Drumroll, please! The X Factor ended its third season with a bang on Thursday, Dec. 19, when it welcomed stars Mary J. Blige, Lea Michele, One Direction, and Pitbull to take the stage and help celebrate the crowning of the show's new champion (or champions). Spoilers ahead!
After three long months, the competition came down to three talented acts: Jeff Gutt, Carlito Olivero, and boyfriend/girlfriend duo Alex & Sierra. Olivero, 24 — a former member of the boy band Menudo — was ruled out early in the finale when host Mario Lopez announced him as the third-place finisher.
"I'm blessed, bro. I'm happy," he said. "I'm in third place; I cannot be mad!"
And then there were two. Alex & Sierra had been the frontrunners for most of the season, but Gutt's performance on Wednesday's episode of the reality competition was a showstopper. Unfortunately for him, it was too little, too late.
After some nail-biting buildup, Simon Cowell's mentees Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton were named The X Factor's newest winners, making them the first duo to win the show in the U.S.
"This is incredible!" Kinsey exclaimed. Added his girlfriend and partner Deaton: "Thank you so much for getting us here, and thanks for not making fun of my weird faces all the time."
Tell Us: Do you think Alex & Sierra were the right choice?
