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.

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

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.

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.

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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.

Join host Dermot O'Leary live as the 11 remaining acts find out the results of the public vote. The two acts with the lowest number of votes must 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.

It is the eighth live show, and with only five acts remaining, the pressure is really on to make an impression on both the judges and the voters at home. Panellists Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh will be rooting for the performers in their categories

Britain has been voting for 24 hours and the finalists face a nail-biting wait to find out the results of the public vote. Joining them for the biggest pop event of the year are judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh as well as more top international guest stars. The two finalists left battling for the crown after the third-placed act has gone home will perform what will become the winner's single. Then it is the moment that everybody has been waiting for as Dermot O'Leary announces the winner of The X Factor 2010.

Live Show

Dermot O'Leary hosts the live results show. The remaining performers will be on tenterhooks as the results of the public vote are revealed, as the two acts with the lowest number of votes must sing for their survival in the final showdown.