...seems to be the lack of talent and interest and too much of a focus on the judges (the amount the camera was constantly zooming in on Cheryl last night was ridiculous. I'm convinced it's in her contract that she MUST be the star of the show, like in 2008, yet after Nicole last year, she seems extremely dull. Even the tiny bit of Mel we see is more exciting, yet she doesn't get half a look in because the camera MUST be on Cheryl 99.9999% of the time). It also comes across painfully contrived. That's how I feel and I've been the biggest X Factor fan for years, but I'm way more excited by Strictly starting next Friday. And that is something I never thought I would say

I was just reading on twitter about last nights ratings and I can't believe the fall, as I think everyone was presuming Cheryl & Simon coming back would bring it back up, yet it's actually DOWN on last year.

I think what Simon Cowell fails to realise is that the likes of X Factor and American Idol have their TIME. It's not about who is on the panel, it's just for a section in time, they're the biggest show in the country that EVERYONE seems to love and talks about.

Simon should of realised this when he brought Paula Abdul to US X Factor. The ratings did nothing and Paula was gone after one season, yet for a decade, they were two of the biggest stars on US TV and American Idol was the biggest show in the world and they had this crazy chemistry. Yet the disaster of X Factor USA 2011 shows that it's not necessarily about the people on the show, it's just that it has that space in time were there is an interest but it doesn't last.
Look at the panel last year for example. Nicole and Sharon had FAR more chemistry and a relationship than Dannii and Cheryl ever did, yet the ratings didn't come anywhere near as close as the monster 20 million that saw Dannii's act Matt Cardle win in 2010. It's because despite how many ex judges you bring back, or however well the new panel gets on, it seems like it can't bring back a moment in time where it was just so entertaining and the nation were gripped by it.

Why the slump these last few years? Is it because people have seen how Syco treat their artists and people aren't as invested? Has The Voice dented it (too many singing/talent shows now)? Or have people just simply moved on?

I think, as a former super fan myself (it's created Leona Lewis who is my favourite ever recording artist, so I'll always be grateful), that I've just admitted what people have been saying for the last few years now......it's had its time.

X Factor and Strictly have made some huge errors in casting this year. X Factor - the judges, Strictly - the presenters.

I agree with you post OP . It has had it's time . The formula is tired and watching clones of singer after singer, year after year, who have much of a sameness, just gets boring .

Anyway a talent contest should be about the contestants and not the judges .

If it was Dannii who was the returning judge and not Cheryl, you wouldn't be even posting this comment.

There are talent on this years show but I dont get the production of it.
Last night it was really good, no sobs just talent so why the day after go back to the old production style

To lure ppl back in? Its annoying.

Because the show would be doing well, Dannii is a great judge

[quote=GibsonSG;74891641]X Factor and Strictly have made some huge errors in casting this year. X Factor - the judges, Strictly - the presenters.[/QUOTE]

2 people who were already there?

Why are you so obsessed with jumping on my posts "If it was Dannii you wouldn't be saying this" "If it was Dannii you wouldn't be saying that" blah blah blah

If you actually read my post you can see that I quite clearly say that it's NOT about who is on the panel, it's just about the show having it's time. Even if they had the 2010 panel now (and yes that includes Dannii) I still doubt the ratings would be as high as they were back then.

I watched X Factor from 2008:2010 and enjoyed all 3 series but I became increasingly turned off by the smugness and promotion of Simon and Cheryl and the manipulation of ordinary people so haven't returned.

The thing is, what happened with Dannii & Matt, the combination of them, is rare. It was a magic that just happens. You cant create magic.
The show can do well but without magic nothing will lift it.
IMO.

I do think talent is still there but talent is one thing, you also have to have that x factor, and mentors who can create stars.

I've noticed what you mentioned regarding Cheryl, OP.

Backstage with Dermot, when they're watching on the TV screen, the screen is split into four 'blocks', each block representing a camera.

One of those blocks is always focused on Cheryl. They are always filming her, just in case.

YES! I noticed that too. The camera goes on her, then off her then back on her and she hasn't even blinked. The most she seems to do is look at Simon.

Obsessed with jumping on your posts? Seriously? I can assure you I could never be obsessed with your posts D56

Talk about an over-reaction

Well you seem incredibly quick to go into any thread I create or replying to posts I write and warrant a usual comment of "BIB - Slight overreaction" or "If Dannii did that, you wouldn't be saying that"

I'll probably be accused of 'jumping on this post' but here goes:

Dannii did not 'create a star' with Matt Cardle, she wasn't even there when he first auditioned.

She was very fortunate to get someone who was already experienced in the music world. He wasn't a rough diamond who needed polishing up - he was one of the favourites before the live shows even started.

As much as I don't like her, it was Tulisa who worked really well with Little Mix, who are still having hits - Matt isn't.

I hardly speak to you D56 - your posts don't really interest me enough to comment

Ok fair enough, but considering they don't interest you, you seem incredibly quick to reply. I guess that's the point of a forum though, people agree and disagree

The big swing came in 2011.

2010 was the biggest year with Matt Cardle but he was quickly dumped for Cowell's chosen puppets 1d - so what was the point of the public voting?

Also in 2011, the whole Janet Devlin debacle occurred. They put so much effort, not just from preventing her winning, but actually live tv bullying of a 16/17 year-old girl that it became obvious to a sizeable percentage of viewers how nasty this show actually is. If I remember rightly, the viewing figures fell by around 2.5 million the week after she was booted out.
Phone votes also dropped dramatically that year.

2011 also seems to have been the pinnacle for forum discussion, but I have noticed a number forums & blogs no longer bother with discussing the show. Even the awesome Bitch Factor has given up the ghost.

Now, when people watch the show, there's an icky nastiness oozing from it, with Cowell behaving like some pompous, smug overlord and Cheryl treating the public like we're something she's just stepped in, and they don't even seem to care how obvious it is as they already made their money and can just swan off whenever they want.

The show has seriously jumped the shark.

BIB - In my opinion, 2011 was as bad as it got (I didn't mind the winners though). The panel just didn't gel at all, and Barlow was an awful choice. The live shows were awful, the judging panel obviously didn't get on with one another.

I don't find this year as bad as that, the auditions are usually always staged -- it's the live shows I tend to base my evaluation of how good/bad it is, so I'm prepared to wait until then before I class 2014 as the worst ever. Mel B & Cheryl could never be worse than Tulisa & Kelly, surely?

BIB - Well you created this thread at 17.50 and I posted a reply at 20.48. That's nearly 3 hours - I wouldn't call that quick

Anyway, this is getting silly, so I'll refrain from upsetting you further

I agree that 2011 was a terrible year for X Factor.

looking back at how bad that year was; that whole 'lets get rid of four acts' during the first live show was a terrible thing to do, and then they decided to have a phone vote in the middle of the series to bring one of them back. Frankie getting thrown off the show, Misha B being called a bully, Kelly phoning in sick, Janet nearly throwing up live on camera, a member of The Risk quitting and then being replaced by someone from Nu Vibe... what a mess

I loved Little Mix though

Another problem with this years XF is the amount of time they focus on the audiences faces and reactions, and we're meant to believe that their silly faked comments and "conversations" are all natural and not actually part of the script!
And a lot of time is wasted, filming the hopefuls before they go on, and again we have to watch the pathetic forced rehearsed "conversations" between them all.

I think i dislike that more, than all the scripted stuff the judges come out with!

There has also been loads of stuff written about Cheryl, whether it's been good or bad, but I had thought before the series started, that she wouldn't be as good this year, simply due to the fact that she's had to follow on from Nicole Scherzinger this time, and unfortunately although she's got the beauty, she has neither the talent or personality or charisma to match up to Nicole.
I think a lot more people are realizing that now....

Its not you, its Dannii.

I don't post as many negative Dannii comments as D56 does about Cheryl & Amanda Holden.

Sorry to sidetrack OP but Dannii is so much better than Cheryl and Amanda Holden Fact