THE remaining X Factor contestants face the judges - and the public - this weekend with an exit predicted for at least one member of boyband Stereo Kicks.

The eight-piece group, which includes Accrington's Reece Bibby, ended up in the bottom two last weekend but survived when Chloe-Jasmine Whichello lost the sing-off.

Their mentor Louis Walsh told the ITV's singing show's spin-off programme The Xtra Factor that he never wanted the group to have eight members.

He said: "Eight never worked in a boyband but Simon (Cowell) put them together. I wouldn't have eight. I never wanted eight."

Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 2-1 that at least one member will leave before or during Saturday's show.

The firm's spokesman Rupert Adams said: "To begin with it was idle speculation that the band needed to lose a couple of members but there seems to be something in this and it will be no surprise now if we see a cull."

The group are 4-1 to be kicked off the show completely this weekend - just behind favourites Stevi Ritchie and Jake Quickenden.

Earlier this week, Reece's dad Jamie branded tabloid rumours that his son was in line for the chop as 'utter rubbish'.

He said: “We have had it confirmed from a very high source that it’s utter rubbish. When I first heard, my initial reaction was, ‘what’s going on here?’ “I contacted the appropriate people and had it confirmed that it was absolute nonsense.”