[photo: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.]Perhaps no one on "The X Factor" other than Astro has garnered as much scorn as host Steve Jones, whose abrupt manner has irked judges, contestants, and viewers alike. Steve's crude and clumsy attempts to keep the show moving along at a brisk pace and not preempt "Bones" have caused L.A. Reid to flash him multiple death stares, Simon Cowell to tell him to "shut it for a second," and even sweetie Paula Abdul to snarl, "It's not going to be that quick!" when Steve tried to rush her hemming and hawing during one results-night deliberation. Steve's callous handling of some of the young contestants on several results nights--cutting off Paula when she was trying to console castoff teen duo the Brewer Boys, blatantly ignoring the sobbing of eliminated underage group InTENsity, rudely telling Lakoda Rayne "the dream is over" (a comment that spurred one of the Lakodas to actually yank the mic out of his hand and tell him off)--has not won him many fans either. As a result, some viewers are already rallying to have Steve sacked, and rumors have run rampant that he will be replaced in Season 2 or shipped back to England (where his seemingly cold demeanor may play better) to host the U.K. version of the show.

Astro goes homeI suppose it was only a matter of time before Astro, aka the Astronomical Kid, got axed from "The X Factor," since he'd become the show's resident villain ever since his onstage tantrum on that notorious night when he was in the bottom two. Arrogance and swaggadocio may play well in the hip-hop game (see: West, Kanye), but not in a game like "The X Factor," in which America consistently roots for contestants who are sweet, humble, and eternally grateful (see: Not Astro). But I really didn't think Astro would go this week.

Javier Colon's albumEarlier this year, I assumed contestants on "The Voice" had a distinct sales advantage over the hopefuls on rival show "American Idol." I assumed that by counting iTunes downloads as actual votes--something "Idol" and similar shows do not do--"The Voice" would be better at predicting which contestants would fare well in the actual pop marketplace. What a fantastic business plan, I thought! So I assumed that Season 1 "Voice" winner Javier Colon, who landed several hits in the iTunes top five during his memorable run on the series, would be a surefire seller once his album came out.

I assumed wrong.

Pentatonix receive their tropphyIn a finale result so expected it made Scotty McCreery's Season 10 "American Idol" win look positively shocking, Season 3 fan favorites Pentatonix prevailed on "The Sing-Off" Monday night, beating out deserving-but-not-quite-as-deserving contenders Dartmouth Aires (who placed second) and Urban Method (who came in third).