This weekend’s X Factor was all about George Michael, with the remaining contestants each tasked with performing one of the late star’s songs. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, as it turned out, rather a lot. After Saturday’s show, hopefuls were panned on Twitter for “murdering” the former Wham! singer’s hits.
Sibling act The Cutkelvins were also criticised for singing a song that George Michael had only COVERED, when they could’ve chosen from a huge repertoire of classic tracks he wrote himself.
So you can imagine how furious fans were when Grace Davies did exactly the same thing on last night’s show, performing a cover version that a lot of pop fans would struggle to remember.
The 20-year-old chose the Bonnie Raitt track I Can’t Make You Love Me – a song covered by George Michael for the flipside of his 1997 hit Older.
She sang it well, and the judges were impressed. Louis described Grace as a “true artist”, while Simon said she was “very talented”.
But for some of the viewers at home, enough was enough. And where do viewers go when they’re angry? You guessed it – social media.
One fan fumed: “So Grace sings a song that’s not originally a George Michael song. He may have sang it but it wasn’t his song. So many to choose from and she picks this. Ffs.”
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Another pointed out: “It’s not sing a cover of a cover week, though, is it?”
And a third said: “This isn’t even a George Michael song.”
Luckily for the Lancashire lass, there were plenty of people who agreed with the judges’ verdict, and she sailed through to the next round.
The night before, The Cutkelvins had been scalded by some fans for performing a mash-up of TWO George Michael covers – Seal’s Killer and The Temptations’ Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
But they, too, managed to make it through, with Jack & Joel and Alisah Bonaobrais both leaving the competition.
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The criticisms of Grace’s performance conclude a difficult week for the talented singer.
A few days ago, The Mirror reported that she’d once been quizzed by police following a ‘brawl’ with a male pal over an iPad.
The newspaper quoted an ‘unnamed pal’ as saying: “Grace has so much talent, but she’s such a disgusting person.”
And an ‘insider’ added: “Grace may come across nice as pie, but she’s always had a bit of temper. In college, she always wanted to be the centre of attention.”
Well, she’s certainly been that this week!