The papers yesterday (sun/Mail etc) were saying Strictly beat the X-Factor on ratings this weekend, & even the weekend before they were reporting that Strictly had v high viewing figures whilst the X-Factors were down.

Ive been watching Strictly for a number of years, & tbh, I wouldnt say this was a vintage year, & the format hasnt changed much over the years, so Im interested in WHY it appears that Strictly appears stronger all of a sudden??

Methinks its a case of "oppostions dont win elections, governments lose them".

I suppose its a mix of no Cowell, & poor acts on X-Factor ths year. People are also saying the formula is tired. And yet Strictlys formula remains the same without a decline in interest.

Was very telling today that in the papers the Strictly news was on earlier pages than the X-Factor stuff.....

Xfactor is WACK this year and too corrupt.

Strictly's viewing figures are down this year too - it's just The X Factor is down more. The X Factor forum will explain why; it's just an even less of a vintage year than Strictly really!

The Cult of Widdy brought in mad ratings last year. They should be glad they'd hanging on as well as they are. They're still miles above anything pre-Evil Moira Ross.

Theres no Widdy this year though. Personally I dont think Russell fills her boots & Nancy comes closest to a Widdy figure but was just irritating rather than endearing ( or so we're told that people found Widdy endearing!)

X Factor is really really poor this year though and there is no Cowell, no Cheryl and a load of dreadful acts

SCD IS actually a pleasure to watch... you know pretty girls, dresses, make up, music, dancing

X Factor is full of hate and vitriol and lacking talent

simples

Because its the best show on saturday night.
Lots of talents, nice contestants and judges.

Simple strictly hasnt messed with the judging pannel like xfactor has

I don't know. Strictly main show VTs and dance content (the lack thereof) seemed to have dipped (stupid skits in VTs, not good!), but X-Factor must be really BAD this year. Good for ITV, can't stand any of the X-Factor series after Leona's won!

X factor is in terminal decline since Cowell decided UK viewers would be worth less to him than UK ones. He then lost his two most successful and popular judges and replaced them with one unknown and one who has run away. They also ended up with a group of terrible acts - and even the better ones in the girls category may not be saleable to the voters. Worse, this year, it was apparent from Louis leaving all his good singers out, that the intention was to focus on joke contestants. There were better people than any who got in seen at judges houses and people are likely to ask why when they see who did get in. The show has virtuely nothing going for it this year, and eventually people notice when the show has no X factor anywhere on stage.

SCD has a good, traditional mix, and a number of good contenders for the title. Its on thin ice as they have dumbed it down, and no one knows if they should bother with the dancing, but, so far, the entertainment focus has worked. Their only mistake, assuming the public vote doesn't start taking out contenders, may have been putting an obvious winner in with Jason - but he may turn into a target for someone coming up behind him.

I loved the early years of X Factor, and in fact never even bothered watching the first two series of Strictly, but over the years have got sick and tired of the whole phony X Factor set up.

For me, Strictly has the "Feel Good Factor", I love to watch the promising dancers become really accomplished, and it just leaves me feeling happy on a Saturday evening.

I am loving this latest series so much that I have spent the last few days transferring it from Sky+ to disc, as I know that I will be suffering withdrawal symptons when it ends.