24 acts remain, divided in four categories. The contestants will be jetted off to London, New York, Los Angeles and Makepeace Island (Sunshine Coast, Australia) were their mentors will be revealed. The judges will also be joined by music superstars Jon Bon Jovi and Kylie Minogue, former XF Au judge Guy Sebastian plus Kelly Osbourne and will.i.am. Plus a surprise addition to the Overs. Who'll make our Top 12? ... It's time to face the music!

Recap after the jump ...

Boys Jai  Waetford Georgie Bannard  Taylor Henderson  Mitchell Thompson  Omar Dean  Ofisa Toleafoa  Girls Ellie Lovegrove Vendulka Georgina Mastin  Joelle  Jiordan Tolli  Riv Ngwenya

Overs Tyler Hudson Barry Southgate Gemma Thorpe  Michael Ross  Cat Vas Matt Gresham Groups JTR  Straight Up Adira-Belle  Boy Band Girl Group Mixed Group

The Overs are being mentored by Dannii. "I won twice, I can do it again" she says. Only 5 contestants arrive at the airport. Matt Gresham decided he couldn't commit to the competition, so he had to withdraw. Apparently he still wanted to play his gigs and release his own music. Why audition for a second time then? Oh well, I'll always check his original stuff either way. Replacing Matt is Dami Im, who was eliminated in Bootcamp after messing up in her final performance. "I've been given this amazing second chance and I just can't wait to really do my best" she says. Dannii is taking the Overs to New York, where she's joined by her sister Kylie Minogue. "I want somebody here by my side who knows exactly what it takes to be a global superstar. This person has one Grammys, Brits and Aria Awards, please welcome, my sister" Dannii introduces Kylie. "You get to Minogues for the price of one" she says.

Gemma Thorpe - "Perfect" - She loves being a police officer but there's always something missing. She hopes this can be a platform for her. Dannii thinks the song is way too rushed to have the sentiment it needs. / Gemma will bring everything in her life, the good, the bad, the ugly and put it into this song. The performance isn't bad but it's also not nearly as good as her initial audition was. It feels as if she's lost her magic. "Question mark I've for Gemma is whether she'll work an audience, she was very reluctant to look at us" Dannii tells her sis.


Dami Im - "If I Were a Boy" - Getting a no during bootcamp was heartbreaking for her. She couldn't get to her normal life after that. When she got the call from the XF, she felt it was a miracle. "I love it when you make mistakes, it shows me you" Dannii says after Dami messes up with the lyrics. She loves this song for her. / Dami wants to show the Minogues she can be in the finals. She has to show she's confident. This isn't the shy girl we've seen throughout the competition. Her delivery is confident and her vocals are perfect. She's really proven her place with that. "She's so awkward! Sometimes it looks like she's wondered onto stage accidentally and she's not sure why she's here but the minute she starts singing she holds you captive until the end" Dannii says.


Barry Southgate - "Get Lucky" - He didn't impress Dannii during the audition. She called him pedestrian. During rehearsals, Dannii thinks it's not the right song for him. "That's like me walking into a record company and singing a Kylie Minogue song. It's just same same" she says. Barry is trying too hard to impress during his rehearsal. / It wasn't fun for him to get Dannii's feedback during the rehearsal since it knocked his ego. He doesn't want to be cheesy. I think Dannii is being a bit too hard on Barry. He's a great soulful singer, he could very well turn into an Aloe Blacc kinda artist. I liked that one. Kylie felt the performance had no cheese. I love how Kylie doesn't give Dannii the reason with any of his worries about Barry.


Tyler Hudson - "Pictures Of You" - When he got home from bootcamp he took his wife to the hospital, she went into labour, and gave birth to their third child, named after Michael Jackson's Billie Jean I assume. Dannii thinks the song is perfect for her. She suggest picturing different photographs in his house every time he says "pictures of you". / He's giving this performance everything he's got. And Dannii thinks Barry is cheesy. What is Tyler then? He's an average singer, I guess he could do better without this type of songs but he'll never try something different. The sisters think he could be versatile, I doubt that.


