Walsh praises 'X Factor' star Daniel

Louis Walsh has revealed that Daniel Evans's choice of song was his saving grace on The X Factor last night.

Evans, 38, performed Josh Groban's 'To Where You Are' and dedicated the song to his late wife after finding himself in the bottom two alongside 19-year-old Scott Bruton. Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole then voted to eliminate Bruton as they believed Evans had displayed more "passion" in the sing-off.

"It's the song. He was singing it about his wife and it's one of my favourite Josh Groban songs," Walsh explained on ITV2's Xtra Factor spinoff. "I could never have voted him out after that. I thought at the start I was going to vote out Daniel, but when Daniel sang that song, he absolutely got to me. In that song, I believed every single word he said."

Cowell, who mentored Bruton, said: "It happens. I feel sorry for him, he's a nice kid - he said to me up there: 'Sorry to let you down'. He didn't let me down or anybody else down, but he's 19, he's had a great experience so he's got to use it to the best. But I accept the fact that somebody's got to go."

The X Factor continues next Saturday at 7.30pm on ITV1 with a Disco theme night.