Who cares? Does it matter? When you look at the finalists, there is a place for all of them in today's British Music scene. The overall standard this year hasn't been great but the uniqueness factor has been startlingly brilliant all series. It is called The X Factor after all.
And nobody in this competition - from any year - has been quite so different from the rest of the "usual X Factor contestants" we've had paraded through our lives for the last few years than Cher Lloyd. She raps well. She sings. She dances. She's ballsy and has attitude. She's come from literally nowhere and is now holding her own on stage with superstars - outshining many. And remember, she's just 17 years old.
Whatever your opinion on her, you cannot deny she gives it 100% every week and never fails to put on one hell of a show. She's gone now, but not forgotten - unlike many of the X Factor winners who weren't even gone, but were forgotten before they'd even left the studio (Steve Whatshisname, anyone?). You'll see, haters. She'll make music. She'll be big. Maybe not forever, but for a good while. Expect a string of duets with the likes of Will.i.Am, Cheryl Cole and hopefully - for Cher and for me - Nicki Minaj (below), Cher's "dream duet" partner.
And so Four become Three. Our final three are Matt Cardle, Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction. It's going to be a tough contest, but there are things that always happen... It's not all about the singing, is it? They all have their USP other than voice. Matt has the "screaming girls" voting for him. Rebecca has all of Liverpool and those who want another Leona (only she's better than that, to be fair...) and I don't think there's a crying, shrieking teenage girl anywhere in the country who isn't damp for One Direction for one of a hundred reasons!
My money's on One Direction taking the crown. But there seems to be massive support for both other acts. I honestly think it could be anyone's game, in reality. I suppose we can only wait and see what happens on tomorrow's show. One thing's for sure; we'll all be watching. We'll all be tweeting. We'll all be sad when it's over...
