Head to head: Contestant Matt Cardle says judge Simon Cowell backed controversial Katie Waissell over Aiden Grimshaw because she is better for the show's ratings
X Factor favourite Matt Cardle has accused Simon Cowell of treating talented finalists as ‘expendable’ in an attempt to keep viewing figures high.
The aspiring singer claimed Cowell saved controversial Katie Waissel over early favourite Aiden Grimshaw because she is ‘better for the show’, not because she is a better performer.
Aiden, from Blackpool, left the competition on Sunday night after ending up alongside Katie in the bottom two. When the judges were given the chance to save their preferred contestant, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh nominated Aiden, while Cheryl Cole and Cowell opted for Katie.
The tie meant the decision went to ‘deadlock’, where the public vote decides the contestants’ fate. Aiden had polled the lowest number and left the competition – to gasps of surprise from the audience.
But if Cowell had chosen to save him, Katie – who was in the bottom two for the fourth time – would have been sent home instead.
Matt, 27, said: ‘In terms of the television show, Aiden was expendable. I was shocked when Simon sent him home, but then Katie is better for the show than Aiden is.
‘She gets the coverage – she gets the show attention. He just isn’t like that but he is a much better singer.
'It is like losing a brother. When it went to Katie and Aiden in the bottom two, I didn't think he would go. Even when it went to deadlock, I thought he would stay.'
Winners and losers: Katie Waissel returns to rehearsals yesterday while Aiden Grimshaw heads home
Aiden, 18, said: ‘It is an entertainment show – but I can’t see where the entertainment is coming from [with Katie] as she is not doing that well. I think it should be more about singing from now on.’
And as the competition heats up, it appears the judges may be starting to consider one another expendable too.
Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh were pictured having an intense discussion as they left the X Factor studios following Sunday night’s show.
Choice words: Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh pictured last night outside the X Factor studios in north-west London, sharing a tense discussion
Showdown: Louis stands back and raises his hands defensively as an angry-looking Cheryl looks on before being driven off, not looking best impressed
Walsh was seen raising his arms in the air and shaking his head in exasperation at the Girls Aloud star, before she was driven away frowning.
Earlier, the pair had a public disagreement after Walsh criticised the song Cole had selected for Katie Waissel and described her performance as ‘throwaway’.
An onlooker told MailOnline: 'They were talking for several minutes and it looked quite heated.
'After a while Cheryl was driven off, sat in the back of her car, and she didn't look very happy at all.'
But Katie, who is mentored by Cheryl, didn't escape lightly this week, with Louis criticising her song choice - Elton John's Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting).
Putting a face on it: Seen leaving the studio moments before their apparent row
Louis blasted Cheryl for giving the track to Katie on Saturday's show, telling her: 'Cheryl, Elton has 44 albums and you give her this silly song. It was a throwaway performance. It was awful. It was wrong.'
Cheryl tried to interject and ask him repeatedly: 'What song would you have given her?'
Simon Cowell then intervened and threatened to have Louis removed from the building, seething that his chat was 'utter rubbish'.
Earlier Louis infuriated Dannii Minogue after he rubbished her act Paije Richardson's performance of Crocodile Rock, branding it 'bad karaoke'.
*Older audiences are fed up with reality shows and think television standards have dropped, a survey has found.
Nearly two-thirds of those aged 55 and over believe family entertainment has declined in quality.
Almost half think their viewing options were better ten years ago.
Only 15 per cent of this age group were happy with the viewing available to them.
The poll, by YouGov, found that only 6 per cent of the same age group enjoy reality TV, preferring to watch comedy and drama.
Almost half of 18 to 24-year-olds also thought there were too many reality shows on our screens
Snappy: Louis angered all the judges this weekend, including Cheryl, after he branded her act Katie Waissel's performance of Elton John's Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) as 'awful'
Rift: The judges seen here emerging on to the stage on Sunday night's results show
source:dailymail