So, what's the furthest week a so called, "joke act" has got? How many more weeks does Rylan have to survive to be the "longest surviving" joke act?

I'm saying "joke act" but I mean the "controversial" ones eg, Wagner, Jedward, Frankie etc!

Jedward came 6th...

Wagner and Jedward both came 6th if I remember correctly. I don't know if anyone's got further than that.

Rylan isn't the joke act, he's the distraction and used to cause some controversy.

The joke act is *always* the one Simon wants off the show (but doesn't really) ...

Chico - 5th

Wagner came 6th and reached Week 8.
Jedward came 6th and reached Week 7.
Chico came 5th and reached Week 8.

Eggnog came third.

Same difference and Rhydian were seen as novelty acts and came third and second respectively...

Matt Cardle won as far as I know.

Cher Lloyd got to the semi's

The brother/sister act got to the final

Same Difference came third in Series 4.
Eoghan Quigg came third in Series 5.
Lloyd Daniels came fifth in Series 6.
Cher Lloyd came fourth in Series 7.

Marcus Collins came 2nd last year.

Same Difference could probably be classed as a novelty act (though they weren't especially bad singers) and they got second place, didn't they?

Pure blasphemy, it's really shameful how a moderate proportion of the public aren't capable to appreciate genuinely gifted singers.

3rd..

We've got some right comedians in here

Ah, my mistake.

Furthest in the competition 3rd?
Furthest career wise: Jedward are doing well for being the 'novelty' act.

Cheryl Cole ended up a judge.

The MacDonald Brothers, Simon's chosen target in 2006 and the pure antithesis of "X Factor" ended up finishing 4th that year (and never made a bottom 2 appearance).

Series 4 had a few - Same Difference were a novelty act certainly, whether or not they were a joke act I'm not so sure. Leon won that series so the bar wasn't exactly high.

Eoghan was the secret joke act - despite being in a really talented series, everyone on the show seemed to treat him seriously for weeks on end much to my confusion although it turned out he was winning the public vote! The joke was revealed when he released his first song... 28,000 Friends http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w40rN71aM7Q

What a shame none of them bought his album

Biggest joke act 9th - baloney lets hope so

Totally agree I've seen him live and he was amazing how anyone can put same difference and Rhydian in the same sentence is beyond me