A crying shame: Demi Lovato breaks down in tears at sending two acts home, as final X Factor 16 is revealed

The task of sending two young ambitious singers home proved to be just too much for an emotional  Demi Lovato on Tuesday night's X Factor.
The former Disney star burst into tears after telling two contestants that they were no longer finalists.

While the streams of tears from the contestants going home were expected, Demi clearly struggled at being the one making the decision she knew would devastate the performers' dreams.
Scroll down to see the final 16 acts...

Emotional: Demi Lovato was unable to contain her emotions after she sent contestant Jillian Jenson home

'It sucks - Oh my God,' Demi whispered, wiping away tears after having to send home Jillian Jensen, 19, a part-time piano teacher from Rochester, MA.

She also revealed she finds the act of rejection it as hard as those battling to win her favour.

'My heart is pounding every time I think about telling who is going to make it through and who is not,' Demi said.

As well as Demi's struggles, fans of the show finally got to see which finalists went through to the next stage after the show was cut in half last week due to a delayed baseball game.

Tearful: Demi tried to contain the flow of tears after making her emotional decision

Inconsolable: Demi's tears started when Jillian broke down into floods of tears at her rejection

Last week viewers saw Britney Spears and L.A. Reid make their choices, and now it was time to see   which acts Demi and Simon Cowell selected for their final four.

Along with Jillian, Demi also sent home quirky rap wannabe Nick Youngerman, 21, a janitor from Tipp City, Ohio, who had performed Ice Ice Baby in auditions.

He had perhaps inadvertently sealed his future reputation when he told viewers: 'I don't want to be known as the rapping toilet cleaner the rest of my life.'

Meanwhile Simon Cowell sent home rap group Dope Crisis, from Philadelphia, PA, and Playback, a boy-band made up of individual contestants given a second chance.

Congratulations: Jennel Garcia was enveloped in a hug by Demi after being the first wannabe to be pout through to the finals

'I've kind of been in this place before, where groups have been put together from the show,' Cowell told them. 'Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it works spectacularly well.'

After telling them they were not set to be one of his success stories, one of the guys, clearly having been crying, said: 'To have to tell the people that you love the most that you messed it up is the worst feeling in the world.'
But their devastation did not match Jillian Jensen's tearful breakdown after learning she had not made the cut.

Quite overcome: Jennel Garcia was thrilled when Demi told her she would be competing in the live final category next week

Lucky two: Willie Jones was the first to be put through to Demi's young adult category

The wannabe earlier made it clear how much the show meant to her.

'This could be it - this could be the start of a completely different life,' she said. 'I am a butterfly - this is my time to fly. I want that yes so bad. It means everything.'
And Demi had been clearly impressed with her despite making her tough decision.

'Jillian, you are so extremely talented and everyone can see that,' Demi told her. 'The problem is this competition is based on more than just incredible vocals.'

Inconsolable: Jillian Jenson burst into floods of tears after Demi told her she had not made the cut

Trying to help: Jennel Garcia, who had been put through, tried to console Jillian after she was rejected

Nick Youngerman was clearly bitterly disappointed at being sent home. 'It hurts - it's like a bad break-up,' he said.
He had also made it clear how much the show meant to him, saying: 'This is definitely one of the biggest moments of my life. If I don't make it through this I'm going back to Ohio and my head is not going to be held high.
'I feel like I have what it takes to win this competition. And I don't want to be known as the rapping toilet cleaner the rest of my life.'

Demi told him: 'You are so much fun to watch onstage - you have the ability to light up the room and get everybody on their feet.

Teary eyed: Rapper Nick Youngerman was rejected from Demi's young adult category

I got nothing: The contestant had earlier impressed the judges at the audition stages

'My concern is that with all the talent we've seen we've set a really high bar. Nick I've made my decision - and you're going home.'