Cat Vas - "Only Girl in the World" -  The rehearsal is a proper mess. "When you hit the chorus you've gotta hit it with conviction" Dannii tells her. / She thinks she doubts herself because she's been singing for so long. Much better than the rehearsal. Not the song I'd have picked for her but she did sang it pretty well. I love Cat's tone, so I really hope that was enough for Dannii to take her through. Dannii doesn't feel she could handle the pressure of the liveshows.


Michael Ross - "Take Your Mama" -Dannii likes the runs but warns him not to overdo them. She suggests picking his favourite runs and keep those, "just not make it cheesy". She thinks he can go cabaret in a heartbeat. / He's not sure how Dannii's advice is gonna fit him. Well, Dannii was right about Michael going cabaret. The problem is he's way too theatrical. I guess we really didn't see that before since he performed in front of the piano but without it, his hands are a total distraction. He's a good singer though. Kylie felt Michael makes people feel good.




The guys are given Ronan as their judge. I bet that's exactly the category he wanted. They will be travelling to Los Angeles. "I was in school a few days ago and now I'm in Hollywood. It's crazy" Jai says. Georgie wanted Ronan from the very beginning. Ronan will be advised by Kelly Osbourne after Miley Cyrus couldn't make it. "She comes from music royalty, so please welcome Kelly Osbourne" he says. She's got a #1 album and a Platinum single, yet I've no idea what song is that. "I cannot wait to hear you sing" she says.

Georgie Bannard - "Your Song" -  This song is one of his faves and he feels like he can really relate to it. Ronan feels his rehearsal was disjointed, there was no flow. He heard three different versions of the song. / He's never been a confident person, hiding behind his comedy face. Since auditioning, he's started to believe a lot more in himself. Kelly loves his personality. Who wouldn't? This is really pretty but very similar to his final bootcamp performance. I'm also really tired of this song, so there's that. "I love Georgie" Kelly says "he can sing but ...".


Taylor Henderson - "Isn't She Lovely" - Ronan wasn't expecting this from Taylor. When the rehearsal begins, Taylor can't stop messing up. "Stop doubting yourself. When you are on that row, I'm on the Taylor train and it's amazing" Ronan tells him. / When he's at home, there's not a day that he doesn't sing and play his guitar so it's gonna be different for him not to have it with him. This sounds awesome, he doesn't look as insecure as I had pictured him without his guitar. He doesn't know what to do with his body but her vocals were great. Guess he can perform without it after all. Kelly felt like he looked like someone who wants a guitar in his hand. Ronan felt he was very exposed.


Mitchell Thompson - "Rolling In the Deep" - Ronan tells him to stop singing in his nose. "It's very nasally, specially on the verses" he says about his rehearsal. That'll be hard to accomplish. / He's hoping this performance will finally take him to the liveshows. He wants music to be his life everyday. Mitchell is a very good singer and I've been his fan since The Voice but he looks as cannon fodder to me. He didn't sound nasal to me this time, though I guess he could've breathed a little more. Ronan felt he was gonna self combust. Kelly thinks he has an incredible voice and women will fall in love with him.


Ofisa Toleafoa - "Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word" - The guy is a bundle of nerves. Ronan thinks it could be a car crash tomorrow if he doesn't believe in himself. The rehearsal doesn't go very well. He cries, of course. / T wants to make his mom proud. I guess he was able to control his nerves, however he kept his eyes closed for the most part and barely made eye contact. The vocals were amazing though, as Ronan said, his best performance to date. He feels he'd crumble in the liveshows. I've to agree with him on this one.


Jai  Waetford - "Always On My Mind" -"Your first line of your song is everything and you were off there" Ronan tells him. He wants Jai to be more definite. / He's doing this performance for him and his family. He currently lives with his grandparents but it's always been their dream to move out and get their own house. He hopes they can do that after the show. I love his tone, I really do, and I don't find him nearly as annoying as most kids. His vocals were good but I felt he needed to stretch the notes longer, since he cut them short, as if he lacked the proper breath support. It blows Kelly's mind how he turned this song into his own. She feels he's too young.


