Technology Slice Blog

X Factor Fix Claims - Simon Cowell has defended The X Factor from claims that Sunday's results show was a fix, saying: "We haven't done anything wrong." Fans have been angered by the decision to let the judges pick which act went home from the bottom two on Sunday, leading to the departure of popular contestant Mary Byrne. At the same stage in previous years, viewers got to decide which singers went through to the final. Some viewers have accused the ITV1 show of making the change to allow Cher Lloyd, 17, to get into next weekend's final rather than Byrne. But Cowell told The Sun: "We haven't done anything wrong. All the artists knew there was going to be a sing-off. Mary and Cher were told last Monday to prepare a song for a sing-off if necessary." The X Factor producer rubbished talk of making the move to save Lloyd, saying he has no idea of where the singers ranked in the public vote "until the series is finished". He said the...