CHORLEY soldier Jonjo Kerr was tonight booted off the X Factor by his own mentor.

The 27-year-old was criticised on the Saturday night ITV show by head judge Gary Barlow, who said his performance of The Kinks' You Really Got Me 'stood out like a sore thumb'.

Last night he was odds-on to be among the first contestants to go as each judge had to chose one of their own performers to leave.

And on tonight's results show he lost out to Jonny.

Explaining his choice, Louis Walsh said: "Dermot this was not easy.

"I agonised about the whole thing. At the end of the day I have to keep the person that I think the public will like the most."

Infantry soldier Jonjo told host Dermot O'Leary: "I could have done better, probably. It's broke my heart."

O'Leary said: "That's such a tough decision because this lad has got to go back in the Army now and that's a big deal."

Walsh replied: "It's been tough but I had to send someone home.

"I changed my mind twice."

In a shock twist to last year's contest, each mentor, rather than the public, had to pick one of their four hopefuls to leave after just one live performance.