Close to tears, he later told the luckier finalists: 'I got nothing.'
But perhaps ironically, the most tears were shed by stunning Rihanna lookalike Paige Thomas, 22, even though she managed to remain in the competition.
The nursing student and young mum from San Antonio, Texas, was convinced she was on her way out after Demi voiced her concern about her performances.

Taking centre stage: Paige Thomas was in tears before even hearing her fate from Demi

Overcome: Paige told the other finalists in her group that she was 'happy and blessed' to have made it this far

'I want to start off by saying there's nobody in the world that can say that you are not a beautiful, gorgeous person who has that star quality about her,' Demi told her.

'Unfortunately it's not just about that, and each week we needed to see you grow,' she continued, leaving Paige in tears.

Paige wept: 'I have something in me. This whole journey has been like up and down for me a little bit because not only am trying to plug my nerves as a contestant I'm a mother too.'
Demi told her: 'I have no doubt that whatever the future holds you are going to continue to be a wonderful mother. The question is, is this the right journey for you?'

Painful moment: CeCe held her head in her hands while waiting for the news about her fate

Hoping for glory: CeCe feared the worst after being told she was 'unlikeable' by Demi

With tears streaming down her face, Paige told her: 'I believe it is, I do'  with Demi leaving a long pause before telling her she was in her final four contestants.

The good news left her in such floods of tears she could not even talk to the other contestants at first.

'Now I can come out and really show the world what I can do,' she said. 'I'm so excited. I'm so happy and blessed to make it to the live shows, I really am.'

Earlier she had said: 'This is definitely the biggest opportunity of my life. I have to worry about whether I can provide for my daughter or not. I know I have what it takes to potentially win this thing.'

Meanwhile, Cece Frey, 21, was convinced she was on her way out after Demi said her attitude 'borderlines a little on the unlikeable'.

Surveying his domain: Simon had a tough choice to make after bringing the groups to his palatial home in Miami 

Demi told the mail clerk from Decatur: 'Cece, I told you that it was going to be difficult trying to find a balance between on fire - fierce with attitude - but in a way that people can still relate to you.

'Yesterday when you sang I knew that you took my advice - but it went a little overboard.'

Clearly convinced she was heading home, Cece burst into tears at hearing she was through to next week's live finals.
'I'm from the middle of nowhere… and I get to live the dream,' she said, heaving earlier confided that she would be 'devastated, absolutely devastated' if she had to return to her regular job.
'I don't have to be in a place that I don't belong any more and it just feels unbelievable.'

Jennel Garcia, 18, a student from Rochester, Massachusetts, was first to learn the good news that she had made the live finals.
'This is everything to me - I don't have a job any more, I don't go to school any more. This is it,' she said, fighting back tears. 'I want to stay in this competition more than anything in the whole entire world.'

Girl action: Simon wasted no time in putting Sister C though to the live finals

Market value: Cowell told Sister C he could imagine recognising their voices on the radio

Demi told her: 'I just want to start off by saying you have an incredible voice. First time I saw you I was just blown away.
'But I have a few concerns - I feel as if you are just really insecure with your performance and in order to be a pop star the biggest thing is how you entertain people.'

After telling her she was in her final four, Jennel also burst into tears. 'So much weight was lifted off my shoulders. That was like the highlight of my life. I keep waiting to wake up but  haven't.'
Willie Jones, 17, a student from Shreveport, Louisiana, also called Demi's decision 'The biggest moment ever in my life.

'Going home is not an option,' he added. 'I don't want to go back to Shreveport at all. For me to fulfil my dreams I feel like I can't do it in Shreveport.

Group fun: Lyric 145 benefited at being put together by the X Factor judges in the group stages

Original and fun: Lyric 145 was thrilled when Cowell put them straight through to the finals

Looking forward to the finals: Simon promised there would be 'fireworks' when next week's live shows get started

'If I get sent home I'll be freaking' heartbroken. I need this more than anything.'

