The X Factor: Which Contestants Got the Ax on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving wasn't all about the turkey and stuffing for the 10 X Factorfinalists, two of whom were sent home Thursday night. Keep reading to find out who got cut — and whether Tate Stevens finished in first place for the third week in a row.

After a delayed start because of the Dallas-Washington football game, the show got under way with footage of the contestants presenting a new music room to an inner-city school in California. That was followed by a group performance of Coldplay's "Fix You" by the finalists and the school's choir. A nice touch, but on with the eliminations, please — surely the judges and singers have pumpkin pie waiting for them!

The X Factor celebrates Thanksgiving

The first act to get the boot on Thursday's show, based on viewer votes, was Arin Ray, the first of Britney Spears' Teens to be sent home after receiving mostly negative feedback from the judges for his performance of Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" Wednesday night. It's the second time Ray has been eliminated from the show — last season, he was a member of the eventually eliminated group InTENsity.

Before the "safe" contestants were revealed, Cher Lloyd — a former contestant on the British X Factor who was signed to Simon Cowell's record label after her run on the show — performed. (Perhaps it's because she's already a minted pop star, but it's worth noticing that Lloyd, who finished fourth during her season, showed more vocal prowess and stage presence than any of the remaining singers in this competition. Just sayin'.)

Next, co-hosts Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian revealed which contestants got enough votes to definitely send them through to next week. They were: Diamond White and Carly Rose Sonenclar from the Teens; Vino Alan and Tate Stevens from L.A. Reid's Over 25s; Fifth Harmony and Emblem 3 from Simon Cowell's Groups; and Paige Thomas from Demi Lovato's Young Adults. That left Beatrice Miller from the Teens and CeCe Frey from the Young Adults to sing for survival.

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Frey, who found herself in the bottom two for the second week in a row, chose Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" for her Save Me song, while a tearful Miller (who was also battling a cold) sang Dido's "White Flag."

The two girls' mentors, Lovato and Spears, each opted to send the other one's home. That left the decision up to Reid and Cowell. Reid said he would send home Miller, and Cowell agreed. "I think this is all getting too much for you," he told the 13-year-old, who started sobbing. "I don't think this is the right time for you right now."

So, the competition is now down to eight. Here are the complete rankings, in order, based on audience votes:

1.  Carly Rose Sonenclar

2.  Tate Stevens

3.  Vino Alan

4.  Emblem 3

5.  Diamond White

6.  Paige Thomas

7.  Fifth Harmony

8.  CeCe Frey

What do you think of tonight's eliminations? Are you happy Sonenclar snatched the No. 1 spot from Stevens? And who do you think will be the next contestant to leave?

The X Factor returns Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.