X Factor: Letting the public decide was a Jedful cop-out by Simon Cowell

As stitch-ups and rigged results go, you couldn't get anything much more blatant than last night's X Factor.

Louis Walsh and Jedward ran off into the night like three demented sprites, kicking their heels and blowing kisses at the stars so hard was it for them to believe their luck.

Simon Cowell was whisked away in his Bentley cackling at the thought of all the outrage, the twitter-chat, and next week's viewing figures he had caused.

Oliver Stone was frantically scripting his next conspiracy movie.

Yes. Jedward had survived - and at the hand of Simon Cowell. With one ridiculous flourish Cowell flouted the rules of his own show, betrayed his own opinions and allowed The X Factor's pretensions to being a talent show to evaporate for good. .

For me, the second show in the weekend's schedule never had much justification, particularly when, Cowell continually refused to put his head on the block and shatter someone's 'dream' by sending them home.

"I'm going to let the public decide," is a total cop-out. What's the point of the judges or the so-called sing-off ?

They might as well just come back on Saturday night and tell us who came last.

Cowell's decision had absolutely no justification (apart - obviously - from ratings).

The sing-off FINALLY saw Lucie returning to the style of singing that made her favourite after her audition, ditching her woeful attempts at faceless modern pop or (heaven help us), rock.

Saturday's version of This Is Me might as well have been called This Is Miley Cyrus it was so calculated, as was her post-performance interview with Dermot O'Dreary in which she did an impression of Stacey that was actually more talented than her vocal.

Maybe that was what turned people against her.

But on Sunday, she (sensibly) returned to the swooping, sensitive vocals she should have been doing all along (if her mentor wasn't Dannii Minogue, whose brilliant song choices also did for Rachel).