Little Mix, Amelia Lily and Marcus Collins are through to the final three of X Factor 2011 and Tulisa's girl band are the favourites to win the competition.
Misha Bryan was eliminated from the X Factor 2011 on Sunday evening. This was one of the first times in a while that the public have done the sensible thing and voted both the weakest act and the one that was, reportedly, the least popular, meaning that it was a win for the punters.
That has left Little Mix, Amelia Lily and Marcus Collins as the final three contenders to win this year's competition, which finishes with live shows in London's Wembley Arena on Saturday and Sunday. Any of the three could conceivably win although the bookmakers marginally prefer Tulisa's girl band. Here's a quick guide to each act.
Tulisa may not be up to much in the mentoring stakes but her girl band have gradually won over the public. One of the four girls can sing and one of the four has problems with her weight. Beyond that they are very bland with Tulisa claiming that they are popular because they "won't steal your boyfriend". Possibly true but they also don't really have much spark and it's difficult to imagine what they will do to steal the show in Wembley Arena. Simon Cowell is reportedly backing them though so it's possible that they will receive favourable slots, which can be crucial.
Marcus has been the most consistent X Factor contestant this series. The 23-year-old hairdresser stays within his comfort zone but there is a lot of scope within that area. His 'soul' singing makes him popular with both the young and old and that is crucial for winning votes. It must be remembered that five of the seven X Factor winners have been 'boys' and Marcus would be the third successive male X Factor champion, should he win.
Amelia Lily is by the far the most polarising of this year's X Factor finalists. The 17-year-old was hugely popular and favourite to win when bizarrely eliminated by Kelly Rowland. She was, however, then brought back in to replace Frankie Cocozza and once again went straight to the head of the betting. This was followed by a few weeks of facing a sing off before reaching the final three. She is perhaps the most likely of the finalists to become a genuine pop star and is certainly the most malleable but the fact that she has missed several weeks could see the public shun her this weekend.
