I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely excited about the Judges Homes Round on The X Factor this week. We’ll finally know for sure (despite the Top 16 Spoilers) who has made it through and who has which judge as their mentor.

This week, we get to see the superstar guest judges stop by the judges homes to help them analyze the contestants and provide their own feedback and opinions on each of them. At Will.I.Am is at Britney Spears’ house, Justin Bieber & Scooter Braun are at L.A. Reid’s house, Marc Anthony is at Simon Cowell’s house, and Nick Jonas is at Demi Lovato’s place. Based on the preview below, it looks like it’ll be a good episode.

Also, at the beginning of the preview, we see L.A. Reid storm off after hearing some disappointing news on the phone. Watch all the drama and discussion in the preview belw.

Watch the preview after the jump…

I am loving on The X Factor this season. I have to admit, I initially tuned in to see the one and only Britney Spears judge future music hopefuls but have been the most plesantly surprised by the witty musings of one, Demi Lovato. Between her and Simon’s playful banter to Britney’s encyclopaedia and of hilarious faces and reactions, L.A. Reid is nothing more than a paperweight for me at this point. Aww, poor L.A..

With last week’s episodes showing us the drama that was boot camp, I am thoroughly excited to check out what goes down at judges homes with some very special guests including will.i.am, Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas and Mark Anthony? Yes, I too am puzzled by Simon Cowell’s choice of guest mentor there.

Over the weekend, rumors and spoilers began to swirl around the internet of just who had made it through to judges homes and even who the top 16 finalists are. After a few list changes and some more sources coming forward, it looks like a pretty legimate list has surfaced. While nothing is obviously confirmed, I thought I would share what has come forward so far with you and discuss these choices. Remember, NOTHING IS CONFIRMED so don’t panic if one, two or five of your favorites aren’t on the following list. This so far is just a lot of speculation and rumors. Check it below.

Find out the ‘rumored’ 16 finalists and their mentors after the jump.

If you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. Simon Cowell is taking a page out of of The Voice‘s playbook and incorporating a battle round during Round 2 of Boot Camp. Can we expect red swivel chairs or a reasonable facsimile for The X Factor Season 3? I wouldn’t be shocked.

Unlike the friendly Aguilera-Levine feud on The Voice or expletive-filled Minaj-Carey one on American Idol, the X Factor judges are one big happy family. So far no tension has arisen between Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid and Cowell. Since there is no friction, producers have to concoct some reality show drama. Cue season villain CeCe (with no space) Frey and likeable Paige (hole in pantyhose) Thomas. These two unwittingly became pawns in this fabricated rivalry. Both happen to pick Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” to sing and coincidentally performed one after the other. Coincidence my ass.

With both making it to Round 2, the two ladies once again find themselves pitted against each other. This time facing off in a sing-off battle. I expect Cowell to drag out this feud for as long as possible. My only wish is they don’t force the girls to tackle another Houston track. Will both make it or both be cut? Better yet, will one make it while the other one falls down to their knees sobbing. Though manipulated, I can’t wait to find out the result. I’m such a sucker for this type of drama. Check out their covers of Whitney’s signature ballad below.

check out their performances along with a few others after the jump

Although Donovan is usually the one sharing his thoughts on The X Factor this season, I thought I’d jump in for this one as he’s been a little under the weather and I also happend to have loved this episode. Actually, I’m actually loving this whole season, being a newcomer to the show (thanks to the Britney bait).

As the episode kicked off, we continued on with Trevor Moran‘s story. He had fallen ill and paramedics were called after he became faint and white in color. After several hours with the medics, he was ready to perform and boy was I glad he did. When the music started for LMFAO’s “Sexy And I Know It” hit, I started to cringe because I expected the worst – I couldn’t have been more wrong. This guy blew the judges and the audience away with his voice, confidence, and ability to entertain. Not only did this audition make me smile and laugh, it also brought a tear to my eye. I think it’s because this kid is so inspiring as he’s totally being himself and in doing so, he’s achieving his dreams. He actually is popular on YouTube already for his impromptu dances in Apple Stores. Love it.

