There are tears and triumphs when the X Factor hopefuls are divided into groups of three as this year's Bootcamp gets under way.
The 200,000-plus applicants have been whittled down to 200 wannabes, who will be put through their paces by the judges, with just 24 acts remaining by the end of Sunday's show.
The pressure is piled on as contestants are told they have 24 hours to team up and the only rule is that each person must sing a lead vocal during their performance.
After every team has sung, the judges tell them whether they have made it to the second day of Bootcamp.
The final 50 get to perform one of 25 songs and they have only one chance to deliver the performance of a lifetime.
One trio who go down a storm are soloists Graziella Affinita, 25, Shaniece Davies, 21, and Shar Alexandra, 25, who sing That's Life by Frank Sinatra.
Meanwhile 17-year-old twins John and Edward Grimes, from Dublin, sing over their third group member, leading to tears and upset on stage.
Programme makers said a shock upset happens when three favourites do not make the final 50 as soloists.
But the judges believe in them as a group and viewers will need to tune in to see if they can be persuaded.
Other cliff-hangers include whether 18-year-old Joe McElderry can carry off a rendition of George Michael's ballad Praying for Time which judge Simon Cowell says is a tough song to sing.
"I want this so so much; singing is my life. I don't want to go home today because my parents are so proud of me," says Joe.
Former One True Voice heart throb Daniel Pearce, 31, sings Purple Rain by Prince.
He says: "I want to win The X Factor so badly, I can't really put it into words. To go home now would be a disaster."
The X Factor's first Bootcamp show will air on Saturday on UTV at 8pm and the second episode will air on Sunday at 7.30pm.
© Press Association