By it's own standard it is.

About time the show was cancelled.

Suspect people are fed up with the sob stories/samey judges comments/poor standard of acts the show has produced over the years. Even the joke acts (of which there are many) are becoming tedious.

The show and its acts lack any personality, IMO.

It won't but the budget for next years show will probably be slashed, I don't think they'll be able to afford Gary AND Nicole next year. I hope next years is better.

Even Yeo Valley stopped their ad campaign this year.

That whole campaign is not showing on TV at the moment so it's nothing to do with XFactor.

And annoyingly, they'll keep Nicole over the better judge. Mind, Gary is too good for this show so I'm not too upset.

Oh you didn't get the irony.

It's the worst semi-final rating since 2006 (8.2m). 2004 and 2005 had 7.3m and 7.5m.

i dont like the direction the show has gone in

not about the act, but about money/

It was never about the act.

Errr it's been like that for nine years. The only winner is Simon Cowell.

Poor judges, poor acts, poor ratings. Sums it all up really.

So we're just above series 2 level, ouch.

I said ages ago I believed Rylan was bringing in viewers. I'm not surprised at all that the ratings have dropped now he's out.

If anything I would think they would increase their budgets for next year. Slashing the budget would only surely further hamper efforts to improve ratings?! I wonder what tonight's show will get after last night. Last show before the final...

what did merlin get against xfactor last night?

5.53m (22.9%)

Tonight there is a lead-in from Corrie. I doubt that'll make much of a difference.

Pink will be the draw tonight. I know I will be watching just to see her performance.

I cannot wait! I love Pink! I didn't watch last night but will tonight because I love her

So far this series, the results have had at least a million more viewers than the main show. Last year, some of the performance shows had 9 million, and the results had 12 million. I think tonight's rating depends on the guests, and primarily, who goes out. I think more people will tune in for a James, Jahmene and Union J final.

So, what are your predictions for tonight?

As Corrie is on before, I think it'd do better than last week.

I predict 9.4m and a 11.2m peak.

12m peak

After how the show rated last night? Very unlikely.

Has anyone else noticed the changes to both the adverts during the week and the introduction to the show?

For years the show has opened with a dramatic 'Last Week On The XFactor!' segment, with opera music. This week it was was edited a lot differently, and to me seemed like the first steps of a re-vamp.

Yes they have,they've changed the way its filmed and everthing. Do they still use the same voice over man? If they do, his role has been scaled right back as well. They've basically lost touch with their audience, there's a saying "if its not broke don't fix it". But they've tried to fix it by making it all edgy and urban and in the process have driven people away.