Judges praise 'inspiring' Daniel Evans

The X Factor judges have paid tribute to Daniel Evans following his departure from the programme.

The 38-year-old pool cleaner was eliminated from the competition last night after finding himself in the bottom two alongside mother-of-five Rachel Hylton.

Speaking afterwards on ITV2's Xtra Factor spinoff, Evans's mentor Dannii Minogue praised him for maintaining a positive attitude throughout the live shows.

"He's just been the most incredible guy to be around. He's very inspiring and I see him inspire the crew and the other contestants," she explained. "And who is going to cook for everyone in the house now? I don't know! It's just been a pleasure to meet this guy."

Louis Walsh added: "He's had a great run, this guy, and he's a really nice man, but it's a talent competition. If it was a personality competition he'd probably win."

The six remaining finalists will tackle Take That songs when the show continues next weekend.