You would be hard pushed to find a Cher song that would provoke an X Factor judge to cry with tears of joy.

Unless, of course, 16-year-old Ella Henderson comes on stage and reworks Believe with such maturity and emotion that you can’t help but cry, that is.

Judge Nicole wiped tears from her eyes after Ella’s breathtaking, slowed down version of the 1998 dance track.

She said: "You can’t judge that, you just have to be honoured.

"We can’t touch her, we just have to be in awe of her. I’m done."

An emotional Ella was delighted by the comments from the judges and in particular, Gary’s praise.

He said: "If I was going to have a top five of the most annoying songs of all time that would come fairly close to the top for me.

"But today, I would pay lots of money to hear that version of the song again. That was amazing, well done."

The singer songwriter sailed through to the Judges’ Houses and will face Tulisa at her house on Saturday for a place at the live shows.

More About Ella Henderson

• X Factor star Ella Henderson praised for stunning NTAs performance
• X Factor’s Ella Henderson 'excited and honoured' to perform at NTA awards
• X Factor star Ella Henderson performs at Amy Winehouse ball
• Ella Henderson is relieved to have left The X Factor
• X Factor Tulisa is 'devastated' to have lost Ella
• Niall Horan shocked and upset by X Factor Ella Henderson’s eXit
• X Factor results show seven: Shock as Ella Henderson is voted off