Rikki Loney leaves the X-Factor house

...and so begins the long journey back North for young Rikki as he leaves the house in Golder Green shared by the X-Factor contestants. It is almost like a Big Brother eviction.



Rikki hugs fellow contestant Olly Murs



Rikki has left the building
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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 Boot Camp.

Our wee Scottish lad having wowed the Judges up North has made his way down south the the bright lights of London (well the Hammersmith Apollo to be precise) for the X-Factor BootCamp.

Can the brave Scottish lad melt the hearts of the stiff upper lipped English folk? Well he has come armed with a hat, and we all know how formidable a weapon that can be.

Sadly he suffered throat infection and as a result gave an appalling rendition of Adele's - Chasing Pavements (Buy MP3 Now). The Judges in their wisdom decided to overlook this and take into consideration his potential and the Brave hearted Rikki was on his way to Boot Camp.