Demi told him: 'You know that you are completely unique and you have something going for you that a lot of people don't expect.
'But what's difficult for me is I feel like there's this inner battle in your head - "How much of me is going to sing this line country, how much of me is going to sing this line R&B? That's a really big problem to have, as an artist.

'So right now I'm thinking it's a big risk. With time you might learn how to be able to craft that and blend it in a beautiful way. But are you ready right now?'
Clearly she thought he was, and congratulated him on being put though to her final four.  'This means the world to me - I feel like I'm in a dream,' he said.

Rejected and dejected: Two man group Dope Crisis were sent home by Simon Cowell

Rejection: Playback were left disappointed after Simon chose girl group Lylas over them

Meanwhile, over in Miami, Cowell was the decision maker for the groups in the show, with Dope Crisis the first to be sent home despite him having high praise for them.
He told them: 'I thought you could not have put anything more into that performance, I really feel that,' he told the group from Philadelphia.
'The difficulty I've had is, "Do I see you as recording artists, where do you fit in the market, could you take the place of somebody else?" It's bad news. I'm afraid you didn't make it.'

Afterwards, the band said: 'It's very sad that it wasn't enough - our best wasn't enough.'
More fortunate were girl group Lylas, a group constructed by the judges from individual contestants at the audition stage.
'I was very, very impressed with your vocals. But you do understand that when I put someone into the live shows I have to have total and utter confidence that they can deliver under an awful lot of pressure,' Cowell told them.

Joyous: Girl group Lylas couldn't contain their emotions at the news they were making up Simon's fourth act

Group hug: The girls enveloped a nervous looking Simon in an embrace after hearing the news

They fell to their knees before hugging him as he told them they were through: 'I was seriously, seriously blown away, as was Marc,' he said, referring to guest judge Marc Anthony who helped him in the home auditions.

As for the other contenders, Cowell told rap group Lyric 145: 'I loved the humour you bought into it - I like the fact that you are performers and you had fun with it.
Emblem 3, from Huntington Beach, California, appeared the most at risk to be sent home after fluffing their audition.

'I've been impressed with you from the minute I first saw you,' Cowell said. 'The very first audition, this was the first time when I got excited about a group. I like originality, I like people who have charisma, and you're fun.
'What I did pick up, unfortunately I didn't feel yesterday you were quite as rehearsed as the others. When you've got this much on the line even 100 percent's not enough. It was good, but I would have expected better.'

With them looking downcast, he said: 'You know me, I like to work with winners.'  Then after a long pause, he told them to their joy: 'I think you're winners.'

Making it through: Emblem 3 just squeezed into Simon's final four after fluffing their audition

Celebrate good times: One member of Emblem 3 leapt into Simon's swimming pool in joy

Meanwhile Sister C, from Mount Belvieu, Texas, were warned they 'Come over a little stand offish' at times.

'What did impress me is that when I heard you sing I could imagine in the future recognising you on radio. The three of you have very distinct voices,' Cowell told them.

'I have had an issue of how much you wanted this, whether people would support you .Talent is the most important thing, but personality and likeability is really really important as well.'

After a pause, he told them: 'I think America are going to love you.']
L.A Reid and Britney Spears selected their final four contestants on last week's show, with Britney selecting Diamond White, 13, Carly Rose Sonenclar, 13, Arin Ray, 17, and Beatrice Miller, 13 for the teen category.
L.A. Reid chose an all-male line-up of Jason Brock, David Correy, Tate Stevens, and Vino Alan for the over 25s category. 

Simon says: Cowell's selection consists of Emblem 3, Sister C, Lylas and Lyric 145

Teen queen: Britney Spears poses with her selection Beatrice Miller, Diamond White, Carly Rose Sonenclar, and Arin Ray

The final four: Demi posed with her choices Willie Jones, CeCe Frey, Paige Thomas and Jennel Garcia

All the men: L.A. Reid chose an all-male line-up of Jason Brock, David Corre