I've watched every season since 2004, but after watching this weekend I think it's fair to say the X Factor has had it's day.

Of all the parts of the show that needed to be tweaked, judges houses was actually not one of them. The format of Judges Houses was fine. It worked. The name of "Judges Houses" has long become farcical as we know they're not actually their houses, apart from Mrs O's a few years ago. But it was fine, we could go with it.

However, this weekend's new format of "live" judges houses was just hideous. The tooing and froing between the studio and the pre recorded performances from weeks ago, just felt wrong. They may aswell have just eliminated the Judges Houses element altogether and introduced a new round, that takes place in the live studio.

Added to that, we had the judges wringing their hands and agonising over their acts. Why? They saw them weeks ago. They sat and picked them out with and no doubt knew who they were putting through before the shows even started. Grimshaw, in one of the sickest most cynical stunts I've seen the show pull in years, knew he was going to give two fingers to the audience and the other contestants by putting Mason Noise through, despite not only not receiving a chair in the six chair challenge, but actually getting removed. It seems to me the Producers of the X Factor, could give the Producers at Big Brother a run for their money when it comes to shameless manipulation of the show's format, for the sake of drama in the desperate hope it will inflate flagging ratings.

I don't normally pay much attention to ratings, I like what I like and I don't really care what anyone else is watching. However, it has to be said the writing is surely on the wall for Cowell that the show is dying. There is nothing more they can show us and so far, tweaks to the format have neither made a difference or are just plain wrong.

X Factor is in season 12. It's perfectly acceptable, I think, in this day and age that the show is on it's last legs. It has had a good run. Just like Idol in America, it's simply run out of steam.

Agree, the programme is past it's sell by date and i don't know a single person who now admits to watching it, it's become a joke and other than pre teens and bored, frustrated middle aged housewives i can't see any other age group being interested. It relies on the same tired wannabe acts of shouty females. dreadful groups (who don't know what a instrument is), feminine boy singers and cruise ship crooners. No wonder people have been turning off in their millions.

Totally agree and you are spot on with everything but unfortunately we wish the same thing every year but ITV musn't have the guts to axe it, as its filler of revenue and the only thing atm that can try and compete with Strictly.

This year's has been a shocking series. Back when Dannii was a judge is the last time I remember actually really liking XFactor

Yup totally agree. I've been watching since it was Pop Idle. Luckily never watched live and could fast forward through an episode in about 30 mins.

I stopped watching it half way through Boot Camp and not looked back. Grimshaw has the face for radio and Cheryl needs a good meal.

All dated and contrived. Time to put the show to bed.

There's hardly any actual singing on the show. The contestants sing an abbreviated version of a song that they edit down even further to a nib and then we get about 25 minutes of deliberation.

If the same producers over the years were in charge of Strictly by now the format would have a celebrity dancing for about 8 seconds followed by a quarter of an our of the audience chanting "10! 10! 10!" as Darcy Bussell looks close to tears agonising on which panel number to hold up.

Not forgetting the part where someone from Hollyoaks will burst into tears and plead with the judges insisting that the cha-cha-cha is the only thing they've ever wanted to do their whole life and that recently a relative had died and that a lift in their previous dance was dedicated to their recently deceased.

Is there really any need for these sort of comments? So you're telling me you've stopped watching TXF because Cheryl has lost weight? If not then why bring it up?

It is getting all a bit daft , all the nonsense with that tool mason noise is beyond a joke it's farcical. We all know this show is scripted to death but Saturday's judges wasn't too bad with the odd little surprise who got through but Sunday's was pathetically obvious who was going through in the boys and girls I knew what was happening of every bit of it before it happened. Rita I must say is diabolically awful at trying to hide it's scripted as well it's almost like she's reading off a dummy board

Apologies if I've offended you, but thats just my observation and I'm sure I'm not alone.

It's a show that I used to like. I've stopped watching because, in my opinion, it's a pile of contrived poop.

The X Factor will remain for as long as there is no other programme that can get better ratings. I can't see that happening in the foreseeable future,

The only other reason would be some kind of disaster like a bullied contestant committing suicide.

The adverts and general flim-flam last night were ridiculous. We watched the entire 90 minute show in 40 minutes.

Cheryl needs to go.

The last few years have been dwindling down quite a lot. This year is has gone to a whole new level. Yes, some people may say "But you watch Big Brother, so why are you moaning about manipulation". First of all, BB hasn't stated that it is 100% honest, the point of the show is to show personality, create conflict and watch friendships. X Factor is not really supposed to be manipulated because it should be a straight forward talent show, where most should base things on the voice.

The best era for me was 2008-2010 (Alexandra, Joe and Matt winning), and those were actually the years that were also the highest rated funnily enough.

Last year wasn't that bad for me because I supported Andrea, Fleur and Ben so it was a good one for me. But they would purposely choose horrific songs for people and then slate them. Like the time when they let Andrea sing Take That dressed up for Halloween! They like to raise them up and bring them down. The worst of it was actually in one of the series I say is one of my faves (2008). Week 1... Scott. Simon apologised for the song choice, but surely a 2 year old would notice that it was an awful song to sing.

But you know, sympathy= more votes. As what happened with Diana 5 weeks later with her "Yellow" performance.

I totally agree with ALL your points - The show is well past its best and needs to be either axed or rested for a few years - I said as much a few weeks ago and was shot down for it on this forum. We are all entitled an opinion after all!

The whole thing now seems for the most part scripted and fake with no real surprises. You can more or less tell how every series will play out.

I KNEW Mason Noise would be picked. He is an good enough singer and even better performer but lets not be in any doubt he was selected for the potential column inches he will no doubt generate for the show.
He has already been cast in his 'baddie' role as well as a few others.
Bupsi I am guessing will either be allowed to show the good singer and artist she is, or they will cast her as the clown. I hope she can demand her own terms early on!

What irks me (I have mentioned before) is that any of the contestants who start out with any real creativity gets stifled by the XF style make-over and mandatory same-song-every year performances. Why can't they just let them be themselves instead of joosshing them up for Saturday Night TV!!!!?

I now look at the show for what it is - Entertainment! Nothing more, nothing less. I am not expecting to buy any songs, albums, mugs, hats from any of the individuals after the show ends.
The last person I bought into from one of these types of shows was Will Young (who I am going to see next Month). He was/is amazing and has managed to stay creatively brilliant and grows with every album. I get the feeling he is director of his own destiny and not a puppet of the whole 'game' - even if he may have needed to be early on.

I agree that the 'judges houses' with live inserts this weekend DID NOT work, even abandoning the 'please pick me' saga they pitched on Saturday.

The SCC section also does not work and is out of place for their 'self-styled' family entertainment. Some contestants were being picked, to be dropped, to be picked to be dropped again = No other word for it than CRUEL!!!! Just to boost ratings, with no care or thought for these individuals - That is not responsible formatting and ITV need to really review their policies!!!!

I no longer have faith in the truth or integrity for the show so I am no longer disappointed by it.

It needs a rest or to be put down!

It's had a good run. Time to put it to bed I think.
Aren't ITV getting The Voice anyway ?

I think it will last a few new years yet, but I hope the flagging ratings will lead them to cut costs by getting rid of the audience in the earlier rounds. Surely the show must've been cheaper to produce when the auditions and bootcamp where in the smaller rooms and country estates?

It might get one more year after this but then I reckon its gone. The ratings are not good enough to justify the costs of this type of a show.

Yes, this is true.

Like someone else has said they could get rid of the audience participation at Boot-camp, possibly the auditions also. I always preferred it when it was a closed room.

I liked the idea of the contestants not being in front of an audience until the live shows - Sink or swim time! The baying crowd is a total put-off! Especially when the producers are taking liberties in the editing suite with reactions etc.

Yep, the Colosseum feeling has put many people off, nobody wants to watch a bunch of chavs shouting "bring back X" after they'd just screamed to have that person booted from a chair.

Also the live audience increases the costs a lot in terms of venues. I can only see the viewers continuing to decline and no way is the cost structure of the show with average viewing figures sustainable for ITV.

Beaten by Countryfile in the ratings - a programme about fields and sheep!!!! Says it all really.

Oh god that's about to get Cowelled then is it?


Add: tears, sob stories, baying mob.

Yes the show is tired, but it's still one of the top 20 shows on TV. There is no way it will be axed while that is the case.

X Factors ratings are not average. They are above average on British tv even with the decline of the last few years. And how do you know the cost to income ratio of the show? Are you their accountant.

ITV made the decision to axe Dancing On Ice after series 8, announcing series 9 would be the last. Series 8 of the show drew an average of 6.1m viewers. This weekend X Factor achieved a 6.2m average audience the two shows

You've not equated watch later and plus 1 ratings which brings it up to around 9 million. Also X Factor will be a much higher revenue generator from things like phone votes etc.

How much do you think this show costs, from the salaries of the judges to the arena rental for auditions, to jetting crew, judges and contestants off for judges houses it is not a cheap show to produce and is losing out big time to its main rival SCD.

As was mentioned above Dancing on Ice was axed with similar viewing figures when Dancing on Ice was airing at a time of the year when expectations wouldn't be as high as they would be for XF.

Also way back in the day ITV axed Survivor all because it didn't start off with 10 million viewers, despite the final managing 9 million the second series was shoved into a graveyard slot and never brought back. Times have changed since then so ITV won't be so quick to axe as they have no visible format to replace it with next year which is why I think it might get one more year while ITV come up with a plan of what will replace it.