The X Factor 2016

You're completely correct that their desire to have Louisa win at all costs has damaged the show. It was exactly the same last year with Fleur (although they didn't manage to get her over the line).

The only way the show can survive after next year is if they stop all the manipulation and give everybody a fair shot, rather than casting characters and plotting out their "journey" before the live shows have even begun. At some points this year (particularly their treatment of Anton and Monika) it has been particularly uncomfortable to watch.

Unfortunately, Nick, Olly and Caroline will be the scapegoats, which is a shame. The annoying thing is that, prior to the live shows starting, this year felt different, and like they were going to be a bit more honest.

I've always said how much I love the show, but even I've found it hard work this year.

It is one of the few things they get vaguely right. Next year should be budgeted for - it would be the year after that when costs would be cut should the show be renewed. The show really would benefit now from cutting the live shows to one night a week (Sundays would work best) but as the hours for next year are commissioned again that wouldn't happen until the following year should ITV be desperate enough to renew it.




Would be foolish though to ruin the one show that does work to try and solve the issues with two shows that don't. BGT and Strictly are still strong because the judging line up has had long term stability (though both had a wobble in the middle) and the formats have remain largely unchanged. The week of live shows for Britain's Got Talent still feel like an event - I fear that moving them weekly would put them in danger of become a chore.




This is the first year I really gave up on it - not even taping it to skip through and watch quickly. I agree though it's a shame that Olly and Caroline especially seem to be the scapegoats when despite a few mistakes which were completely blown out of proportion they're probably one of the shows strongest assets this year - it's just the producers didn't know how to make best use of them. It's always tricky because having them always on screen together feels pointless, but splitting them up most the time as they did in the end didn't feel right either.

Nick Grimshaw wasn't as bad as I feared but overall it's been the blandest judging panel ever this year and lacked any real credibility. Simon is far too swayed by the audience nowadays and has lost his reputation as a credible judge on such shows IMO. Sadly they'll see bringing back Louis Walsh as the solution, and they'll probably be yet another new female judge in the mix. As I said above BGT and Strictly have benefited hugely from a consistent judging panel, yet once again for the 6th year in a row The X Factor will have to make changes. Although Louis was long overdue the axe they really would have benefitted from some consistency had they kept Louis and Mel on board this year.

Perhaps this Voice acquisition is being lined up to replace The X Factor?

It ruins the prize, and it drags it out for too long (you know, one of the main problems with The X Factor?). If The X Factor goes down the pan, I would say it's more prudent to differentiate the two as much as possible.

BGT also has the luxury of no real BBC competition, Eurovision notwithstanding.

I'm not sure whether they need to either approach the show from a completely new angle or whether that train has left the station.

On social media I have read that some felt the winner's song which both acts had to sing was skewed in favour of Louisa, and didn't suit Reggie & Bollie's style as much. I seem to recall at least one year where the finalists had different winner's songs, which I felt was fairer for both artists.

Incidentally the weekend ratings: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/14/x-factor-final-louisa-johnson-reggie-n-bollie
- Saturday: 5.9 million average with a 27.6% share
- Sunday: 8.4 million average with a 9.9m peak & 34.4% share

By contrast for Strictly...
- Saturday: 9.4 million average with a 42.1% share
- Sunday: 10.8 million average

any sign of the weekly votes share?

One other issue with the X factor, and this could have been argued for Pop Idol, was that the person the viewers who vote want to win, is not necessarily the person the record company, and/or the judges want to win.

Article: http://www.itv.com/xfactor/news/the-2015-voting-stats-are-in

Not just that. The person chosen by voters is not necessarily the most popular contestant with viewers as a whole.

It's important to remember, no matter how dramatic The X Factor's decline, that in the early 00's ITV could only have dreamt that in ten more years they'd be getting these sort of figures on a Saturday night.

6 million is the stage at which people started to worry about Noel's House Party and Blind Date. When they were axed ratings continued to fall to the point that Saturday nights were written off altogether. Considering that was nearly 15 years ago, things could be a LOT worse.

I think this is why there's been more successful runners up than winners. 1D were a tricky sell to phone voters but they've set the world on fire since. Fleur is a bit new but Sax has been a huge hit and she got Uptown Funk rush released a month early. JLS had a fantastic career and Olly Murs is a household name now. Ella Henderson is doing alright.

The results always outrate the main show don't they?