Devastated Fulham X Factor contestant Matt Newtion says show judges made the 'wrong decision' in booting his FYD band out of the competition on Sunday.
The five-piece suffered the heartache of being voted off the TV show in the very first week of live shows after judge Louis Walsh favoured controversial contestant Katie Waissel in the final showdown.
And former Henry Compton pupil Matt, 26, felt let-down by Walsh, believing if the final decision had gone to 'deadlock' – where elimination boils down to the act with the fewest public votes in the event the judges can't decide – would have saved them.
He said: "It was the wrong decision. We were not the worst act by a long mile. If it had gone to 'deadlock', we would have had a good chance, it would have made it more of an even playing ground."
Having opened the show on Saturday night with a lively performance of Billionaire by Travie McCoy, which drew praise from all four judges, the boys returned on Sunday to find they'd polled the fewest votes along with Italian Niccolo Festa, and Waissel.
Festa went automatically with the lowest number of votes and it was left to FYD and Waissel to sing-off in a bid to persuade judges to keep their dreams alive.
After performing Rihanna's Please Don't Stop The Music, FYD's mentor, Simon Cowell, saved them, but Dannii Minogue, Cheryl Cole and, fatally, Walsh preferred Waissel's Beatle's cover Don't Let Me Down, and FYD'S dream was over.
Walsh told them: "My head is saying one thing and my heart is saying another but I'm going to do the right thing and the act I'm going to send home is... FYD."
Despite their crushing disappointment, the boys have vowed to stay together and carry on their bid for fame.
Matt posted a message on social network site Twitter which said, "Gutted but excited for the future".
Reflecting on their exit, he said the running order could have been a factor. "There's a big part in going on first because some people always miss the beginning of the show."
FYD are backing Cowell's other boyband 1Direction to go on and win. "That's probably why we went out," he added.
