Colchester’s Stevi Ritchie gets to sing again on The X-Factor

Colchester singer Stevi Ritchie - who this week took music mogul and world-famous judge Simon Cowell to a Harvester restaurant for dinner - has made it through to next week on The X-Factor.

The call-centre worker performed his “dream song” Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera on Saturday night and managed to win enough votes from the public to avoid a spot in the bottom two and the dreaded sing-off.

Fishmonger Lola Saunders, 20, was the unlucky contestant to leave after her sing-off with eight-piece boyband Stereo Kicks which sent the judges to deadlock.