Superstar exodus for Moses and Jeff

Jeff Anderson and Jon Moses became the latest would-be Jesuses to be eliminated from Superstar.

They were in the bottom three after viewers' votes during Friday night's edition of the ITV1 show, and Lord Lloyd-Webber opted to save Roger Wright, who also took part in the sing-off.

The three jointly performed Could We Start Again, Please? from Jesus Christ Superstar - the musical for which the peer is trying to find his star.

He had kind words for the two who left the show, telling Moses, 28, from Newcastle, a cabaret singer who was a last-minute addition to the line-up: "You've made an incredible amount of progress in this competition, you're going to have a fabulous career."

And he told Anderson, 21, from Newtownards, Northern Ireland: "I have no doubt that one day you will play Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. It's just maybe you are our baby Jesus, maybe you are two or three years too young for it."

Anderson said: "To be with the talent that is on this stage, and also to get the time spent with these iconic people, thank you so much for having me here."

Moses said: "Exactly the same, thank you so much."

The disappointment for Anderson came despite him receiving lavish praise for his version of Led Zeppelin classic Whole Lotta Love.

Judge Dawn French told him: "You are a mammoth talent" while Jason Donovan said: "Finally, we are seeing you come out of your shell."

And Lord Lloyd-Webber said: "You released your inner rock god."

Moses performed U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

Donovan told him: "That was a beautiful, tender interpretation of a very classy song. My only concern is to play Jesus, with a song like that you can really open up, and go for it a little bit more. Everyone needs to blow us away, and I didn't see that tonight."

And Lord Lloyd-Webber said: "I didn't get Jesus of Nazareth, I got Jesus of Las Vegas, and that's not what we're looking for. It's Bono's anthem of doubt, and I didn't get that."

The new production of Lord Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's musical goes on tour in September, featuring comic Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot, DJ Chris Moyles as King Herod and Melanie C as Mary Magdalene.

Wright, 41, from east London, stays in the competition with actor David Hunter, 27, from Warrington, Ben Forster, 31, from Sunderland, Nathan James, 23, from Reading, and Rory Taylor, 24, from the Wirral.

The show returns on Monday night and the final will take place on Wednesday.