X Factor judges given categories

Each judge has a celebrity guest to help them decide who to put through

The X Factor judges have been told which contestants they will mentor this year, with Simon Cowell in charge of the over-25s for the second time.

Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole has been put in charge of the 16 to 24-year-old boys, and goes head to head with Dannii Minogue, who will mentor the girls.

Louis Walsh has been given the responsibility of looking after groups.

On Sunday, 24 hopefuls were put through to the penultimate round of auditions, which take place at the judges' houses.

They included bookmakers' favourite Danyl Jonhson.

The 27-year-old falls under the watchful eye of Simon Cowell, who last tutored the over-25 category in 2004, when Steve Brookstein won.

Other memorable contestants to make it through the boot camp stage include Irish twins John and Edward, Welsh teenager Lucie Jones, and the bouffant Jamie Afro.

A trio formed at the last minute by soloists Graziella Affinita, Shaniece Davies, and Shar Alexandra, also made the grade.

Each judge now has to choose three contestants to put through to the live shows, which begin on Saturday, 10 October.

A series of high-profile assistants - including Kylie Minogue - will help them make their decisions.

Minogue will accompany her sister to Dubai, while pop star Will Young takes a seat next to Cheryl Cole in Marrakech.

Louis Walsh's helper in Lake Como, Italy, will be Boyzone singer Ronan Keating, while Cowell will again rely on pop star Sinitta to help him judge his category in Los Angeles.

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