I know the rugby was to blame but when the papers review the show just before Xmas they will really go in for the kill this time I think.

The papers will also forgot to mention the rugby as well, highlighting Ollie, Caroline etc.

They will say it's because Louis Walsh has gone as well but that is not a factor for me.

After this week down to five already

It's definitely a factor, but here's some more that has finished the show off:

- Getting rid of Louis
- Getting rid of Dermot
- Hiring Caroline Flack
- Hiring Olly Murs
- Prince Cheryl
- Making Princess Cheryl an EP]
- Rita Ora
- Nick Grimshaw
- Manipulation
- Live Judges' Houses
- Standing Ovations (Every. Two. Seconds)
- Terrible Themes
- Mediocre Finalists
- Sabotage (Simon deliberately picking terrible Overs to give the Girls a chance)

Probably.

It's like watching a highly edited version of a film this year. Does anybody really care about any of the remaining contestants? We barely know them.

the biggest flaws the show has had this year are the unprofessional and shambolic presenting and the farce that was live judges houses

neither are the result of the rugby affecting scheduling

- Getting rid of Louis - Agreed, although I can see why Simon wanted to add more life to the show
- Getting rid of Dermot - He quit, only so much they can do.
- Hiring Caroline Flack
- Hiring Olly Murs - I really don't think either of these two are as bad as people make out, they've made some slip ups but nothing major and they're likable, also it's their first season
- Prince Cheryl - It has always been 'Princess Cheryl' even during her 2008-2010 peak. However I do think she has lost a certain spark.
- Making Princess Cheryl an EP] - I think this is just because you hate Cheryl rather than whether her being EP has been good or bad for the show.
- Rita Ora - Disagree, I think she's been a good addition to the panel.
- Nick Grimshaw - He hasn't been atrociously bad but I think it was a mistake getting rid of Louis for him
- Manipulation - The editing has become a bit more snappy/Towie ish which maybe isn't a great style for X Factor, however some conspiracy theories on here regarding 'manipulation' are ridiculous, and it has never been totally unmanipulated, it's reality TV after all.
- Live Judges' Houses - Personally I enjoyed this and if they did the usual judges houses then people would almost definitely be complaining about how unoriginal and boring the format is and how it needs a shakeup.
- Standing Ovations (Every. Two. Seconds) - I'll give you this one, they overhype and praise
- Terrible Themes - Disagree, the themes have been fine this year. What is exactly wrong with them?
- Mediocre Finalists - The talent this year is the highest it's been for years.
- Sabotage (Simon deliberately picking terrible Overs to give the Girls a chance) - another bizarre conspiracy theory

The categories was a public vote - Simon didn't pick them. The earlier stages dragged on for way too long - people lost interest quicker than usual. One of the final nails in the coffin for me was the six chair challenge being stretched over 3 weeks. And I don't really think they needed the start of boot camp to be 4 hours long either.

I didn't massively mind the judges houses part being live, but the reveals were way too stretched out and the 10-second countdown for the last decision from each judge was just stupid.

As most people have said, if they went back to basics at least slightly - i.e. bringing back the room auditions and making it more about the contestants and less about the judges (although that's not likely to happen) - it might grow again. But as long as they stretch out every single part of the show to unbearable standards, it's going to carry on slipping.

Yeah I think if they went back to basics for next y7ear and go back to the old system next year theshow may still be salvageable. Unfortunately it's too late now for this year because everything's effectively locked in now so every one pretty much will have to just do their best for nowand seewhat happens. I don't think the rugby helped but I think it was definitely a factor in why things ended up the way they were as they were never going to get the time this year to fit the usual 10 live shows in. Hopefully however they can next year.

Lol "the rugby was to blame".

No, what was to blame was a TV show that has been on TV, and the same thing for about 3 months of the year, every year, which has been on for more than a decade.

The TV audience can't be taken for granted or treated as mugs forever. They get bored.

People are BORED. It really is that simple. You can reschedule it or do as many revamps as you want but plain and simply people are bored. The same dramas, the same "characters", the same "journey's" the same lines said by the judges. Human beings will not endlessly watch the same thing over and over again.

I know it is hard for any of you here on this forum to accept this as you are naturally all fans of the show and thus you can't understand why more and more people don't like it as much as you lot. But it's true i'm afraid.

By your logic, Strictly Come Dancing should be off the air as that really IS the same thing each year, same format, judges, cringey jokes etc.

Agree. Strictly has always been my favourite but I watched XFactor with much enthusiasm until about 2013 then I just got fed up with it as I and other people did with Dancing on Ice.

Why ? Long drawn out audition process, same old same programme, too much time spent on adverts and padding. OK Simon can't help the ads but I'm just fed up with the waffle, which I just fast forward through. And as for the six chair challenge it is both cruel and annoying, both for the contestants and the viewers. If I was a talented singer I would refuse to enter the XFactor because of that.

