Following the elimination of two non-Maltese contestants from X Factor Malta, one of the judges expressed shock and dismay in a Facebook post.

Filipino singer Rose Marielle Mamaclay as well as singer Sean Kamati were eliminated in Sunday's semi-final.

X Factor judge and producer Howard Keith Debono expressed his discomfort with the result, highlighting a paradox in attitudes toward foreigners in Malta.

Debono pointed out the inconsistency of being critical of foreigners in certain jobs while simultaneously complaining about the reluctance of Maltese individuals to take up roles such as healthcare, housekeeping, cab driving, and construction work. He noted that there is acceptance when non-Maltese individuals fill these positions with minimal wages but strong resistance when it comes to top positions or substantial prizes like the €50,000 offered to the winner of the show.

Describing Sunday's outcome as an "obvious case of eliminating two top potential winners cause god forbid it was won by a non-Maltese national. This is called hypocrisy and nothing to be proud of but rather ashamed of. I'm not mincing my words, this was a case of a clear cut above the rest, a league of their own. But, That's not all .... to make sure this happens, we create an avalanche of posts and articles highlighting the Maltese patriotic narrative," he said.

Debono defended Kamati, who performed on stage for two consecutive Sundays while recovering from bronchitis. He dismissed criticism from those who questioned Kamati's talent based on a performance affected by illness, attributing such criticism to limited understanding.

Expressing surprise at the elimination in an earlier post, Debono admitted that he had wrongly placed faith in the possibility of a non-Maltese contestant winning the competition.