Rikki Loney : Cheryl messed up my chances

Rikki Loney has blasted Mentor Cheryl Cole letting him down when it really mattered. In a wide ranging interview with the Sun Newspaper Rikki alleged that Cheryl Cole was so stressed out by the prospect of having to perform live that the contestant had to spend all their practice time reassuring her rather than the other way round.

He also said the song choices Cheryl had given him were the wrong ones and even Whitney Houston and music guru Clive Davis had advised him to switch from Aretha Franklin's Respect (Buy MP3 now) to Whitney's My Love Is Your Love (Buy MP3 now) , but with 24hrs to the live show it just was not possible.

He also had praise for the Twins John and Edward Grimes who he claimed behind the scenes were really hardworking and professional.

Unlucky Rikki is booted off X-Factor

He had waited so long for X-Factor glory and when it came, it was so brief and for all but his most loyal fans, anti-climatic. Glaswegian Rikki Loney became the second contestant to be kicked off the the X-Factor 2009 finals.

After an abysmal performance last week he really needed to raise his game. He went for a high risk strategy choosing a huge soul classic Respect (Buy MP3 now) by the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.



It is a big big song and needs a big performance, but what we got from Rikki was limp performance that had his inexperience plastered all over it. Was he the worst performer on the night? No that accolade goes to Lloyd Daniels, but Rikki lacks the blue-eyed, blond looks that make Lloyds singing irrelevant to his tens of thousands of teenage female fans.

So it was Rikki was in the Bottom two with Rachel Adedeji who was facing an early exit for the second time in a row.

He fought to stay in the competition his version of Westlife's Flying Without Wings (Buy MP3 now).



With Louis Walsh still away and Cheryl and Dannii being mentors to Rikki and Rachel respectively, the casting vote fell to Simon and he decided it was the end of the road for Rikki.

Rikki Loney at the Judges House

Our Intrepid Scottish hero having braved a throat infection to qualify from Boot Camp departed the shores of Britain in his quest for stardom.

His destination was the exotic desert kingdom of Morocco. His Mission to persuade the newly crowned Queen of X-Factor Cheryl Cole that he was the one to lead her category to victory in the X-Factor.

Cheryl was holding court in Marrakesh where six young lads were doing their best to persuade her they were the right choice for the X-Factor finals and Rikki was up to this point just one of the contestants.

His weapon of choice a ill-fitting trilby and a rendition of James Taylor's - You`ve Got A Friend (Buy MP3 now)

I thought it was distinctly average, but her Majesty not-so-old Queen Cole was impressed and that's what mattered Rikki was on his way to the Finals.

Lesson from Rikki Loney, try, try and try again...

It has been a journey of over five years, but finally Rikki Loney has made it to the Finals of the reality TV talent show, the X-Factor.

The Scotsmand reports that at the age of 16, Glaswegian Rikki Loney auditioned for The X Factor. He didn't make it then, the next year or last year, but eventually this year judge Cheryl Cole finally put the determined young singer through to the final of the show.
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