Kelly Clarkson & Bruno Mars Performing on pre-Thanksgiving Night

The X-Factor is going the American Idol route of having big stars perform on their show, grabbing AI’s original Idol, Kelly Clarkson, for a special pre-Thanksgiving results show this Wednesday night, November 23^rd. Kelly will be making the broadcast debut performance of her song “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger).”

The special Wednesday-night installment of X-Factor “will also feature a shocking double elimination that leaves only seven acts in the competition.” Going with the Thanksgiving theme, tomorrow night’s episode will be a special “Giving Thanks”-themed performance show.

Bruno Mars will also be stopping by to perform, “It Will Rain,” which is the first single from “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I,” and has a new music video, featuring some clips from ‘Breaking Dawn.’

The show is now down to the Top Nine Finalists, which is split into Girls (Melanie Amaro, Rachel Crow and Drew), Boys (Astro, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene), Over 30s (LeRoy Bell and Josh Krajcik) and Groups, though there is only one of those left (Lakoda Rayne).

Astro. The 15-year-old rapping phenom, finished in the bottom 2 last week after an outburst where he said, “I don't want to perform for people who don't want me here.” Astro has since apologized and put on a great performance of the Jackson 5 hit, “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

Stacy Francis was more than a little devastated when she got eliminated, rather than Astro. LeRoy Bell also took a bit of a beating from Simon. It’s hard enough for Bell being in the Over 30 group, but Cowell told him, "In terms of originality: zero," which must have been crushing.

It is interesting that Kelly has followed Cowell, her first champion, over from American Idol to X-Factor. Is she with Factor to stay, or will she also appear on AI when it returns to Fox in January?

Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars have some big shoes to fill, with Rihanna delivering a great performance just last week of her new single "We Found Love."