Mel B makes a return to X Factor (albeit with less Spice and a lot more nice)... while a smiley Rita Ora wins over fans as she makes judging debut

By Kimberley Dadds

Published: 19:28 EDT, 25 August 2012 | Updated: 19:30 EDT, 25 August 2012

She shocked as she made her debut as an X factor judge last week.

Despite being known for her alter ego 'Scary' as part of the Spice Girls, Melanie Brown still stunned with just how brutal she was during auditions last week.

She even left an 82-year-old contestant on the verge of tears at the height of her shocking tactics.

That's better! Mel B returns to The X Factor tonight, dropping her mean style and finally praising the wannabe contestants

So it was no wonder fans were eager to see how she would behave on her second stint as a judge on tonight's (Saturday) show.

But they were treated to a much different judge compared to the constant mean feedback she gave last week.

This week was an altogether new story, with Brown even smiling widely and praising one particular contestant over and over.

When Lucy Spraggan walked on stage to show off her skills on the guitar with a humorous song she wrote herself, the judges were automatically won over.

She showed off her song Last Night, about waking up with 'Beer Fear' saying 'anyone can relate to that'.

The singer-songwriter from Sheffield won the audience over with the humorous lyrics and was left in tears with the words of praise afterwards.

And it was a previously mean Melanie Brown who praised her the most.

All smiles; She shocked on last week's show for her cutting comments but was bowled over by one particular singer tonight

Finding her softer side: Thanks to Lucy Spraggan, Mel B managed to smile throughout tonight's show with her Kate Nash-style performance

She managed to drop her scary exterior as she was overcome with awe for the wannabe.

Brown told her: 'I absolutely loved it, you're brilliant.. Be confident, you've got something brilliant about you,' before adding: 'Love it, love it, love it, love it.'

Meanwhile, it was time for new guest judge Rita Ora to shine.

She made her debut on tonight's show and immediately won over fans with her smiley demeanour and friendly outlook.

Settling in: Rita Ora showed off her judge credentials as she made her debut as guest on the panel tonight with her smiley demeanour

Rita came under some flack when it was revealed earlier this year she would be judging the show when she's only 21 and is relatively new to the music scene.

But she ensured she proved her critics wrong tonight.

Although she may have been feeling the pressure of sitting with the more experienced judges, she hid her fear well.

Rita looked good in an all white outfit that comprised a snazzy blazer and matching dress that had a trendy collar detail to it.

Embracing the role: Rita proved critics wrong as she confidently took to the job at hand and gave feedback to the singers

Gossiping: She chatted to the other judges to give her feedback on the day's performances

Fitting in: She sat next to Tulisa on the panel while Gary Barlow was on her other side as she watched the contestants walk in

And she expertly  gave her opinions and advice to the range of acts that walked through The X Factor doors.

Last week, however, it was Mel B who had the spotlight on her through her most mean week.

After pensioner Louis Dilke performed Adele's My Love, Mel said: 'I wanted to fall asleep through that, I'm sorry I have to be honest. It's a no.'

With Louis looking devastated, judges Louis Walsh and Gary tried to plead with Mel to be nicer but she was unrepentant.

Showing her the ropes: Rita joined the other three permanent judges as she entered before the audience

The brunette beauty - who also took a swipe at Victoria Beckham in the episode when she puts a line of Spice Girls dolls up in her dressing room, but then jokingly removes the fashion designer from the lineup - dished up a number of scathing comments for other wannabes, which lead Gary to ask her why she is being so mean.

However, Tulisa didn't see anything wrong with the singer's no-nonsense approach to judging and believes her comments were only what the majority of people were thinking.

The N-Dubz singer said: 'I can't say anything bad about her. I just thought she was saying what everyone else was thinking. Mel B just keeps it real.'

Very Scary Spice: Mel B shocked viewers when she told an 82-year-old singer that he was boring on last week's show

Yawning: Mel did not hold back with her comments about Louis Dilke as she told him he made her want to fall asleep

Soldiering on: Louis was left devastated after hearing Mel's comments and looked teary eyed as he left the stage

Guitarist Curtis Golden was also on the receiving end of Mel's sharp tongue when she said: 'I found it all a little bit irritating, the overdoing the comedic personality thing, I found that irritating.'

She swiftly told one group: 'The dance routine was lazy and sloppy and one of you was doing it half-a****.'

Mel B's honest opinions impressed Jonathon Ross and he tweeted: 'An watching #xfactor. Mel B rules!!'

But Stephen Fry questioned the legitimacy of her attitude and said: 'Miss Mel B’s “grumpiness” utterly faked & agreed beforehand one can’t but feel. (PS - I’m watching this under duress) x'.