One of the major factors in why the show is struggling in the ratings could be how auditions now seem like well-choreographed, slick, professional stage productions in front of thousands of people at Wembley arena when part of the charm of the show was that this unknown would walk into a small room and without a backing track or auto-tune would wow the judges and the audience with their voice and their voice alone.

That was the bread and butter of the show, it makes absolutely no sense why they'd mess with that but they did. Now every contestant's first audition seems like a huge professional production. Backing signings/dancers, stage design, lighting, accompanying videos, choreography.

A large part of the attraction of the show was the whole 'diamond in the rough' discovery of a yet unearthed talent; a 19 year old who's nervous as hell performing in front of just 4 people who had the voice of an angel, the 39 year old in the last-chance-saloon who's never got a break. It was endearing. Now everything's brash and bold and as if they've professional for several years.

The room auditions were the charm of the show. It's where we grew attached with the contestants and that connection stayed as we followed them through the live shows. Now the first time we see them it's in some big production in front of thousands of people. It's totally killed the charm of the show.

They shouldn't have any live audience until the actual live shows. The audience and their screaming ruin everything. I only really enjoy it when they do room auditions and you get to hear the person sing raw. Once we get to live shows the acts are stripped of anything original and unique about them and made to wear ridiculous outfits and made to adhere to themes such as rock week, when in the real world they would never sing a rock song. It's just ridiculous.

I agree entirely, some of the productions are too slick and the audience totally put me off auditions - and they are even worse in the 6CC

Room auditions are seen as dated a bit pop idol 2000 thats why they were binned off for good

No i think you're completely wrong, the room auditions are so so dated now. They were great as a novelty back in the early days of X Factor and of course in Popstars and Pop Idol. Now, they seem so lifeless to me. The arena auditions are so much more exciting. A contestant being able to PERFORM rather than just sing makes them so much more relevant to the music industry today. Would you rather have a great singer with no performance skills do well, or someone who's a great performer but not necessarily the strongest singer do well? I know which one I'd choose.

I much prefer the room auditions. First of all the audience are hella annoying.

Second of all the awkward silences when a crap contestant would come on was everything.

They also don't show any bad auditionees any more. You can tell from show one who the last 12 are going to be because they're the ones with the full back-story.

I'd disagree, I think it's heavily shifted the balance in favour of 'shouty' contestants. A quiet, mellow, softly-sung audition that would wow in a small room and sound great on a single is often lost on such a vast stage, therefore we get so many boring shouting Whitney/Maria acts these days.

If you're a first time performer and going out in front of 6,000 people at Wembley arena you're going to want to sing a big song that's going to, for lack of a better term, fill the arena and that's why I think there exists so little variety of song choices now.

Certainly with the female contestants it seems to have excluded pretty much all but the shouters and warblers.

The young people don't like room auditions and it's them they trying unsuccessfully to mould the show towards

The comedy acts do seem to have gone too. I used to love seeing someone singing who was terrible who thought they were amazing and laughing at the judges getting the giggles trying to hide their laughter.

Now the second someone is terrible 6,000 people chant "Off! Off! Off!" and you lose that magical and hilarious sense of delusion.

You just reminded me of the old audition where Simon told Sharon and Louis to leave the room because of their laughing and Sharon walked into the door. I loved the dynamic of her and Louis giggling like naughty school children during auditions.

I liked it in series 10 when they had both room auditions and arena auditions.

Room auditions suit The X Factor format better - The Voice benefits from the audience because they are encouraging and add to the atmosphere, The X Factor just feels mean spirited.
Taking it back to the rooms may feel more dated, but how the hell else are you going to get away from that vicious mob they name 'the arena audience'?

I loved the room auditions. It was a nice progression from performing in front of 4 people and moving up until we get to the glamourous live shows in front of a crowd where we would see them after their makeover. These days the live shows don't even feel that special. They even did the judges house live which was a big no no imo.