Omar Dean - "Let's Get it On" - He can't decide which song to sing. Ronan tells him not to worry. "If we change songs, we'll change it" he says. He prefers Omar's second pick, "Let's Get it On". "That was a 100 times better" Ronan tells him. / Music is the only thing he wants to do in life. He wants to impress Kelly and will serenade her. This is definitely one of the best performance he's given, possibly the best of the boys. I wasn't sold on him before but that one just did it. He sounds like a younger Ne-Yo, Ronan could do something cool with him. "I got a head nod after each 'let's get it on'" Kelly says. Both agree he can sing. Ronan wonders if he went too far.




Natalie is given the Groups. The weakest category by far. I trust her judgment though. Due to Nat's pregnancy, the groups are staying close to home, travelling to Makepeace Island. "It's really luxurious so I'm excited" Jacinta says. Kelebek loves the Sunshine Coast since she's not been to many beaches growing up. "This years we're going to kick the other judges butts" a delusional Nat tells her groups. Nat brings Guy Sebastian on board to help her make this decision. The groups look puzzled when she tells them he's done this twice. He's also one twice, with Reece Mastin and Samantha Jade.

Adira-Belle - "Waterfalls" - They dropped the attitude, their best quality, in favour of a more intimate performance. Nat thinks they are strong vocally but she felt she wasn't being brought into the performance. She wants the girls to connect with each other. / "We're sassy, we're funny, bubbly. I don't really think the song we're performing is sassy so we're gonna try to incorporate the sassy feel with really telling the story" one of them says. The song does lack sass but they did all they could to make it as edgy as they could. I guess this is why they made it over Element, they are more together as a group and their vocals are perfect. "I thought they're one of the most interesting girl groups we've ever had on this show" Guy says. He feels it's dated at the moment though.


Straight Up - "Cooler than Me" - They're ready to show Nat what they've got. The boys do a great job during the rehearsal but Latifah is a big mess. Nat was lost when they were singing the solos since she couldn't tell who was singing. / The performance was ok for the most part but something was seriously off with them. I thought the start was great but as soon as the back flip happened everything started to fall apart. The harmonies were a mess and the dancing wasn't in sync. Just when I start to tolerate them. "Love them" Guy says. Nat is worried whether they are too young and raw.


Boy Band - "Kissed A Girl" - The guys are led by Fabian, apparently. Originally a four member band, the judges decided to drop Zac during bootcamp. Nat would like Nick to take the lead vocals. Fabian is probably pissed. / Fabian says that not being the lead anymore isn't the feeling that you want to get. "It was like my dream was crushed" he says, super douchey, "but at the end of the day, we're a team and whatever is the best choice is the best choice". Nick isn't such a good singer either. The problem is, none of them is. This is seriously not working. The sooner Nat realizes that, the better. "I don't feel that there's anything new presented, nothing we've not seen before" Guy says. I miss how right he was sometimes.


Girl Group - "Thinking About You" - We only know Carla, and she was montaged, so I don't think we'll be seeing them during the liveshows. The rehearsal sounds very nice, though Nat feels it's very mellow, like they don't believe they can be stars.  / The girls have been rehearsing like there's no tomorrow. They just want to get out there and perform. I like the girl group more than the boy band but I've the same issue with them. None of them is particularly a strong performer. They seem a bit more cohesive though. Guy felt nervous watching them. They both see a rough diamond there though.


JTR - "Rich Girl" - The boys picked this song because they do their own thing with it and thought it'll be cool. Nat feel Tom isn't as confident as the other guys. "When you are nervous and holding back, everyone can see it" she says. When he was young, he was bullied in school for being a guy singing so he stopped until he started singing again about a year ago. / Tom wants to show Nat that he's good enough to do this. His motto is "fake it till you make it" so he says he's faking a 100 percent now until he makes it. Not a good motto if you ask me. I'm not really a fan of what they do, it's too much generic boy band to me. I liked what Robin did though, he's also the guy that annoyed me at first. Guy feels they are a bit too clean and polished.


Mixed Group - "Can't Hold Us" -They couldn't see it working when they were turned into a trio on bootcamp. At the end of the day, they put aside their differences and showed the judges they made the right choice. Jordan thinks they really jelled now. Nat wants Jordan to be up there with the girls. She wants them all to be as fierce as one another. /  This is the best group the show has this year. Contrary to the other manufactured groups, this one can actually perform. They work perfectly together, the judges really hit gold here. That was really entertaining. "Amazing" Guy says "It's moments like that that make me miss the show this year".




