THE X-Factor juggernaut rolled into Bournemouth for its annual visit on Wednesday night bringing with it the winner and runners up of the ever popular TV competition.

The crowd consisted of a good mixture of young and old who all arrived early enough to catch the pre-show film that didn’t quite happen, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Anyone who has been to any of the previous X-Factor tours will know that the production is second to none with the stage set-up, lighting effects, pyro and confetti cannons all combining to make for a visual experience that will stay with you long after the concert has ended.

An early start is called for tonight. With eight individual acts each performing on their own and in a variety of combinations the show is two and a half hours long including a short break midway.

The format is fast but very smooth, with the acts following each other in rapid succession to deliver a set list that contains a total of 35 songs.

Ranging from the ballads sung by Scarlet Lee to the high energy pop of Acacia & Aaliyah via the more classical/musical theatre numbers delivered by Danny Tetley.

For me the stand out acts were series winner Dalton Harris, who performed versions of Creep, Listen, I Have Nothing and self-penned number Cry, and Shan Ako who covered Imagine, Get Back and Never Enough with the pair then duetting on See Beneath Your Beautiful.

The evening ended with an Opportunity Knocks style clapometer giving the audience a chance to vote for their favourite act with Anthony Russell emerging as the winner. One final ABBA medley sung by all of the acts brought the evening to a close on a high note and sent the performers off on their personal journeys to look for sustained success and a lengthy career. Let’s hope they make it.