Simon Cowell lost his first act in X Factor on Sunday evening when Jay James was the latest contestant to be voted off the show.Jay and Stevi Ritchie were the two hopefuls battling it out for a place in the final. Their mentor Simon opted to keep Jay in the show, as did Irish X Factor judge Louis Walsh.After the sing-off Simon said: "I really don't like doing this but I'm going to send home Stevi."
Louis said: "I am going to save the best singer, and I've made my decision the person I am going to send home is Stevi". When it came to the ladies of the panel, though, Stevi was their preferred choice. "I am genuinely confused," said Mel B. "Jay, your vocals were great. But Stevi, tonight you actually sang. So the act I have to send home is Jay."Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, meanwhile, opted to vote for the more fun of the two acts, taking the decision to deadlock.
"I think Stevi is the more fun, I would miss him, so I think the person I am sending home is Jay," said the Geordie beauty. It is the second week in a row that unlucky Jay has found himself in the bottom two, being saved by the public in last week's show when he was challenged to a sing-off against Mel's act Paul Akister. This week the decision was again taken to deadlock, with Jay being sent home following the unveiling of the public vote when he was announced to have received the lowest number of public votes. Speaking after the announcement, he said: "It's been absolutely incredible, the people that I have met during this time have just been amazing." Simon added: "Jay, you've been a gentleman, a really nice guy to work with."
