You”. But it didn’t take long for the boos to ring out during his performance, which Simon Cowell described as “hideous”. Though he was given the opportunity to perform a second song, Michael eventually threw in the towel, blaming the “negativity” in the room.

What made friends Abby and Lisa so unique was how easily they turned on each other, with strange and alarmingly violent results. Things started badly before they’d even begun singing, with Simon Cowell slamming their attitude and the pair telling the audience to shut up. After butchering Shayne Ward’s “That’s My Goal”, there was still time for Lisa to insult guest judge Natalie Imbruglia, before Abby put the icing on this epic fail by punching her partner. Ouch.

An employee at a chicken factory, Robert Unwin provided one of the first truly laugh out loud moments in the series. Boasting a uniquely awful singing voice, most thought his high-pitched rendition of the Bee Gees’ “Tragedy” couldn’t be topped. But he pulled another gem out of the bag with a similarly bizarre version of the ‘90s hit “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. He may have failed to progress, but his audition remains the stuff of “X Factor” folklore.

Steven Yates may just be the worst rapper of all time. Hailing from Sheffield and keen to compare himself to Eminem, from the off Steven was convinced he was set for the big time, and even rapped his way into the audition. It quickly went downhill from there though, with Simon Cowell unconvinced he had the talent or charisma to make it as a musician. But Steven wasn't flustered, and enlisted the show’s host, Kate Thornton, to help him film a “diss” clip aimed at the judges afterwards.