Seventeen finalists made it the "X Factor" cut and are up for winning one of the biggest talent competitions in the U.S.

It seems that Simon Cowell softened and come up with 17 finalists for the intense competition.

It is good news for Melanie Amaro as she was the surprise 17th finalist to join the "X Factor," which will kick off a two and a half hour episode on Tuesday.

Cowell is famous for his harsh and cold criticisms to aspiring artists. This time, he was tormented by guilt of not including a soulful singer in his group of girls. Thus, he hopped on a plane and went to Florida where the 19-year-old Melanie live and she and her family were surprised with the great news.

The final cut of the "X Factor" include:

Simon Cowell's group of girls:

  • Simon Battle, 22, Los Angeles
  • Rachel Crow, 13, Burbank, Calif.
  • Drew Ryniewicz, 14, Chino Valley, Ariz.
  • Tiah Tolliver, 20, Bremerton, Wash.
  • Melanie Amaro, 19, Coral Gables, Fla.

L.A. Reid's group of guys:

  • Astro, 15, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Marcus Canty, 20, Bowie, Md.
  • Phillip Lomax, 22, Seattle
  • Chris Rene, 28, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Nicole Scherzinger's over-30 group:

  • LeRoy Bell, 60, Seattle
  • Stacy Francis, 42, Los Angeles
  • Dexter Haygood, 49, Chicago
  • Josh Krajcik, 30, Columbus, Ohio

Paula Abdul's group of groups:

  • The Brewer Boys
  • InTENsity
  • Lakoda Rayne
  • The Stereo Hogzz

The show will showcase the singing talent, appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines of the contestants. Each judge is assigned one of four categories-either girls between 12 and 30, boys between 12 and 30, individuals over 30, or groups. Through the live shows, the judges act as mentors to their category, helping to decide song choices, styling and staging, while judging contestants from other categories.

The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract with Syco Music in association with Sony Music Entertainment which would include cash payments totalling $5 million.

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