The big thing missing this year has been fun.

Trying to go 'credible' by chucking a couple of people with guitars on stage didn't help, and the whole Grumpy Gary storyline they engineered ahead of him leaving this year just put even more of a cloud over things. Nicole is about the only one seeming to have any fun, the bad atmosphere spills over to the viewers.

A long show like XF needs to be fun, it takes itself too seriously and the voting change has turned the pacing of the show round. It gets worse as it goes on now rather than building like it used to.

Everything has been an almighty cock-up.

Even the judges are no fun - only Nicole even bothers trying. Tulisa and Gary take themselves way too seriously.

So you think opening the voting lines at the beginning has hampered it aswell? To be fair yes, it's pointless as it makes all the difference who stays/goes. I would be hoping the producers are taking notice, but I highly doubt it. IAC starts next weekend, it'll be interesting if a number of viewers decide to tune in earlier, and 1D are on next week (and they brought in higher viewers for the results show last year).

The live shows have all been front-loaded because of the voting change, more viewers equals more votes to be had.

So the structure of the show is broken now, you don't build to a climax you get worse as you get into the second half. They've used it to get rid of the ones they don't want by sticking them near the end.

But as a piece of entertainment it's now all upside down. It starts high and goes down, rather than starting low and building up. This makes it feel a lot longer than it should do.

Rylan can sing too.

The problem isn't Rylan, it's the other acts.

The problem is that Judges like Gary and Tulisa just don't get the show are are frankly not casting the acts right. They think in a deluded way that the show is a singing competition so look for singers and potential "credible" performers.

But the fact is, as Louis knows, the show is in fact a reality show and needs to be cast with that in mind. You need characters of all kinds that engage and draw in the audience.

And that's been a failure for the last two years. Dull earnest casting of the acts.

What kind of 'fun' could Gary and Tulisa bring? Like they were in the auditions last year (and possibly this year)?

By leaving.

It's dead Jim, just look forward now to sweeping changes next year.

I remember back in 2010, a results show had 3 boybands on there (the show Aiden got voted out), and it pulled in a series high at that point, a 17.7m peak. I think guests are also the key. Looking at what the sixth live show got in previous years:

2011:

10.58m (40.9%) , +1: 252k (1.1%)
* 20:30-22:00: 10.8m/11.1m (exc/inc +1)
* peak: 11.8m/12.1m (exc/inc +1)

12.49m (41.87%) , +1: 166k (0.59%)
* peak (exc +1): 14.56m (47.02%)
* peak (inc +1): 14.8m (48%)

2010:

13.5m (peak: 14.5m)

14.5m (47.77%)
* peak: 17.73m (55.43%) at 20:50
* average up 1% from same show the previous year

2009:

11.9m (45.1%)
* peak: 13.3m (49.9%) at 20:30

14.3m (47.9%)
* peak: 16.4m (53%)

2008:

10.58m (43.5%) *peak: 11.78m (48.2%)
9.54m (42.9%) *peak: 10.47m (47.1%)

I'm not expecting it to reach any of these heights, just thought it would be interesting to see how it compares to previous years.

There always seems to be an excuse for the low ratings. Bonfire night and fireworks go on for about a month now, no more of this 'one night a year' malarkey.

TV habits have changed though since then - everything has become much more On Demand with iplayers, sky plus etc - overnight ratings are actually less and less accurate these days as well as shows can add 2m with timeshifts taken into account.

Whilst off XF ratings are down, viewing habits have changed so much over the past couple of years, so if you are going to compare you have to factor this in

Yes, but the percentage of people watching has gone down as well.

That true forgot about that

Maybe people are switching off because the acts are so dreadful this year. Yes they can sing, but are any of them going to be worldwide stars? Hmmm no. Worst year ever imo

X Factor last night peek at 10.9m and got 9.2m. Thats why it won't end next year. What other programs can get this for ITV 1

Hmm thats pretty good really. 11 mill peak is an upturn. maybe this is the start of the x factors ratings climb

Well people have learnt now you only have to tune in for the last bit of the Sunday show for the weekly dose of drama, controversy and nonsense.

1.7 million difference between peak and average is because of that. People just don't want to sit through the whole show itself for it, or the Saturday one either.

It wouldn't end even if it got 7 million viewers. It would have to fall much lower to end.

Taking into context, I have a feeling the likes of One Direction, Little Mix and Ed Sheeran on the results show next week could boost it. Last year the same show had 1D and GaGa, and it ended up being the second highest rated show of the series. The 10.9m peak last night includes +1, as does the average.

The scheduling is much better next week, 8:05 to 9:50, meaning it would finish well before 10. I would presume the Sunday show is running from 7:45 to 9 considering there are 3 guests?

I don't know...Little Mix and Ed Sheeran are hardly Lady Gaga...so unless 1D were the ones responsible for that peak, I wouldn't expect much tbh.

They were responsible for the higher average in comparison to previous weeks, therefore the peak was higher. After their appearance, the ratings kept falling to around 10m, before rising again for the final. 1D are much more known now than they were last year, and people tuning in to see last years winner who have already bagged themselves a number 1... it'll be interesting.

Whould have thought that Little Mix and 1D type fans make up the core audience for the show so they are watching anyway and are not among the viewers the show has lost.

So yeah it probably wont make much difference

Corrie, Emmerdale, Downton Abbey, Champions League Final all have or have potential, next year will be the last if all they have is a result show, the main show is more important.

Next year will Not be the last if the figures are the same as they are now. Yes the figures are well down on last year, but it's nowhere near cancellation territory. People on this forum do exaggerate.

Nope, 8pm till 9pm as usual. It's been one hour and in that time slot ever since they started Sunday results shows.

I seem to remember when they had three guests on once before they cut the group performance (or in one case actually incorporated it into the guest performance). So they went straight to the first performer, then the numbers VT, second guest, ad break, third guest, ad break, results. I think anyway.

It was the week when they had Take That, JLS and The Wanted on the same show, it ran from 7:45 to 9 I think. It seems that two of the performances on Sunday (Ed and 1D) are being pre-recorded. However I still have a feeling it'll bring in a series high, until the final anyway (as I don't think it'll keep increasing on that, it didn't seem to last year).