Poor ladies, they're stuck with Redfoo. Can he be less of a douche when mentoring them? We'll have to wait an see. The girls are meeting with Redfoo in London, surprising considering I expected Ronan to be there. Riv can't believe she's in London on The London Eye. Redfoo definitely thinks the girls can win the XF. Jon Bon Jovi joins him to mentor the girls. They are starstruck. "I don't even know what to say" Vendulka says. "Be calm, be in the moment, enjoy yourselves" he tells them. Also joining Foo is will.i.am, who'll help him decide which 3 girls to take to the liveshows. He's known him since seventh grade.

Vendulka - "The Sound of Silence" - It was hard for her to get a no last year but she feels it has made her stronger. The song she's singing Bon Jovi has sung before. "This is a daunting task" he tells her. She loves that song and knows that Bon Jovi loves it too. She knows there are songs that could show off her vocals more but she likes showing stories off than vocals. Foo likes how soft it was. / She feels like there's more at stake. She wants to make sure she stands out today because this performance will decide her fate. This is a mesmerizing performance, really ethereal. She definitely knows how to deliver the story and I'm glad she's more focused on that than on showing her big pipes. Will thinks she has an old soul when she sings. Vendulka thinks this performance was better than what she did last year.


Riv Ngwenya - "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" - She wants to prove she'll do great in Foo's Top 3. "Your nerves are pounding through your everything right now" Bon Jovi tells her. Foo wonders if she prepared another song. Riv thinks Pink's song would be the stronger option. Well, it sounds a lot better, I don't get why she didn't go with that one. / She's decided to go with the second tune cause that's the one Foo was leaning for. She's nervous because it's the second song. Such a pretty performance, she's really dialed back the big pipes in favour of a more intimate performance. I'm still not sold on Riv, she doesn't bring anything new to this competition, no matter how good she sounds. Will thinks that what's gonna hurt her is getting nervous during the lives.


Jiordan Tolli - "Bizarre Love Triangle" - She's very happy they've got Foo since he's the one that has said positive comments each time she's performed. "Every song I've ever heard you sing sounds the same to me and I really like that but I want to see this voice manifest. I want to see this body and this voice become one" Foo tells her. I didn't get anything of that. Haha. / She's gonna try and do exactly what Foo told her. Her voice is so amazing, that tone is pure magic. I've no idea what she was doing with her hands cause it felt as if she was struggling to remember the words, even when she didn't. The vocals were a bliss though. Will thinks she's acting and her acting is getting in between just singing it like she means it.


Ellie Lovegrove - "Diamonds" - Knowing that her dad didn't record anything motivated her not to waste her time. "The mind has a mind of it's own. Self doubt is a bitch. If you lose it half way it's because you didn't tell the mind to shut off" Bon Jovi advises her. / She was concerned with her past performance because she wasn't as good as she wanted to. Her voice and tone are superb but she keeps picking the wrong songs for her voice. "Diamonds" is already a pretty tired song and while her interpretation was gorgeous, I didn't love it. Will felt Ellie was very nervous.


Georgina Mastin - "The One That Got Away" - She wants people to recognize her for who she is not because she's Recce's sister. Bon Jovi thinks she lost her focus. Foo tells her to forget they are even there. / The fact Recce has done this before is playing in her mind and it's intimidating. She's stepped it up. This is probably the best Georgina has sounded but I don't feel she's ready yet. I'd give her two years, then she could be molded into a pop star. Will felt her dress was louder than her.


Joelle - "Read All About It" -S he got sent home last year on this same stage and on this same city. "It was harder this year" she reflects "because I'm really relying on myself". Foo was the one judge to tell her no during the auditions. She's really nervous about that. Foo tell she she's trying to kill it, attack the vocals when it's supposed to be soft. She's having a hard time understanding what Foo means, we all do sweety. Bon Jovi wants her to tell him a story so he pushes her to sing it as she should. Well, he's a much better mentor than Foo is, can we trade them? / She feels the pressure of being in the same place she got rejected with the one judge that doesn't believe in her. This is such a great cover. I feel like she's done what Foo wanted, this is soft and captivating. I adore her tone, I've never liked someone's tone as much as I like hers. "She wants to be so good so bad and she's pushing so hard, this was toned down, she's a fighter" Foo says. Will thought Joelle was thinking too much, executing what she was told rather than being herself.



