Louis chose wrong song, says 'X Factor' loser

The latest act to be kicked off ITV talent show the 'X Factor' has criticised Louis Walsh's choice of song for him to perform, saying his mentor may not have understood him.

Daniel de Bourg became the second hopeful to be voted off the reality talent programme on Saturday, after judges criticised his song choice.

The 31-year-old ballet tutor was an early favourite with bookmakers to win the ITV1 show but his rendition of the 1960s classic 'Build Me Up Buttercup' failed to impress the panel.

His mentor Walsh voted to save him, but the other judges Sharon Osbourne, Danni Minogue and Simon Cowell all chose to keep 23-year-old Alisha Bennett on the show instead.

"I was surprised, of course I was surprised," Daniel told a press conference. "I'm upset that I didn't get to show the real me.

"Louis knows what he's talking about, he's been in the game for a long time, but maybe he didn't really understand me, the kind of performer I am."

"I was doing my best in there with the song I was given, I tried to do it justice," he added. "But with a show like 'X Factor' you have no say."

He described the process in which songs are matched to contestants as "backstage politics" and explained he had been due to sing the Damien Rice hit 'Cannonball' before producers told him to do Prince's 'When Doves Cry' instead.

Only after the first week's live show did he discover that a more upbeat song choice was required.

"After the end of the first week Louis came up to me just as I was leaving to get into the car, and said: 'We've changed the song'," he said. "It was absolutely not the right decision.

"I don't know what was going on behind the scenes, it's a big, big TV show."

But despite his shock exit, Daniel said he is hopeful that he will be signing a record deal in the near future, admitting: "There are rumours that there is a record deal being lined up for me. Now I can focus on going off and recording an album.

"In a way I've got to look on the positive side - I'm away from the show, I'm not going to be branded with the 'X Factor' name. I'm going to work on an album that's really me."