X Factor dream over for Mary Byrne as final 4 are chosen

The 50-year-old lost out to Cher Lloyd in the semi-final sing-off - but should the decision have been left to the public?

Former X Factor favourite Mary Byrne stumbled at the last hurdle this weekend, going out of the competition in the semi-finals.

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The 50-year-old found herself in the bottom two against Cher Lloyd - with three out of the four judges voting to take the 17-year-old rapper through to the final.

Only Louis Walsh stood by his act, who he said 'sang her heart out' with her emotional rendition of It's a Man's World.

According to show insiders, the former Tesco worker was said to have had 'the mother of all meltdowns' backstage before the results were even announced, because she believed her dream was over.

Mary's exit leaves just four contestants - Cher Lloyd, Rebecca Ferguson, Matt Cardle and boyband One Direction - to go through into next week's final.

But viewers are already expressing anger over the formatting of last night's results show.

Scores of indignant fans took to Twitter and Facebook last night, suggesting that there should never have been a sing-off in the first place, as in previous years the semi-final results have been left purely down to the public vote.

Critics are suggesting is that the show format was changed to ensure that Cher made it through to the final, as she's the act that gets the most media coverage.

So far, no comment has been made by ITV.

But what do YOU think? Should the decision have been left down to the public vote? Was Mary the right act to go? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below!

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