Foo will deliver the news to returnee Joelle first. She's sceptical about a positive answer. It seems far fetched to her. She can't even look at him. "I did say no to you on your first audition. I can't forget that. Why do you think I've been so hard on you?" he says. She thinks it's because he doesn't connect with her or maybe to see if she can take direction. "During the mentor session, you came in singing one way, I gave you suggestion and you tried really hard to do that but there's so much talent, the six of you are so good, doing too much is simply too much and my decision is based on whether I liked your last performance and Joelle, I loved it, you're in my Top 3". "So this means you like me?" she asks. "Yeah!".


Oh no. It's Jiordan Tolli vs Vendulka. I hate this. I guess I'll go for Vendulka, who feels intimidated by Jiordan because she's someone she'll listen to. "I think your voice is amazing" (to Jiordan) "I've been forced to compare you to other girls in the competition and your style is kinda similar" (to Vendulka) "I can't really have two people that are similar, I love your style but are you a one trick pony? I can only pick three and that's what makes this so tough" (to both) "I can't take you with me but I think you are great, you've got to pick it up" (to Vendulka). Well, this sucks. Poor girl, he is spectacular yet the idiot judges that get the girls keep sending her home. I don't know if she'll ever be back now. "Maybe this just wasn't the way I'm supposed to go" Vendulka says. "Jiordan, you are in my Top 3" Foo informs Jiordan. I'm happy for her but it still sucks for Vendulka, I wanted to see her every week.


Georgina Mastin is up next. She doesn't feel as good as Reece sometimes. She wants people to remember her name and that she's different and isn't gonna give up. "You definitely look like a little pop star. I feel like you haven't connected all the way with the songs and I need someone who knows who they are and I think you can get there but can I work with you and do that very quick? I've made my decision, I gotta send you home" Foo tells her "you've gotta come back next year".


It's down to Ellie Lovegrove and Riv Ngwenya. Ellie doesn't feel it's gonna go very well. "Your style is very strong and powerful, when you kick into your gear, I compare it to fireworks going off" (to ) "You've a wonderful tone but I can tell nerves are something that have been getting the better of you lately, your self doubt is in your head and that's a big concern to me" (to both) "It's a no, you are truly amazing" (to Riv) She bows it's not the end. "You are in my Top 3" (to Ellie) A very strong Top 3, though I'd still swap Ellie for Vendulka.



Tyler Hudson is first. "Yesterday's performance was a definite improvement. Being a great singer isn't enough. Authenticity in a performance is crucial. I've made my decision, I'm not taking you through" Dannii says. He's got no regrets.


Next is Cat Vas. "When you decide here that you can't do it, it switches off. Three quarters of the way through and you were looking for an escape. I've to weight it up, you're coming to the liveshows" Dannii tells Cat.


Barry Southgate and Michael Ross are up next. Barry doesn't want to be in the background anymore. Michael wants this to be his turn. "Your performance skills are bang on. The negatives, you are a good looking guys, good looking guys sometimes don't have to try that hard" (to Barry) "You make people smile when you perform and you've have some killer performances since your audition, Kylie said 'I'd buy a ticket to his concert'. I can't put someone just cause I like them, I've made my decision, you're not in my 3" (to Michael) "Do I think you are the next superstar? You are in my Top 3" (to Barry)


Gemma Thorpe and Dami Im remain. "You've got the tone and you've got the technique but it's not just about the voice" (to Gemma) "You're quirky and you're original. Kylie just loved you. Sometimes it looked like just wondered on stage by mistake, which is cute if you are singing at a karaoke bar" (to Dami) "I've taken everything into consideration, you're not in my final three" (to Gemma) "Dami, you're gonna be in my Top 3" (to Dami)



Up first is Straight Up. Latifah thinks they've got more motivation than others because of how young they are. "When I first saw you, the way the entire audience just went ballistic. You've got the right look, the right vibe and the right energy. My fear is that you are young. So I had to make a decision, you are not in my final three guys" Nat tells them. I'm actually surprised, I was sure they'll make it.