There might be a future for the XFactor if Simon C. just got rid of the audition process and had ten weeks or so of live shows, but I think I personally would even be bored with that.

I have an idea for a show involving the same eight or so contestants singing different styles of music each week for about eight weeks, with a Grand Final for the best three. Everything would be kept short and sharp, no live auditions or general faffing about. All about the music and only the music - a sort of XFactor meets Later.

Talent shows come and go (Opportunity Knocks, New Faces etc.) until another one replaces them. If XFactor finishes then another singing contest will come along in a few years time. Perhaps XFactor could be mothballed for a few years and then be resurrected. I'm still not even remotely bored with Strictly. XFactor has a more limited shelf life than Strictly, pure and simple.

I've never watched Strictly come dancing in my life so I have no idea why people might still watch it. Although it has zero ads and from what people report it is harmless light entertainment rather than contrived nonsense to sell trashy red top papers and flog more albums.

People have seen through the bullshit and can now see it's just a money making exercise for Cowell, in the early years it genuinely felt like a search for finding hidden talent but as the years have gone by it all looks so false, pre scouted acts getting over the top praise by judges over their polished well rehearsed routines, they've even got a artist this year with a stage name! It's become dull and predictable and even Cowell has lost his edge,

X Factor will definitely be back next year and with One Direction taking a break they might be back to putting boy groups together to see if they can make another.
The show will continue they'll blame it on rugby for this year even if they made ridiculous decision which was the main reason.

I said in my thread earlier this week, it isn't fun. That's fundamentally the problem.

Strictly's a laugh, as X Factor used to be. Now it's some bizarre high-tension drama. Whilst drama is necessary to a degree in these sort of shows we had weeks of audition stages where practically everyone was either begging, bursting into tears or being humiliated. It's too much.

It's clear those who currently are involved in making creative decisions for the show need to take a step back and let fresh eyes and fresh ideas have a go next year.

probsbly true - overs were awful

They said there are only 3 live shows left which takes us to 5 December. So even taking the rugby into account they could have fit another 2 shows in before Xmas. The live shows should be the main event but it doesn't feel like it!

As you say they unneccessarily stretched out the audition stages and the judges' houses and now the live shows are rushed. Hopefully some lessons learned for nxt year!

To me it's so simple. They just need to go back to basics. Simon seems to have this OBSESSION with making everything big and bold, whereas people just want the show stripped back. The whole 'perfection' aspect they have around the auditions is another flaw the show seems to have. Filming contestants arriving or making a cup of tea? We all know it's not as simple as contestants turning up randomly on the day but can't producers at least attempt to make it like that. Why can't we go back to auditions from 2006/7/8 where we had no back story.

The live shows also have no heart anymore. Back in 2008 when Diana got booted off and all the contests ran on crying, it was almost like you could feel their pain live on TV - that was magical.

But I think it may be past the point of no return. Maybe next year they should do like Popstars The Rivals and try to make a band at the end of the lives.

The double eliminations each week has meant we haven't really been given a chance to get to know some acts in the way you could when there were only single eliminations. It just seems pointless making such a big deal about getting the live shows, for them to get rid of six acts in the first three shows.

Do we think Cheryls producer "role" is just a vanity thing to keep her sweet?

Yes. I'd be surprised if anyone ever pays any attention to what she says. When they have production meetings they probably give her a pack of cards to shuffle in the play room next door, assuring here that it's "very important grown up work that we get these shuffled properly"

She's a singer by trade and look how vacuous her comments are when judging the singing, something she's supposedly expert in. Do we really think that someone like that with no television production experience whatsoever is even given the time of day by the people who actually produce the show?

Oh it's not going to be another double elimination is it? They are being kicked off before we have even got to know them or have had a chance to grow. I'd rather see more of them in the final than this personally.

ut I think again that's down to less live shows to work with this year. While I deon't think the ru8gby is completely to blame I think you have to admit it is a factor in wha has gone on this season tbh. At least to me it seems that way whether this happens next year assuming XF is back next year we shall see.Becfause sometimes you juswt don't know how things will turn out especially with the number of TV channels therer aer these days spewing out rubbish. Some times I miss the days when there were just the simple 4 channels to watch as TV tended to be better then

How hard is it to understand that people want more live shows and less of the inbetweeny bits?

I'm very certain that the bootcamp is everyone's least favourite of the three stages, most viewers either have the crap auditions or the live shows as their favourite bit.

Which makes me suspect... are there less shows due to a budget cut due to less viewers? Or less faith in the show? Comparatively speaking, the set for six chair and bootcamp has got to be cheaper than the stage, sound, lighting, costumes, video etc. a live show requires every night. Maybe that's a reason they dragged it out.