North East teenager Sam Lavery's X Factor dream is over

The 17-year-old from Coxhoe, near Durham, found herself in the bottom two of last night's show with Ryan Lawrie, but looked to be safe.

Judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh chose to save her and send Lawrie packing, and Osbourne said she was doing the same.

But Osbourne had second thoughts, and sent the vote to deadlock, leaving it up to the public vote.

Lavery, who had already been given a reprieve once, when she was brought back into the ITV show as a wildcard, said she was just thankful for the experience.

After watching footage of her X Factor journey, she said: "Thank you to Simon.

"After watching that I look like a completely different person from my first audition, but all for the right reasons.

"So just thank you so much."

The singer found herself in the bottom two after Saturday's Disco show, where she performed Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.

Her rendition of Mary J Blige's No More Drama in the sing-off appeared to impress the panel, but Lawrie's delivery of Oasis track Stop Crying Your Heart Out had all four judges on their feet.

Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger chose to save their acts - Cowell mentored Lavery and the former Pussycat Doll is in charge of Lawrie in the boys category - and Walsh opted to save Lavery.

Osbourne struggled with her decision, but eventually implied she would send Lawrie home because he had been in the bottom two before.

She said: "I don't know what to do. I honestly do not know what to do.

"The name of the act I'm sending home, and it is only because he has been in the bottom so many times, but I hate to do this."

As host Dermot O'Leary pressed her for an answer, Osbourne surprised the audience by shouting: "Sam."

After her exit, the student Tweeted to her 35,000 Twitter followers: "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!! I'm so excited for what's to come! You guys are the BEST!!!"

There is some consolation for Sam though: she's already done enough to make the line-up for The X Factor Live arena tour next year.