Pinay in X-Factor Romania

Pinay singer advances to live shows in 'X Factor Romania'

Jackie de Vega
ABS-CBN Europe
02 December 2018

On Friday night, Filipina singer Bella Santiago continues to advance "The X Factor Romania" Season 8.

In her bid to stay on Delia's Over 24s, the 29-year old belted out the 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, outshining Christian Sanda in the Duel round, making her the first Filipina to reach the live shows of "The X Factor Romania."

“Bella is a complete package, has an amazing voice, her stage presence... I am speechless. She knows her body very well,” Sanda said.

Their mentor, Delia Matache, confided that she had difficulty choosing between them -- and the judges agreed.

"It was fantastic. I have no words!" she said.

“Applause for both contestants. That is what I call a duel! You chose two well-known pieces and my favorite ones. It was a risk for you, Cristian. The difference is you've shown a different side of you. Bella showed a different kind of artistry. You have two extremely competitive contestants,” said judge Stefan Banica.

The Caviteña remains a crowd favorite this season with her performances among the most streamed on the show's YouTube channel. She raked more than 4 million views for her audition clip and 1.6 million views for the 4-chair challenge.

Santiago is one of the 8 contestants to advance to the live show on December 9.