In a nailbiting move, Simon Cowell chose to go to public vote – thereby saving twins John and Edward – rather than choosing to save Welsh singer Lucie Jones on Sunday night's results show.

ITV received over 3,000 calls of complaint following the show, but on Tuesday the British broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, decided not to launch an investigation into claims that the show is fixed.

And as a result there has been some backlash against John and Edward, whose dad is from Limerick.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader this week, Edward's godfather, Aidan Ryan, admitted his surprise that Simon Cowell did not throw the twins off the show when he had the chance on Sunday night.

"I expected Mr Cowell to dump them," he told the Limerick Leader. "But they're so popular, I suppose looking back it doesn't surprise me that he went with the public vote," said Mr Ryan, who is PRO of Na Piarsaigh GAA club.

"All of the other singers are more of a stereotype, more of a ballad type of singer. We have seen the likes of them over the last few years of the competition, whereas the lads are completely different," Mr Ryan added.

Mr Ryan is a childhood friend of the twins' dad John, and as young men when they both played hurling for Na Piarsaigh. Mr Ryan said that John and Edward regularly visited Limerick in the past to see their grandparents, Jim and Emily, who live on the northside of the city.

The proud godfather said that even if the twins didn't win The X-Factor, there was a bright future ahead of them.

And top stars and bookmakers also believe the twins have star potential.

Westlife's Shane Filan was quoted this week as saying: "Jedward will make a lot of money out of just turning up to parties and singing. I don't know if they'll have a pop career, but they'll have a TV career. If they did the John & Edward Show, I'd probably watch it."

And Robbie Williams told a British radio station earlier this week that he would happily pay to see a Jedward gig.

"I love watching them. If someone said to me I had to go and watch a gig of The X Factor contestants, each one's doing half-an-hour and who do you want to see, I'd love to go and watch Jedward," he said.

And despite the fact that bookies Paddy Power have pushed back the odds of Jedward winning the competition from 6/1 to 16/1, they say the twins are already winners.

Sharon McHugh, spokeswoman for Paddy Power said: "The public backlash has no doubt unsettled the lads, but at the end of the day they deserve to be in the competition and we hope they don't throw in the towel."

There are also reports that the brothers are in such demand that the show's producers have received offers from Disney, Nickelodeon and the BBC.

But in the meantime, Jedward's fans are hoping the boys can survive another week.

All of the remaining seven acts will perform a Queen song on this Saturday's show. According to media reports, Simon Cowell scrapped plans for a dance themed show in order to focus on a single artist, apparently to force contestants to raise their game.

"We will be keeping our fingers crossed again this weekend that the lads can stay in the competition. It would be a setback for them to be in the bottom two again," said Mr Ryan.

The X-Factor continues this Saturday and Sunday at 8pm on UTV and TV3.