Recording deal next as Mary checks out of X Factor

THE dream is over for Ireland’s Mary Byrne, who became the latest act to leave The X Factor after losing out to Cher Lloyd in the semi-final.

The 50-year-old, who was mentored by Louis Walsh in the Over 28s category, lost her fight after Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell and Dannii Minogue all opted to save the 17-year-old instead.

Louis vowed last night it wouldn’t be the last the public would see of Mary.

“She’s on The X Factor tour, she’s going to make an album,” Louis said, adding: “I want to thank everyone in Ireland for voting for her.”

Speaking to host Dermot O’Leary after hearing the result, Mary said that her biggest highlight on the show was recording the charity single ‘Heroes’ and meeting the soldiers who will benefit from the proceeds.

Dubliner Mary, a former cashier at Tesco, always said that her biggest dream was to walk into her former employer’s store to see a copy of her album on the shelves.

But it looks like that fantasy may still come true, with the judges telling her last night they think she is destined for great things despite crashing out ahead of the final.

In the end, Mary had to go head- to-head with Cheryl Cole’s act, Cher, in a sing-off. Performing It’s a Man’s World, she gave a strong performance of the classic, but it wasn’t enough to put her through.

Mary performed a number of big power ballads week after week and got the thumbs-up from the judges, but she was criticised by Simon Cowell after performing the song Never Can Say Goodbye for ‘Club Classics’ night.

She seemed to struggle more than the other contestants on Saturday night, bursting into tears at the end of her second song The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand. She later explained that it was her late mother’s favourite.

Mary blamed her lack-lustre performance on an illness: “I’ve been in bed for two days,” she said. “Still, Matt (Cardle) was the same so I can’t complain.”

The remaining contestants who will battle it out for the X Factor title next Sunday are Rebecca Ferguson and Cher Lloyd in Cheryl Cole’s Girls category, One Direction in Simon Cowell’s Groups, and Matt Cardle in Dannii Minogue’s Boys.

Cardle, 27, is the favourite to be crowned champion this year.

He is also 11/10 favourite to have this year’s Christmas number one, with bookmakers Ladbrokes saying One Direction are the second most likely X Factor contestants to hit the top spot.