'X Factor' hopefuls have slammed a new twist that saw them booted off the competition despite being told they had landed a place at the Judges' Houses.
The cruel change saw Sharon Osbourne, Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger watch as their categories took to the stage in front of an audience of 4,000, and after each performance the mentors could choose to send home an act or send them to one of the six seats on stage.
However, this year, the judges had been given the power to replace any of the acts they had already picked for Boot Camp with Sharon dumping two of the singers from her over-25s category, who originally thought they were safe.
An insider told The Sun newspaper: "The two singers Sharon dumped walked off the stage in disbelief. They couldn't believe they'd been replaced at the last minute as they thought they had made it through.
"Emotions were running high, particularly for the contestants who secured then lost their Judges' Houses place. It was an unexpected twist.
"The changes meant all of the hopefuls were permanently on the edge of their seats, wondering if they would lose their place.
"The final decision rested with the judges and they agonised over who to send home. Nobody's place was secure until the very end."
The returning judge was less than impressed with the new twist after members of the audience began to boo her, which caused her to become aggravated.
She shouted back at them: "How very dare you? How rude. How dare you do that to the 'Mother'? You are so rude."
Tagged in Gary Barlow Sharon Osbourne Louis Walsh