Adira-Belle and the Girl Group are next. The girls all think it's easier being in a group than by themselves. "I love the vibe that you bring. I do love the sassiness and the attitude and the fierceness but my concerns are, are you edgy enough?" (to Adira-Belle) "The last 24 hours I've the hardest time deciding who is the strongest and I've to take the best three groups with me so I've made my decision and you're not in my final three girls" (to Girl Group) "You're in my final 3" (to Adira-Belle)


The Mixed Group is up now. "This experience has definitely not been predictable, at all. We never saw a group like this coming together" Jacinta says. "It's been a really interesting ride for you guys so far. When you are a part of a group is so important to be together and to stand as one. Jordan what scares me is the inconsistency. Will you let the team down? Yesterday when you performed, I thought, 'this is fresh, I can see what the judges had in mind'. So I've made my decision, you're in my Top 3" Nat says.


Nat already has two strong groups, Now it's time to feel the fodder slot. It's either the Boy Band or JTR. I'd actually like to see the Boy Band make it through, just to see them crush and burn. "I know that it's been incredibly crazy for you guys" (to Boy Band) "You look like pop stars ,you've that start quality but is it too clean. It needs shaking up a little bit" (to JTR) "There's a fine line between working hard and just pushing that little bit too hard, sometimes it can come across as a bit cheesy. This is the end today guys" (to Boy Band) "You're in" (to JTR)



Omar Dean will be first to hear the news. "I know you've face rejection a lot and I know how hard you've worked to get this far. You've got an amazing voice, you've got a great energy but at the same time there was an amount of cheese that you brought to the performance. I've made my decision, it's not easy, you're in my final 3" Ronan tells him. "Are you joking? No one has given me a chance like this" he says.


Georgie Bannard and Mitchell Thompson are next. Georgie still questions himself if he's finally lost it and gone insane. "You've come a long way" (to Mitchell) "Did you ever think, in your wildest dreams, that you'd get this far? The performance I saw yesterday, I've to say I wasn't that impressed by" (to Georgie) "Looking back at bootcamp and yesterday, for me, as a viewer, you don't enjoy your performance, it's like you put so much pressure in yourself" (to Mitchell) "So I've to make my decision, I've to send you home" (to Georgie) Georgie bows to keep singing in the shower. "Mitchell, you've a hell of a voice, you look like a popstar, do I think you can win the XF? I've to send you home" (to Mitchell) Oh, poor Mitch. I hope a much more relaxed Mitchell returns next year.


It's time to see if Jai Waetford will make it. "Look, there's no doubt you can sing. Have you thought about how much preassure will be on your shoulders week after week in the liveshows? Honestly, I didn't think last night thinking about this. So I've made my decision, I'm not sure you're ready, I know you are ready, you are in my final 3" Ronan tells a very happy Jai.


The last two contestants to learn their fate are Taylor Henderson and Ofisa Toleafoa. T has recently reconnected with his mom. "You've come so far in this competition. My concerns for you is that you're not a very confident performer, you always seem on edge" (to T) "I was impressed yesterday, I took your guitar away, I think you've something really special. To be honest, I'm worried about your insecurities. As a performer, you weren't as strong without the guitar, you can't hide behind the guitar" (to Taylor) "I need confident performers, you've to believe in yourself, you've done so well getting this far, I've made my decision, I gotta send you home. You're just not ready" (to T) "Do I think you can win the XF? Yes I do, you're in my final 3 brother" (to Taylor)

Boys Jai  Waetford Taylor Henderson  Omar Dean  Girls Ellie Lovegrove Joelle  Jiordan Tolli

Overs Barry Southgate Cat Vas Dami Im Groups JTR Adira-Belle  Third D3gree (formerly Mixed Group)

12 - JTR

11 - Cat Vas

10 - Dami Im

9 - Ellie Lovegrove

8 - Adira-Belle

7 - Omar Deam

6 - Barry Southgate

5 - Jiodran Tolli

4 - Jai Waetford

3 - Third D3gree

2 - Joelle

1 - Taylor Henderson