Pop Idol hopeful Wesu Wallace's chart-topping dreams now hinge on the kindness of a judge dubbed Mr Nasty.

The 22-year-old, from Hove, was voted off the ITV show on Saturday night after his performance of Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed failed to capture the public's imagination.

Judge Nicki Chapman thought he had a "fantastic voice" but said she was not convinced his performance would see him through.

And music mogul Pete Waterman said he thought Wesu was in the wrong contest while Neil Fox said he sang well.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell, whose mother lives in Rottingdean, shed his nasty image to praise Wesu's singing before reverting to type and adding: "I imagined him coming out of dry ice and being on Stars In Your Eyes."

Now, Wesu is relying on Cowell and his colleagues for another shot at the big time.

The judges will select eight losers they think deserve a second chance at getting into November's finals, with each of them performing again on October 25.

Only one of them will go through to the final stage.

On Saturday, favourite Kirsty Crawford, 19, was voted through with 19.9 per cent of the vote along with Dubliner Brian Ormond, 24, with 16.8 per cent.

They will now compete in the final ten.