James Arthur sails through as Melanie leaves X Factor (From The Northern Echo)

Saltburn's James Arthur has qualified for next week's X Factor after a "fantastic" performance

10:26pm Sunday 14th October 2012 in News By Stuart Arnold

JAMES Arthur qualified for the next round of X Factor after a performance praised by judges as "fantastic".

The 24-year-old, from Saltburn, who suffered a panic attack after his performance on Saturday, performed R&B singer Mary J Blige's No More Drama.

He qualified for next week's show after a viewer's vote. Judge Gary Barlow said: "You can really sing and the great thing about you is that you have a lot of technique, but you also pare that with emotion and that was a fantastic performance."

Fellow judge Tulisa Contostavlos said Arthur was her "favourite boy" after his performance on the second live show of the series.

He returned for the results show after saying there was no way he would miss the programme.

Programme makers had called an ambulance for Arthur after his panic attack, although he was not taken to hospital.

Melanie Masson became the second contestant to leave the show after the judges' vote went to deadlock again.

Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger voted to keep Masson but Tulisa and Louis Walsh saved boyband District 3.

Host Dermot O'Leary was forced to turn to the public vote again and Masson was sent home after performing ''Stay With Me'' by Lorraine Ellison.

Barlow said he ''was gutted'' and ''really disappointed'' that the 44-year-old contestant was leaving the live shows.