Performing Boyz II Men's number one smash, "I'll Make Love To You", the four piece earned rave reviews from the judges before being the first act announced as saved by the public vote on Saturday night.

While other acts faltered, 20-year-old Aston – along with Marvin Humes, Ortise Williams and JB Gill – kept their cool and left the judges purring.

Recognising the difficulty of the song he had chosen for the boys, including a particularly tough high note for Aston, mentor Louis Walsh said: "I chose a hard song because I knew they could pull it off. You have got it all and I believe in you 100 per cent."

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Meanwhile, Australian singer Dannii Minogue and Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole both said they "loved" the boy's performance, with Cole adding that she will always love the band. But the icing on the cake came from music mogul Simon Cowell, an infamously hard man to please, who said that JLS have the potential to be the best group they have ever had on the show.

They also revealed during the show that the acronym stood for Jack the Lads Swing. Once the dust had settled Aston, a former Jack Hunt Secondary School pupil, took some time out from his busy schedule to talk to the ET about JLS' performance.



"I'm ecstatic," he said, adding: "It was the first time we had been in front of 12 million people with the four boys together. We handled it really well and it was great.

"The high note was a big note to handle, but I did it. Simon (Cowell) said he wasn't pleased at the beginning, but said we brought it home."

However, JLS' adulation on the night soon turned to despair as they watched Bad Lashes, a group that Aston and the rest of JLS had become close to, leave the show.

Aston added: "I didn't think they deserved to go, but that was a flip of a coin. But with the final 12 acts this year everyone's amazing.

"We were close with Bad Lashes and they were all great girls even from a musical perspective they're amazing. Their harmonies are right every time. It's hard to see your friends go, but you've got to remember it's a competition."

Next week, all of the remaining 11 acts will have to sing a Michael Jackson song – a feat that Aston says the four piece are looking forward to, but with caution.

He said: "Michael Jackson is one of our favourite artists. He's got so many songs that we don't know where to start. But you don't want to ruin them because if you do it at an eighth of what it deserves then it ruins them."

But whatever happens on Saturday night, Aston is delighted with the support the band have received so far. However, he urges people to keep it up and keep picking up the phones to vote for them.

"It's crazy we can make such an impact," said Aston.

This week, X Factor will be live on ITV1 from 7.25pm to 9.25pm, followed by the results show, including a performance by Cheryl Cole and the rest of her Girls Aloud bandmates, from 10.10pm to 10.55pm.