After the ratings success of the first series, the second series of The X Factor NZ had big shoes to fill, and episode 13 became one of the most talked-about incidents in New Zealand's television history. In this live taping, 13 different acts perform a cover song for a panel of judges: local singer Stan Walker, British girl-group star Melanie Blatt, and pop-star couple Willy Moon and Natalia Kills. In a move that caused controversy and the replacement of Kills and Moon, the duo criticised the final contestant, Joe Irvine, to a shocking degree. This episode has a cut-down version of the comments, differing from the live broadcast.