Entertainment

Mother-daughter duo forced to split as competition heats up at X Factor Bootcamp

The contestants pulled out all the stops as they fought for their place in the narrowing competition.
The contestants pulled out all the stops as they fought for their place in the narrowing competition. The contestants pulled out all the stops as they fought for their place in the narrowing competition.

X Factor viewers saw emotions reach a new high as Bootcamp almost threatened to tear apart family ties.

As the ITV contest moved to the next level on Saturday night, mother-daughter duo Descendance were forced to split so that Hayley could continue in the competition alone.

But it looked like the singer may not get her chance as her emotional mother was reluctant to let her go.

X Factor 2017
X Factor 2017
Descendance performed in the group stage (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/ITV Plc/PA)

After performing Dead Or Alive’s You Spin Me Round with fellow contestants Ginny Lemon, Doctor Woof and Russell Jones, Simon Cowell said the judges would only be prepared to offer a place to Hayley.

Viewers saw the pair take a tearful moment backstage before stepping back in front of the panel, as the loving mother said: “She’s my baby star, that’s what I called her when I was born, she’s going to go forward.

“I would have always done it, it’s just a hard one to swallow.”

It was also a close call for Alisah Bonaobra, who stunned in her initial audition, but failed to impress with her section of Mariah Carey’s We Belong Together.

But after her family and friends at her Philippines home had clubbed together to pay for a plane ticket so she could take part in the show, she fell to her knees in tears when the judges denied her a place in the nest stage of the competition.

X Factor 2017
X Factor 2017
Jodie Woolcott made it to the arena stage (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/ITV Plc/PA)

Refusing to give up, she burst into a spontaneous a cappella repeat of the tune, convincing Cowell to give her a “second pass”. The following day, performing Wicked track Defying Gravity at Wembley Arena, she won a standing ovation and the judges’ favour once again.

The emotional heights of the competition even spread to the judges themselves and Nicole Scherzinger almost struggled to get her words out after watching teenager Shanaya Atkinson-Jones sing Luther Vandross’ Dance With My Father in tribute to her adopted parents.

Only 124 of the thousands of initial entries made it through to Bootcamp’s first singing in line challenge, and even fewer earned the chance to perform at the arena.

The second part signalled the curtain call for even more acts, including 21-year-old Kent model scout Jodie Woolcott, who fell short of expectations after her apparent confidence the day before.

Saturday night’s show also saw successful return performances from audition favourites Taliah Dalorto, Sam Black, Anthony Russelland boy band Rak-Su, who all made it through the first Bootcamp round.

X Factor continues on ITV at 7.30pm on Sunday.