There are loads of big displays near us, I can see another low ratings, especially at start of the progeamme

Nope, nowhere near the extent that Halloween did. Plus people will just catch up on +1

did they not have fireworks displays before this year on or around the 5th ?

May I ask what's the occasion???

Halloween and fireworks displays are weak excuses for the lousy XF ratings.

exactly , as the only really meaningful comparisons are to previous years and the same events took place during the live shows every other year

Nope, the last time XF fell exactly on halloween was 2009 where it shed 1.3m viewers. It is a very valid excuse.

no it really isn't , especially when it being the first live show last week that should have actually BOOSTED the ratings as alot of people only watch the live shows or make more of an effort to watch the live shows than the recorded earlier rounds

whats going to be the excuse next week ?

Well I'm away this weekend so ratings are down by 1 - well 2 as, with me away, the OH will have Sky Sports on 24/7

I think most peeps sky plus it or tape it somehow and watch later like we do

No ads and no crap

I think it will. The rugby World Cup hindered it enormously this year. I honestly think people just got out of the mode of watching it. How on earth is the show going to finish by the final date (13th of dec isn't it?). The whole show feels way behind.

But none of those figures are added to the overnights and they are the figures that are always printed in the press. It's not fair but it is true, I imagine very soon ratings will be calculated in a very different way, much like how the charts had to get with the times and include spotify plays. Regardless I still think less people are interested in the X Factor than ever before.

I think bonfire night may well damage the ratings. And I think Halloween was a very valid excuse. Myself, my brother and friend are all avid watchers and none of us watched it live last week because we were out with the kids doing stuff for Halloween. All of us caught up with it later though.

Did you read the first part of the response? The data is there, it's a valid theory.

i've read you making excuses for poor ratings for awhile now so tend to dismiss your "theories" ...