X Factor 2013: Luke Friend wins place in final as Rough Copy sent home

It's the end of the road for the Croydon group, who lost out to Luke Friend in the public vote

Rough Copy attend the premiere of Thor: The Dark World in Leicester Square (Getty Images)

Rough Copy have been voted off The X Factor 2013, narrowly failing to win a place in next week’s final.

The Croydon group lost out after Sharon Osbourne sent the vote to deadlock, with the public choosing Luke Friend over Rough Copy.

Nicole Scherzinger chose to put the group through, telling Luke: “Luke, you sang one of my absolute favourite songs. You’re such a diamond in the rough, you’re so genuine and raw…but the act I’m sending through is Rough Copy.”

With both Gary and Louis choosing to save their respective acts, the decision was left to Sharon Osbourne, who chose to send the vote to deadlock and allow the public to decide.

Luke Friend proved more popular in the public vote after his rock rendition of Beyonce’s “Best Thing I Never Had” on Saturday’s Beyonce v Elton show.

He chose to sing Keane’s “Somewhere only we know” in the sing-off, which had fellow contestant Nicholas in tears from the sidelines, while Rough Copy jumped up and down in support of the 17-year-old.

Rough Copy performed Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road”, a band who they have been compared to throughout the competition, but their choice of song proved bitter-sweet.

Sam Bailey was the first contestant confirmed by Dermot O’Leary to have a safe place in next week’s final, followed by Scottish teenager Nicholas McDonald.

Former X Factor winner Leona Lewis performed her Christmas single “One more sleep” on the show, alongside Canadian singer Michael Buble.

But the 2006 winner drew criticism for her "dull" performance, with a number of Twitter users questioning her decision to release a Christmas album.

"The new Leona Lewis Christmas album smacks of a Mariah Carey rip-off, I would rather listen to a Baggies podcast," wrote one user.

Video: Interview with Olly Murs

By default player size is set to 420 x 315px. But you can resize player width and height once you get the player code using player params.