S1E24: Welcome to the moment we've all been waiting for: the final results show! Tonight marked the finale of what's truly been an epic season of The X Factor and I'm sure all three contestants were big balls of nerves (but hey, you would be too if you had $5 million at stake). And as I watched the judges make their over-the-top grand entrances one more time, I realized just how much I'm actually going to miss recapping this show. Simon's winking, Paula's ramblings, L.A.'s shiny lip balm, Steve Jones' hilarious expressions -- I'll miss it all (and yes, I skipped Nicole on purpose). But enough of my nostalgia -- let's get on to the results!
Kicking off the night was a surprise performance from the Top 12 contestants! Remember those guys? Leroy, Drew (with dark hair), Marcus, RACHEL CROW! They were all up there singing together and it was awesome (even though Leroy forgot his part of the lyrics, but we still love him anyway). After that, the final three all performed for us one more time, each singing a festive holiday song and, as usual, our dear host thought it was "fabulous stuff." (Man, I'm even going to miss that!). Melanie Amaro sang a rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, Chris Rene sang Judy Garland's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and Josh Krajcik sang Charles Brown's Please Come Home For Christmas. Unsurprisingly, they all did a really great job and I'm now officially filled with Christmas cheer.
After a bunch of heart-wrenching, sentimental video packages from each act's loved ones, it was time to begin the elimination process. So out of the three finalists, it was announced that Chris Rene received the least amount of votes, earning himself a respectable third place. I was genuinely surprised since his fanfare was so massive. But he handled it like a champ and I know we haven't seen (or heard) the last of him. So with Chris out of the picture, it came down between Josh Krajcik and Melanie Amaro. And the winner is (drum roll please)...MELANIE AMARO!
That's right America; based on your votes entirely, you decided to make Melanie, America's first X Factor winner! The singer that Simon almost cast aside is now the proud owner of a $5 million recording contract and will have the chance to star in her very own Pepsi commercial. And while I know this show isn't just about singing -- it's about bringing something eXtra special into a performance -- I was still so happy that the best singer ended up winning. My faith in reality show voting has been restored. Congratulations, Melanie!
So what did you think of tonight's results show? Were you surprised with how it all played out? Do you believe the right person won? Sound off in the comments section below and let me know your thoughts!