Showdowns

The first showdown

Ashley, Nigel and Pippa had to sing for survival on the second Friday show. Ashey sang I Can See Clearly Now, Nigel sang the Wilson Pickett hit In The Midnight Hour and Pippa performed a version of Nelly Furtado's I'm Like A Bird.

Viewers voted to save Nigel with 41% of the votes - most of the votes cast well before his performance.

Eight students then voted to save Pippa. Ashley was the first student to leave the Fame Academy as he only received two votes from the other students - from Ainslie and Nigel.

The second showdown

In the second week the three students who had to sing on the Friday show to save their places were Chris, Katie and Pippa. Chris sang Van Morrison's hit Brown-Eyed Girl.

This was is the second time that Pippa was picked on for the Friday night showdown. But this time she won the viewers' vote with 48% of the votes. Other than Malachi, the boys then voted for Chris and the girls voted for Katie.

Chris had to leave the academy but he vowed he would still pursue his dreams of musical stardom. And of the Friday night showdown, he said: "I loved every second of it. I could do that all night without a doubt."

The third showdown

David, Camilla annd Katie sang for survival in the third week. Camilla sang Genie In a Bottle.

David won the viewers' vote and Katie won the student vote and so Camilla had to leave the house.

The fourth showdown

Pippa was first up singing for survival in the fourth week with I'm Outta Love. Martin and members of the Fulton clan were down in the studio to support her. Carrie Grant said she had done well and Pam said she did brilliantly.

Pippa was followed by Katie. Would she sing out of tune again? This was her best performance so far. Kevin said she did the biz. Carrie said she needed to be at this stage four weeks ago and Jeremy said that we had seen a much more mature performance.

Last up was Nigel with Heaven. Carrie said Nigel could make it as a caberet artist. Richard said Nigel was the best of the three. He would not say who was worst but he then said Katie was better then Pippa.

The viewers chose to save Nigel with 56% of the votes. He would go back to the academy later in the evening. Three students voted for Katie: Malachi, Marli and David. Three voted for Pippa: Sinead, Ainslie and Lemar. It was all down to Nigel. Who would he vote for? He chose Katie - Pippa would go back to Hull.

The fifth showdown

Marli, Malachi and Katie sang for survival in the fifth week.

Mud-wrestler Marli sang Tracks of My Tears. Kevin said: "She's back!" Carrie said she didn't want Marli to go on probation and that she has a great voice.

Malachi came on stage knowing that he had been told to smile. He sang David Gray's Babylon and this time the County Tyrone charm shone through. Carrie said we had waited five weeks for him to smile.

Probation queen Katie had said she had run out of songs but found another one for the show: Perfect. This was her best performance by far. Carrie said she liked the country-feel to her voice and said she was great.

Richard said Malachi was the best of the three, Marli was a close second and Katie was much better than in previous weeks.

Two weeks ago David was on probation. This week the A grade student had something to smile about. He sang his own song Stop Living the Lie. Carrie said David had to prepare an album's worth of material because he would need it.

All the three teachers and the head teacher then said Katie was the worst performer during the evening - but how would the voting go?

The viewers did not take any notice of the teachers and voted to save Katie with 47% of the votes. Katie could take a seat and vote herself. Then all six students voted for Malachi. Marli would go home.

The sixth showdown

Nigel, Katie and Malachi were singing for survival in the sixth week.

Nigel sang I Heard It Through the Grapevine. Carrie said: "I thought he did really well. He recovered well from a slip at the start."

Patrick asked Kevin: "Can he better his physical performance?" To which his wife shouted out: "No!"

Katie sang Papa Don't Preach. Jeremy explained that he thought Katie should have been given a break from singing for survival this week. Carrie said: "I thought she was better last week than she was tonight." The audience hissed.

Malachi, fresh from his snog with Sinead, sang Vincent. Carrie said: "Malachi's performance was absolutely brilliant. He charmed his way through the song."

The viewers voted to save Malachi with 41% of the votes. Ainslie, Sinead and Malachi voted to save Katie so Nigel would leave the academy. Katie survived to go on probation again next Friday.

