X Factor Elimination: 12 Left After Judges Deadlock

Decision is left up to fans' votes when Simon, Britney, Demi and L.A. split down the middle

Maybe Britney Spears knows what she's doing.

All four of her teen acts sailed through into the top 12, including Diamond White, who after first being cut by Britney was deemed too darn talented to be let go

And boy did she sparkle last night, pulling off Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" like it was, well, nothing.

Instead, the first viewer vote of the season resulted in Jason Brock and CeCe Frey singing for their lives for a shot at continuing in the competition.

As far as we're concerned, Jason deserved to stay after belting out "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and CeCe delivered a shaky version of Cher's "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me."

But the judges deadlocked and America agreed with Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell that Jason's time was up. So, L.A. Reid became the first judge to lose a team member at the behest of the fans.

"I want to say, I did it for the gays and Japan," the visibly disappointed showman said good-naturedly. "But I'm really happy to have been here."

No Rachel Crowe-style theatrics there.