Blur's Alex James voted off Operastar

James thrilled the audience with his performance of the high-octane Largo al factotum but his rendition surprised judges who criticised his voice.

The six-week contest on UTV follows former chart stars as they try to make it as classical singers.

Judge Rolando Villazon, a famed tenor, described James' performance as, "as far as opera singing can be, totally bad".

But he conceded that the audience enjoyed it and that it was a "good performance".

Fellow judge Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen added: "We had never envisaged it being sang in the style of Dennis The Menace before."

Meat Loaf added it was "like watching two women kissing in the subway, so entertaining".

The public vote left James in the bottom two with The Saturdays' Vanessa White, and the judges decision was split - with Villazon and classical hit-singer Katherine Jenkins voting to save White while Meat Loaf and Llewelyn-Bowen tried to save James.

The stalemate left the decision in the hands of the public and hosts Alan Titchmarsh and Myleene Klass revealed James received the least votes.

The Blur bassist said he was disappointed to be leaving but added he had "enjoyed every moment of it".

"It was great," he said.

"What a blast. Thank you very much."

The seven other former chart stars - White, Bernie Nolan, McFly's Danny Jones, Jimmy Osmond, Hear'Say's Kym Marsh, Shakespear's Sister's Marcella Detroit and Pop Idol wannabe Darius Campbell, who used to be known as Darius Danesh - will compete again in next week's show.

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