It wouldn’t be The X Factor without a minimum of three ‘fix scandals’ a week.

And after the shock elimination of Gifty Louise on Sunday’s show (30th October), there is yet another to stick your teeth into, as viewers have blasted the judges’ decision to eliminate her – after her own mentor, Simon Cowell, made an epic slip-up by choosing to send her home!

More: Has Honey G revealed something VERY awkward on The X Factor?

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After performing on Saturday’s ‘Fright Night’ edition, 20-year-old Gifty found herself in the bottom two alongside girl band 4 of Diamonds. Though London gal Gifty gave an impressive rendition of Donny Hathaway’s A Song For You, 4 of Diamonds’ version of The Voice Within won the favour of Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne.

However, viewers were stunned when Simon accidentally chose to send Gifty home, since judges almost always save their own acts. Though he caught his mistake after a few seconds, it certainly didn’t go unnoticed with fans. Here’s the moment in all its glory:

Awks. Although seen as a brief slip of the tongue by many, some doubting viewers felt as if this was an example of Gifty’s exit being predetermined by producers…

Disgraced comedian Dapper Laughs also joined in with the conspiracy theories, expressing how ‘coincidental’ it is that the girlband were chosen to remain in the contest directly before, erm, Girlband vs Boyband week:

Later that night, Simon expressed his disappointment in losing Gifty from the competition to Xtra Factor hosts Rylan Clark-Neal and Matt Edmondson – and took on partial blame for giving her Fifth Harmony’s I’m In Love With A Monster as her song for the week.

‘Do you know what, it’s one of those things. I think it was a mistake, the song I chose last night.

‘It happens and I feel bad for her and I can’t take it back.’

Meanwhile, Honey G is still going strong – seemingly fuelled by rapper 50 Cent’s endorsement of her talents.