X Factor Finalists 2011 ft. JLS, One Direction: 'Wishing on a Star' review

Published Nov 29 2011, 10:49 GMT  |  By Robert Copsey

From Mariah Carey's 'Hero' to Michael Jackson's 'You Are Not Alone', the song choices for the X Factor charity benefit singles are often as predictable as the judges' one-liners wheeled out each week. That said, this year's track - a cover of Rose Royce's 1978 hit 'Wishing on a Star' - is perhaps their most intriguing to date, not least because it's one the contestants can have a fair crack at without immediately butchering.

Sure, there's the usual tussle for best ad-lib (we're looking at you, Amelia Lily, Misha B, Little Mix's Perrie Edwards), wafer-thin production and a key change that you could set your watch to, but the results are nonetheless surprisingly impressive. Simon Cowell may have taken the bizarre decision to draft in JLS and One Direction for some added pulling power against this year's "average" contestants, but the real star for us? It's all about Sophie Habibis.

Watch the 'Wishing on a Star' music video below: