Stopped watching X Factor when Dannii Minogue left.

I am so sorry to hear about your pain. I send my best wishes to you.

Do you mean viewers' comments on DS or nationwide? I love SCD and very little annoys me and the majority of it thrills me. Most of my friends also love it without a great deal of criticising - to enjoy anything in life it is best, in my opinion, to find the good rather than the annoying. I have long lost interest in this series of the X Factor, therefore do not watch it, hence I am not irritated

I mean that generally viewers comments on DS tend to match my own opinion of what could be improved on SCD. The staged training videos, the ridiculousness of the of judges never marking under 5 no matter how bad the skill level shown in the dance as well as the unfairness of good dancers leaving instead of the dross,

You feel ~ to enjoy anything in life it is best, in my opinion, to find the good rather than the annoying. and I feel that you are exceptionally condescending and patronising! The idea of a discussion forum is to exchange ideas and views, all equally valid, not to be given some sugar sweet platitude about how wonderful everything is and that we shouldn't complain....surely by foisting that opinion on us all, nothing would ever improve or change?

I've never watched a single episode of X Factor.

I've always loved dancing since I was a little tot but singing just doesn't interest me, and I'm not really into talent / reality shows anyway.
That's why watching Strictly, for me, is about seeing great dancing and not about journeys and underdogs and 'hilarious' routines etc. I just like to watch the mega-talented contestants ( don't care if they're ringers ) and the professional group dances.

I watch X factor all the time

I was a fan of the X Factor up until the 2007 series when Leon Jackson beat Rhydian in the final. It was such a monumental farce and suddenly I woke up to what it was really about, I always watched it with a degree of cynicism after that and found it hard to take seriously. Strictly is a much nicer to show watch, it's more fun and doesn't pretend to be anything that it isn't. The judges are never rude for the sake of it and their advice is always constructive.

Well there you are then whilst you're annoyed with me you are leaving someone else alone. I can assure you sugary sweet is far from my personality, but I have had a lot of tragedy in the last seven years so I guess I'm happy to enjoy. Sorry to have annoyed you.

I didn't watch first series of strictly. I believe it was on in the summer and a ballroom dancing show was never going to get me rushing to the tv. I'd watched all the singing shows Pop Stars / Pop Idol / Pop Stars the Rivals so was keyed into the singing shows. So first series of X Factor opposite Strictly I was a staunch X Factor viewer and only picked up on Strictly toward end. I think I recorded the final & believe it had Jill Halfpenny and her incredible drive. I'd seen it being talked about on other shows. Second series X Factor I watched and recorded Strictly. Also caught ITT quite a lot near the end. Third series of X Factor I became annoyed at the manipulation and it was clear acts from other years were being treated badly once show finished so it had a really bad feel to it. During that series I started watching Strictly live and watching recording of X Factor. Stopped watching X Factor after series 3 and have never watched it again. Strictly is my favourite show of the year. Only one that I make sure I am sat down all ready for it to begin. ITT is on series link.

I've never managed to watch more than 5 minutes of XF.

The only other reality show I watch is Gogglebox.

Contrary to your belief, I was neither annoyed by you (perhaps mildly irritated) nor do I have any compulsion to annoy you or anyone else. I simply believe that if a thread asks for an opinion then all those who voice their thoughts have a right to be heard and it is therefore disrespectful to be told that to enjoy life I should not complain or find fault in anything but be simply happy with my lot. If a programme is made for viewers enjoyment, then those viewers have every right to praise what they like and point out what they feel could be improved IN THEIR OPINION. So perhaps it is best to agree to disagree?

The last year I watched X Factor was when Leona Lewis won, seen bits of it since (at friends houses) utter dross. Strictly all the way for me.

I watched X-Factor when Joe McElderry won but haven't seen it since, apart from the occasional glimpse. I found my winner in Joe!

Only watch Strictly or The Voice, never XF or BGT.

I'm pretty much the same as you. Strictly is streets ahead - it's a much better show and often, the music is better than the stuff being murdered on XF! I agree about XF slowing all the songs down - can't believe how they made 80s night a dirge. I was out on Sunday night and watched the Strictly results on iPlayer but couldn't be bothered to watch the XF one, which says a lot. I'm amazed at how poorly the contestants sing.

I think we had our golden years with Ben, Rhydian, Leona, Matt and Aiden..Can't see any talent this or last year. Shame as I do buy my favourites' music afterwards.

I guess I'm holding on in case someone suddenly emerges as a talent. But Strictly always entertains - and it's fun and good-hearted

The SCD v. XF debate reminds me of the two denominations of Islam

SCD is Sunni whereas .....

No I don't watch x factor. Saw the very early ones but too much shouting from the audience and it seems more about the judges than the 'singers'. SCD is brilliant. Strictly hooked and watch all the SCD Take 2 as well. Much more professionally presented imo. Looking forward to Saturday's show.

I stopped watching X-Factor when Joe won but Simon basically made it so Olly won in real terms (Joe got practically zero promotion, I didn't even hear about it when his album came out - but I couldn't turn on the TV without Olly 'bad sportsmanship' Murs gurning out of it.)

It had been getting more and more fixish anyway, with the blatant manipulation of the public - and that was the final straw for me.

At least with Strictly, they are all already celebs, and the decent/popular ones get a similar boost whether or not they win. I wish they'd stop messing about with the fake VTs though, as it's going the way of X-Factor in that regard.

Joe is doing well. 60 date tour this year and 100 date tour in 2015! He has massive following.

Strictly is best, for the following reasons...

- Lower profile judges. X Factor is about the judging panel, and the acts themselves are afterthoughts.

- Less bombastic. X Factor is ITV in a nutshell. Loud, overbearing, and they try to beat the audience over the head with noise and shouting.

- An air of desperation. X Factor is rife with it. Contestants either have a sob story, a hollow desire for fame, or some wish to escape their daily lives and whatever mundane job they have. No one ever does it for the love of music or the desire to contribute something innovative to the business. They are the Chicken McNuggets of the entertainment industry. None of this applies to Strictly because the contestants are generally established already in a chosen field in some way shape or form.

- Campness. Strictly has an end-of-the-pier quality to it. It knows its fun and embraces it. It makes no attempt to be anything more than family friendly light entertainment. X Factor has a colder edge to it.

- More qualified judges. All four judges on Strictly are experts, who give detailed technical advice. The qualifications of the X Factor judges are highly dubious. Mel B and Cheryl are hardly good enough singers to be lecturing others how to sing. Louis Walsh's qualifications barely extend beyond boy bands, who now tend to despise him, and Simon Cowell's entire participation in the music industry was down to nepotism, rather than merit. The judges on X Factor tend to spout obviously scripted lines that can be applied to any contestant such as "you owned the stage" or "you made it your own" or "you need to get outside your comfort zone" (which BTW is terrible advice).

Last year I watched X Factor, recorded Strictly and so I could fast forward through Brucie. Reversed this year so | ff through most of the XF judging

I usually switch over to X Factor when Strictly ends but it is more a case of it being on in the background. I am not really watching it - I am too busy casting my online votes for Strictly or discussing Strictly on here while I wait to find out if I will ever win the spoiler time guess competition

Clever. Nice one.


Yes that is spot on. I hadn't looked at it like that but I agree it is end of the pier and that is a significant part of its charm.

This isn't strictly true. Some of the contestants and winners are in it for the love of music. I would venture that Rhydian, Ella Henderson and Joe McElderry love what they are doing. Alexandra Burke too seems to be making a good career out of singing. Is she still in The Bodyguard?

Exact same here. That is why I started this thread to find out if anyone else does this!