Richard Park then announced live one student who will go on probation on Friday. The teachers had chosen David - a choice greeted with boos from the audience.

Despite the huge budget for the series the technical aspects of the production were very poor. Two students could not even hear the backing track and missed the start of their song. And when the teachers made their comments to Patrick, some of the students were asked to reply without having heard the comment they were asked to reply to.

The seventh showdown

David was first to sing with Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me. Carrie said his performance was fantastic and effortless. Kevin said that David has a great talent. David himself said he had worked his butt off during the week.

For the sixth time, the undefeated champion of probation stepped onto the stage. Her song was Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of my Head. There had been a massive change in her performance since her effort on the first show - despite the fact that there was yet another problem with the backing-track at the start - the same problem as the last week. Carrie said Katie did brilliantly. Richard said her performance was OK but not brilliant.

For the first time, Ainslie had to sing for survival. He sang Don't Get Me Wrong and he was really fired up. Carrie said: "He sang flat but who gives a bleep." Pam said he was fantastic and that he had made the song his own.

The BBC received over a million votes - and the winner was David with 42% of the viewers' votes. He literally jumped with joy. All the students voted for Ainslie who was saved. Katie would finally have to leave the academy.

Malachi was the first student on probation for the next showdown.

The seventh showdown

Ainslie, Malachi and Sinead were singing for survival - all with songs from the sixties.

Malachi sang The Beatles' 1964 hit Something. This was one of his best performances on the live show. Carrie said he had a great melancholic tone. Jeremy said that if he left the academy he would be missed because "Malachi can turn the mood in a sentence".

Ainslie sang The Kinks' You Really Got Me, another 1964 hit. He than dived into the crowd from the stage. Carrie said he was brilliant vocally - you either love him or you hate him. Richard said: "He could not have tried any harder and he brought it off."

Sinead walked away from the lights the previous week throwing the control room into confusion. This time she sang Walk On By - one of her best performances on the live show. Carrie said Sinead sings slow songs well but that she had made some changes to the lyrics.

Ainslie won the vote of the studio guests - with 42% of the votes. But that vote did not count.

The three probation students then sang Stand By Me.

The viewers then voted to save Sinead with 38% of the votes. Lemar and David both voted for Ainslie. Sinead voted for Malachi - who with only one vote would leave the academy.

That left - as Lemar put it - three Celts and a black man. All four surviving students are up for probation in the next Friday show.

Late on Friday evening, Ainslie went and sat on the bench outside - by himself. He said: "Damn it Mal, what are we gonna do without you?"

The penultimate showdown

All four students were singing for survival in the penultimate show.

The last girl into the academy and the last girl out is Sinead. She sang Debbie Harry's One Way Or Another. While she was singing the strap came off her guitar. Carrie said: "It was absolutely brilliant. It's a quality voice." Kevin said she was a true professional.

Lemar, on probation for the first time, sang Nothing Compares to You. He dedicated his song to Charmaine despite his off-camera snog during the week with Camilla. Carrie said he pulled out all the stops. Richard had said his performance last week was uninspiring. He said : "This week he sang better than he has ever sang before."

Ainslie sang U2's With or Without You. Carrie said he had a difficult song which took him from the bottom to the top of his vocal range and he did well. Kevin said: "Definitely a result."

Last up was David with Freedom. Carrie said: "David has a real energy when he's performing." Jeremy questioned whether David and Ainslie were friends. Richard said: "I don't think David has the depth and resonance of George Michael. A good performance, unquestionably." David said: "Me and Ainslie are mates!"

Lemar won the studio vote with 33%, followed by Ainslie with 26%, Sinead with 22% and David with 15%

Ainslie and Sinead then sang Satisfaction. Carrie said she sang so supremely confidently and commented on Ainslie's quirky indie style.

David and Lemar sang Stevie Wonder's As. Carrie said singing with Lemar had turned David into a little soul brotherand added: "That was the richest tone I've heard David singing."

The BBC had received 2.2 million votes. The winners of the viewer's vote were Sinead and David. The order was not revealed. Ainslie and Lemar then had to wait for Sinead's and David's vote. David voted for Lemar. Sinead also voted for Lemar. Ainslie was therefore voted out of the academy.