Cher voted off X Factor

Teen singer and rapper Cher Lloyd has bowed out of the X Factor after polling the fewest number of viewer votes.

The 17-year-old, from Malvern, Worcestershire who was the bookies' outsider to win, took her defeat gracefully.

After the result was announced by host Dermot O'Leary, she said: "Thank you to everybody who ever, ever believed in me."

Her departure leaves three remaining finalists to battle it out for the title in Sunday's show, including five-piece boyband One Direction, Rebecca Ferguson from Liverpool, plus former painter and decorator Matt Cardle.

Earlier in the show, Lloyd sang a duet with Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am, including the band's songs Where Is The Love and I Gotta Feeling.

After their performance, he said: "She's a true talent...she's really something."

Lloyd declared their number her favourite moment as she said her goodbyes.

She said: "My highlight throughout the whole of this is standing on this stage with Will.i.am. I cannot believe I had the opportunity to do that and I thank everybody who arranged that for me and I thank him as well."