Artists perceived as popular and therefore assumed 'safe' seem to be at greater risk of going under this current system than novelty acts who people lend their vote to assuming that if they didn't they'd be out. I think a vote to eliminate, rather than voting for your favourite and switching for the final, might help with this problem. It would undermine the whole 'they've been nasty to him, I'm going to vote for him to show them' constituency that always seems to be fairly strong and also maybe in turn protect some of the more plausible winners from early exists as they fall victim to everyone assuming they're not going so they should instead lend their vote elsewhere.

I know it's difficult to make comparisons to other reality shows with the public vote but Big Brother in days of 'vote to eliminate' would often lose the most interesting housemates early on and that only changed once they switch to a 'vote to save'. Maybe changing it in the opposite direction might help this show?

well it doesnt work on Big Brother (the only show i can think that ever does it) so no way on earth will it work on x factor

whilst i think some people do go just a little overboard with their "support" of certain acts i am not sure if the vote to eliminate would work on x factor as building a fan base that will in theory continue to support acts beyond the show doesn't really fit with voting to eliminate imo

Vote eliminate would make the results worse than they already are! I imagine dull fodder like Bupsi would last ages, nobody would care enough to vote those sort of acts out.

I wouldn't necessarily be totally opposed to the idea. However, it wouldn't have spared Seann. A divisive character like him would get lots of votes against him and would still go out early.

Vote to Eliminate is too harsh in a 'family show'

None of the joke acts would leave under this format, it would be your Monica's and your Seann's that would get it instead, anyone that dares to standout in some way would just get the votes.

Seann certainly, don't know about Monica, but I would say the joke acts would be at risk. There's nothing worse than a joke that isn't funny.