Filipino girl group 4th Impact survived yet another surprise double elimination on The X Factor UK. On the weekend's top 9 show, sisters Almira, Irene, Mylene and Celina Cercado covered Beyonce's early R&B track Work It Out.
After their up-tempo performance, youngest sister Celina appeared to be on the verge of fainting. As she struggled to remain standing, her sisters rushed to support her. Judge Simon Cowell leapt out of his seat to check on her, while host Olly Murs called for production staff to bring a chair and a bottle of water.
Celina, 19, had apparently collapsed backstage minutes before their live performance due to an unspecified illness.
“I offered them the option to not perform and play the dress-run recording instead,” said the girl group’s mentor Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. “But they’ve insisted on performing.”
Despite the illness scare, the sisters delivered a performance that impressed the panel.
“I think we should keep this quick,” said Cowell, as the sisters held on to Celina. “All I’m going to tell you is I’ve done this a lot of years. That was, under the circumstances, one of the most incredible things we’ve seen on this show. It was outstandingly good.”
Turning to Celina, he added: “I hope you’re OK, sweetheart.”
Nick Grimshaw told them: “Beyoncé is a perfectionist and that was perfect — and you seemed a lot more grown-up tonight. You grew into women before our eyes tonight. I didn’t see 4th Impact tonight, I saw four Sasha Fierces.”
“That was a really inspiring performance,” said Rita Ora. “You see so much hunger in your eyes. People don’t see behind the scenes, how hard you actually work. And Celina, you really are a hero tonight — well done.”
Fernandez-Versini added: “I’m so proud of all of you for getting up there. You didn’t have to — you had the opportunity to use the dress-run tapes. But you said, ‘No, absolutely not, we are here.’ That’s what stars do. We suffer things like this — sore throats, losing your voice. There are things you have to just do and you girls brought that tonight without having professional experience. That says a lot about what you girls can be.”
Another singing contestant hopeful got into the act as well with The X Factor Australia's Cyrus Villanueva tweeting, "Man, @4thImpactMusic are briiiiiinging it in the UK! Keep it up girls, you got this!"
Aside from the competition’s front-runner — 18-year-old former supermarket worker Che Chesterman — 4th Impact were the only act to get a standing ovation from all four judges.
The eliminated acts were Max Stone and Monica Michael. Two-and-a-half million votes were cast during this round, a record for the season.
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