X Factor supremo Simon Cowell had to appeal for calm after the audience turned on judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini during the show's six-chair challenge.

The Geordie star was booed while she selected six singers to go through to the judge's houses stage and Simon told the panel the Wembley Arena audience were "like a mob".

He told the crowd : "OK, guys, let's calm down for a moment."

Cheryl tried to explain her choices, telling the audience: "Yo u know, what you have to realise is it's my choice."

The tearful former Girls Aloud star, who is mentoring the girls, told her fellow panellists: "I'm going to get lynched, what am I going to do? Where do I go?"

Simon is mentoring the over-25s which produced last year's winner - Sam Bailey - with Louis Walsh looking after the groups and former Spice Girl Mel B mentoring the boys.