There were some other great, and inspiring performances as well. Re-watch your favorites below.

Watch the videos after the jump…

Nothing could ever top the awesomeness that was Panda Ross from the previous night’s episode, but the Greensboro auditions provided for another spectacular evening. Britney Spears, once again, was the highlight for me. I could spend hours watching a montage of her facial reactions. Either she’s getting the hang of it, or was on some meds this episode. The “Toxic” singer looked the most comfortable I’ve seen her yet. Perhaps, it was due to being in the South and close to her “people”. Who knows? Did you see her eyes light up when Simon gave her some Southern food?

Before we get to the auditions, I just wanted to comment about all the backstage pieces. With all the captions, camera angles and contestant conversations, don’t the segments remind you of The Hills? The editing and overall feel definitely gives me the vibe of the MTV reality show. At times, I was sure Audrina and LC were going to pop up on my screen, especially during Julia Bullock’s package. Watch it again and you’ll see what I mean.

watch the videos after the jump

“Panda Ross For President!!!” That’s what Nic and Matt, who came over for an impromptu X Factor viewing party, and myself kept chanting during Panda Ross’ audition. The 42-year-old barista instantly won us over with her sparkling personality. From the second she came on stage and declared her love to Simon Cowell by showing off her “single” necklace, we knew we were in for an audition we wouldn’t forget.

Panda had us in stitches when she explained how her name came to be. Apparently, her mom was in prison with a white cellmate and had the brilliant idea to name her after the black and white animal. You can’t make this sh*t up. Ross sealed the deal and solidified our adoration with her surprisingly powerful voice. She killed Sam Cooke’s “Bring it On Home“. She’s definitely the show’s black Susan Boyle.

When her audition ended, Ross still had more surprises in store for us. She began collecting mucous and required medical attention. As she was being wheeled out on a stretcher, Ross kept on entertaining with her comments. If she doesn’t win X Factor, some network should give this woman her own reality show. She’s television gold. Check out her unforgettable package below, along with other memorable moments from the episode after that.

check out Panda Ross’ audition and other memorable auditions after the jump

Just when you thought all of The X Factor casting was over, you may have forgotten about the host(s). This season there are two hosts and the cat seems to be finally out of the bag as to who they are. That’s right, there are two. Up until this point, there has been plenty of speculation, just as was the case when they were casting the judges. Now, Perez Hilton has revealed exclusively who the two hosts are.

I actually think the two that have apparently been chosen will make a great team and great hosts. They both have experience in hosting capacities and they’re both recognizable faces and liked by many. One of them is a little more controversial than the other, but I think this person will prove skeptics wrong and they’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Find out who the hosts are after the jump…

It’s one of the biggest head-to-head battles people have been looking forward to this season. Would Simon Cowell’s newly-revamped X Factor lineup beat out The Voice and their red swivel chairs? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. While NBC’s talent show won in total viewers (10.6 million versus 8.5), the FOX reality show beat its rival in the coveted 18-34 demographic and won the night in the adults 18-49. Still, Simon was rightfully worried that The Voice’s third night would steal some viewers away.

The second season premiere of X Factor garnered 8.5 million viewers, down over 3.5 million from last year. Here’s the silver lining, the show grew by 6 percent in the key demos and grew in its second hour. Given that it was up against NBC’s one-two punch of The Voice and finals of America’s Got Talent, it did well. I only expect those numbers to go up tonight when the show faces no competition. Plus I think the universal love and praise, fans and critics have bestowed on last night’s premiere will bring in more viewers. Remember it’s a marathon and not a sprint. I firmly believe X Factor will win come December.

In other singing-related news. Katie Couric revealed (spoiled) some very interesting American Idol news. Curious? Keep reading to find out.

check out Katie Couric’s reveal after the jump