Untethered by baseball playoffs, one network was able to air last night’s brand new X Factor episode: Canada’s CTV, which went ahead with their regularly scheduled programming even as The X Factor’s home network, FOX, pushed the episode back a day because of the ALCS Game 4 rain delay. Lucky Canadians. They got to watch OUR grumpy British man critique OUR aspiring American pop stars before WE did!

But at least our upstairs neighbors have been kind enough to share the scoop on what we’ll see when tonight’s episode, which takes the final 32 acts to the judges’ homes, airs in the US.

Stop right now if you don’t want to be spoiled! For those who want to know which acts will impress, what songs they’ll sing and which special guest mentors will join the judges, read on.

Canadian source Inside Pulse shares these tidbits from tonight’s X Factor episode:

The Girls:
“The Top 8 girls were taken to Cowell’s estate in the South of France. Cowell admitted “this was the category that I wanted.” There was a heavy focus on Rachel Crow. Simon also said “the winner was in this category.”

The Groups:
“In Santa Barbara, California… the groups went to Paula Abdul‘s home. Lakoda Rayne (the newly formed group of solo singers) got a big push. Paula Abdul said that she specialized in groups citing work with the Jackson 5 and Duran Duran among her accomplishments.”

The Over 30s:
“The Over 30s were in Malibu at the home of Nicole Scherzinger. Nicole said she liked working with the Over 30s because they have ‘lived a life’ and have a ‘story to tell.’ Nicole said she was the hardest worker and she has been where they are and knows what it takes to make it.”

The Boys, and Guest Mentors:
“The boys went to the Hamptons in New York to the estate of LA Reid. The mentors introduced the guest judges. Nicole brought out Enrique Iglesias. Paula brought out Pharrell. Simon was supposed to bring out Mariah Carey but she was grounded because of Hurricane Irene. LA Reid brought out Rihanna. (LA Reid was HILARIOUS during this by the way).

Standout
Performances:
“The judges chose the songs for each of their contestants either with a backing track or straight vocal. Brian ‘Astro‘ Bradley told Rihanna that they would do a ‘collab’ one day (vomit). He rapped “Can’t Hold Me Down.” Standout performances included: Drew Ryniewicz (Simon) [performing “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette], Stacey Francis (Nicole Scherzinger), The Brewer Boys (Paula Abdul), The Anser (Paula Abdul) primarily because of the Pink song choice which was phenomenal.”

The episode we’re now scheduled to watch on Sunday night, part two of the Judges’ Homes round, will air tonight in Canada, so stay tuned for more spoilers for that episode.

In other X Factor News…

Top 16 Spoilers?
The American Idol message boards appear to be abuzz with X Factor spoilers, including what forum members think is a list of the acts who will make it through to the Top 16. The forum’s Top 32 spoilers were mostly correct, but with a few lapses, so take the Top 16 list with a big grain of salt — or maybe just consider it an estimated guess list? — if you read it.

Nicole and Paula in a Fashion Feud? Not So Fast…
One rumor says that Paula is threatened by younger Nicole, and have been fighting over who gets to wear the “sexiest, most stylist outfits.” (Way to make us all proud, ladies!) A source from the show has denied this report, saying “Nicole and Paula have, and have always had, a great relationship. There is nothing competitive about it.”

And What About Simon and LA?
This brave reporter asked Simon Cowell if he was jealous of all the attention LA Reid has been getting. The short answer? Hahahaha, yes. But Simon says it in a much funnier way. (Watch the video for his response.) Theirs is a friendly rivalry as well … at least for now.

(Image courtesy of FOX)

Meghan Carlson

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The OfficeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.