clinthowards: New Kids Off The Block, Brits Advance In Battle Of The Boy Bands!

One Direction, the Wanted, Jonas Brothers move on to Elite Eight. Voting in third round begins now!
By Christina Garibaldi

Westlife
Photo: Emma Peios/ Getty Images

The British boy bands are in it to win it!

MTV's Battle of the Boy Bands advanced into the third round on Monday (April 30), with U.K. group Westlife continuing their impressive run by beating out O-Town in the Sweet 16, and England's 5ive overtaking LFO. The two groups join English newcomers One Direction and the Wanted, as well as Big Time Rush and Mindless Behavior in the Elite Eight.

New Kids on the Block had a tough matchup against the Beatles. In the end, the Boston band just couldn't gain enough votes to get them through. But the closest match was a fight to the finish between the Jonas Brothers and Hanson. The JoBros ultimately overtook the trio in a last-minute surge of voting to continue on in the competition.

So what do the Elite Eight matchups look like now? Read on for a breakdown and remember polls close at noon ET on Wednesday!

Midwest
Westlife vs. the Beatles: Westlife's fanbase is no joke. Fans from around the world have been voting for these guys around the clock to ensure they make it to the finals. But the group, who are currently in rehearsals for their farewell tour, will have a tough Elite Eight matchup in the Beatles. The Fab Four barely made it by New Kids on the Block in the Sweet 16, so expect another close matchup in this round. Fun fact about these two groups: Westlife's first seven singles debuted at the top of the U.K. charts, tying with the Beatles' record.

East
5ive vs. Jonas Brothers: 5ive have surprised many of the fans watching this competition. They took out two of the biggest boy bands of the late '90s in the early stages of competition, 'NSYNC and LFO, and will now face off against the Jonas Brothers. While 5ive haven't been an active group since 2001, they fanbase is still very loyal. It might be tough, however, to get past the Jonases. The JoBros are still very much a group and are reportedly working on their next album, which may motivate fans to keep voting. This matchup will most likely be another nail-biter.

West
The Wanted vs. Big Time Rush: Rushers are making their presence known in this competition as they helped their group, Big Time Rush, overpower R&B chart-toppers Boyz II Men. Things should get very interesting now as BTR take on the Wanted: The Brit newcomers fought to the death in the last round, barely making it by the Monkees, so be ready for another down-to-the-wire clash for this pair of relatively new boy bands.

South
One Direction vs. Mindless Behavior: This should be a fight to the finish with fans of both groups casting votes like crazy. Mindless had a big win over NKOTBSB and they hope to carry that momentum into the Elite Eight. But 1D fans have also been voting furiously, giving One Direction relatively easy wins over their competition thus far.

Voting for the Elite Eight in MTV's Battle of the Boy Bands runs until noon ET on Wednesday, May 2. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite band made the cut, make sure you keep voting. Tune in to AMTV and MTV Hits for their boy-band video takeovers each day and make sure to spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates!