X Factor haters blinded with fear crying foul play from ITV schedulers. It's a conspiracy!

Forgetting Strictly gets a major head start.

Hmm we shall see

Well this has gone from being hilarious to making me want to repeatedly bash my head into a wall, but it's good to know that X Factor has gone back to being the "bestest" again although I'm not sure there's been a series where we haven't heard that.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Doctor Who tonight, I hope it's up on the last few weeks, maybe people will choose to watch it live and catch up on X Factor later/tomorrow since that's so long (so so long) and already an hour in.

We haven't heard praise for XF pretty much the last 4 years, at least the last 3? Personally I've found it mainly crap since 2009. These live shows have genuinely been good though.

Haven't seen Doctor Who yet. Can't wait to see it!

I clicked on the GBBO link about its ratings this year. The Broadcast story has got Strictly's ratings wrong for the final last year.

I had mixed feelings about Doctor Who when I watched it earlier in the week. Not that it matters I'd be surprised if it went up (or down) by much this week. As a whole though I think this has so far been the best complete series the show has done in far too long. Easily since Smith's first series as The Doctor which was itself a better complete series than we'd seen since the first series of the relaunch. It deserves much praise this year and the direction has been brilliant every week.


I really haven't enjoyed The X Factor tonight at all. I've found almost every act very dull and lifeless so far and that the show seems to be going on forever certainly isn't helping matters. I've learned without doubt tonight that I cannot watch this show live anymore. And I genuinely have grown to hate Dermot O'Leary.

However I'll just say that I've noticed quite a few ads for ITV2 during this weeks show.

I have had similar thoughts myself. Although "XF is really good tonight" does come up fairly frequently. Anyway I dont care but more importantly a good DW tonight.

No way! That was easily Bake Off as nobody expected it. X Factor was expected to storm it with Simon and Cheryl back. That hasn't happened yet but doesn't mean it won't of course.

Cheryl has no chemistry, Mel B is better, Louis has only been interesting when Sharon Osbourne throws water on him and the three of them together aren't equal to Simon. The panel has never been particularly entertaining. Strictly and BGT panels are much better.

I say this impartially.

I think James is excited. Once he calms down he'll realise what he just wrote!

The X Factor is not everyone's cup of tea and that's fine. But when it's good, it's good and IMO as someone who enjoys the show when it's good, I think this year it's good.

I didn't watch the last few years properly. It just felt wrong for years with Barlow there on many levels. It has the right vibe back for me in every area and is a noticeable change from Barlow, Tulisa, Scherzinger etc. The whole thing is so much better - even Brian Friedman back doing the choreography has made the performances seem more watchable.

People who've never liked the X Factor aren't going to start now.

I've already said Bake Off not included in my definition of autumn. Obviously Bake Off was stunning, phenomenal and incredible and the best result of the year on all levels.

Still think X Factor has been brilliant tonight and that it will generate good buzz and word of mouth and be a rock solid series of live shows from today on. I never thought to say XF is a bigger dark horse overall than Bake Off, and reiterated that when Fudd questioned it.

To repeat Bake Off is the true dark horse and I never disputed that. But it's over now.

I'm talking about the autumn season going forward.

Stronger XF will compliment IAC as well. I foresee monster figures.

I'm only 75 minutes into the show but I think the current panel (live, anyway) is stronger than the Britain's Got Talent panel - though, saying that, that's comparing them on this year only. There seemed to be a bit of tension during the live shows of Britain's Got Talent which affected the feel good vibe.

And if I'm judging it against tonight's Strictly panel...

That seems a low prediction for it.

Criminal.

I've enjoyed previous years of The X Factor though. Admittedly not for a good few years at this point but I have been a fan. The whole show is just lacking any kind of interesting or entertaining talent. Like I said earlier they can have all the slick production they want and they can have all the big performances and a decent panel but if the contestants aren't delivering the goods then the show isn't going to work. And for me the show hasn't been good. Its just been dull and lifeless. And I think that we're talking about how improved the panel is this year might be a good indicator that the talent isn't really there on the stage (again).

How can you say the talent is not there? Are you not watching Andrea Faustini? He's given me goosebumps. Incredible!

Don't curse it please. Let see how well tonight does before we make these statements. Otherwise I will end up having to rename you Samuel J.

It does. I'm thinking 8.5m (inc+1).

Please no, anything but that.

But alright, I'll stop. I'm just so happy that for me, the live shows are the best they've been for 5 years, that's all, and that The X Factor is properly back. Every episode until this point does not matter really, it was groundwork to see if it could get the 'buzz' back for the live shows. and for me, it has.

All the women of a certain age love Donny as my extensive research of a sample of 3 tell me. That must be at least as accurate as BARB I would have thought.

Our Zoo must be rubbish then.

I don't think Samuel will get much of a reaction from X Factor fans tomorrow. The show is stronger than it's been in years and I'd rather just enjoy the programme than discuss what will inevitably be an underwhelming rating. I do expect the ratings to build over the next few weeks though.

Andrea Faustini could be this year's equivalent of SuBo for The X Factor IMO.

Never heard such a reaction in the studio shows.... he was insanely good! Surely the bookies favourite to win, if not I'm putting some money on him.


This. Amen.

Is that shouty Earth Song guy? If he's supposed to be the big talent of this years show then I'm sticking with my the talent isn't there. He's all shouty power with no depth or tone. I'll also just say the backing tracks are even worse than normal this year. As are the backing vocals. ITV or SyCo or someone really needs to spend some money and just hire a live band.

Really? For the £50m extra they paid for the contract extension, as well as all that endless 'Simon and Cheryl are back' promo on top, I think they'd be entitled to expect more than "some year-on-year increases"

James Jordan reckons it was part of the production team's continuing mission to make SCD as similar to Dancing With The Stars as possible, although it has backfired somewhat if the DS reaction is reflected in the real world.


You've found a TV show "mainly crap" for five years yet have continued to watch it?


Nope. If there's one positive about this Series 8's ratings it's their consistency.

The problem with The X Factor, and this isn't a criticism of The X Factor but rather the format. Once you've seen it, you've seen it. The format is tired in the viewer' eyes.

I'm sure American Idol too in the past few years has had some jaw-dropping acts, but that hasn't stopped its ratings dropping.