The SFX Factor Showdown

To coincide with The X-Factor final this Saturday, we’ve decided to resurrect a classic feature with an experimental twist (that could all go hideously wrong)

It’s The X-Factor final on Saturday, and to mark the occasion we’ve created our very own SFX Factor showdown!

Well, to be honest, we’ve exhumed an old feature and given it a twist, to be honest. But we think it could be fun. Or it could be a disaster. Which could be fun in its own way.

Over the next 15 pages are 15 sci-fi stars who’ve had a go at extra-curricular singing. They’re all stars who are regarded first and foremost as actors rather than actors formerly famous as singers (so no Billie Piper). And we haven’t included characters who sang as part of a regular episode.

And from now until Saturday evening, we’ll be giving you the chance to vote for your favourite!

At various times we’ll eliminate the lowest scoring singer, set up a new poll, and start all over again. And on Saturday evening, we’ll announce the winner. We’ll keep you updated on eliminations and when new voting forms are ready on Twitter, Facebook and Google +. Sorry if you don’t socially network, but caching issues make updates from the site itself unworkable. You can find the voting form for ROUND ONE here, but from then on in, you’ll need to look for Twitter, Facebook and Google + updates.

Best of all, voting is absolutely free!

And you can start… now!

(Oh, in case you’re more of a Strictly fan, we’ve catered for you here.)

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Nichelle Nichols

Best known as: Uhura in Star Trek
Singing: The theme to This Bitter Earth (2010)

Nichols started out in as a singer appearing at that New York’s Blue Angel and Playboy Clubs as a dancer and singer and has carried on singing throughout her career, gaining a reputation as a jazz singer of considerable talent. She’s release two albums, Down To Earth (1967) and Out Of This World (1991), the second of which was a misjudged attempt to move into a more rocky arena with space themed songs. But she can still belt them out, and provided this theme tune to a recent film about, guess what, a jazz singer. She once responded to the question, “What do you think of your cast mates’ singing efforts?” with the terse reply, “They’re entitled.” And on the following couple of pages you can hear what she was talking about.

Song we’d like to hear her cover: In a perfect world she would have provided the wailing vocals for the Trek theme tune, but sadly that was not to be.

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