It might be a bit early. But what do you think this year's panel and host will be? For me...

Ideal/Fantasy:
Simon Cowell
Nicole Scherzinger
Demi Lovato
Gary Barlow

Presented by Dermot O'Leary, and Konnie Huq on Xtra.

What I think will actually happen:
Simon Cowell
Cheryl Whateverhersurnameisnow
Rita Ora
Louis Walsh OR maybe a new face I.e. Louis Tomlinson

We might be lucky enough to get Dermot back this year if the rumours are true and I think Melvin & Rochelle will stay

I would like

Simon Cowell
Cheryl whatever her name is this week
Jessie J
Louis Walsh

Dermot will come back and Rochelle and Melvin will stay


What it will be

Cowell
Cheryl
Rita
Louis Walsh

I would like to have

Simon Cowell
Rita Ora
Kelly Rowland
James Blunt

- room auditions (no arena)
- axed six chair challenge
- mixed categories
- more lives
- less double elimination
- a new set for the lives
- and of course Dermot back

How would they decide which mentor gets which act?

Decided by the producers which act is battleing infront of their mentors for judges houses. They could make it maybe like a 8 chair challenge. Each judge must choose two acts each categorie for judges houses.

Judges
Simon
Cheryl
Liam Payne
Louis Walsh

Hosts
X factor-Dermot and Emma Willis
Xtra-Rochelle and Melvin

Room auditions only
Boot camp in country home
Six chair challenge axed
Judges homes not live
10 live shows
Less themes
More guest mentors

Mixed categories?! Don't be so silly, the lot of you. This is what will happen:

Presenter: Dermot

Judges:
Simon
Cheryl
Rita (should be Scherzy but with Cheryl still on the panel there is no chance at all)
Louis Tomlinson (or Louis Walsh, I can't decide. I do think Louis from 1D has been primed for this though)

Xtra Factor should be Melvin and Rochelle again, they were the best thing about last year.

Live arena auditions
No six chair challenge
Back to the usual run of live shows
More bog standard themes after the comlete car crash of "This is me" and "Reinvention" week last year. Hello Big band, disco and Beatles week!

And just to cast a little prediction, I imagine a boyband has already been formed of 16/17/18 year olds who will be in the groups category, as mentored by Louis Tomlinson, hereby gifting the 1D fans who have nobody to obsess over anymore their new, current obsession and GIVING THEM PERMISSION to do so.

I also think we will go back to 16 acts for the live shows.

other 3 judges to stay the same, more live shows less double elimination and have the room auditions, I'm unsure whether or not I would axe the 6 chair challenge as well or not

My 2016 prediction is that the show will continue to be a pile of crud but we'll all watch just for the banter on here and that the live show thread will be the best thing about the whole series

dont forget the weekly mariah and whitney "classics"

How could I forget? My ears have only just stopped ringing from the last series.

I also predict overuse of 'you made it your own', 'if you released that now, it would be number one', ' I didn't like that, I loved it' and 'you look like a reet little pop star pet'

I also predict a mediocre black or mixed race female will have an extremely enthusiastic fan on here

taking that last prediction a step farther , i predict someone will have 17 "favourites" during the audition stages and when one of them gets to the last 5 will blow his/her own trumpet about what an excellent judge of talent he/she is

just thought of another prediction

every time an act gets sent home we will get a post from a fan of that act saying its better that they didn't win anyway as they are now free to sign for a better label than syco

And, without fail, that act will be back working in Starbucks/Sainburys/Butlins within 6 months.

At least once a week, those making less than glowing comments about whichever act has the most, ahem, enthusiastic fans will be accused of being bitter twisted jellus haterz shortly before we see the words 'inactive user' appear.

Someone will think of a 'witty' nickname for at least one of the acts and use it in every post until tyhe rest of us give in and admit they are a comedy genius.

Cheryl Tweedy Cole Fernandez Versini will mime to her latest crap single and get a standing ovation

This is what i want too happen

Judges:
Simon
Louis Walsh (or Louis from 1D)
Sharon Osbourne
Nicole Scherzinger

Dermot Back
Rochelle and Melvin Back on Xtra Factor

Back to Room Auditions
Axe Arena auditions
Axe six chair challenge
Axe having the judges houses show live and keep it what it was before
Have a new live show set

Why axe the six chair challenge? It still rates well compared to the season as a whole.

Ratings aside, I think the general opinion is that it's a bit of a rough watch, no?

Personally, I don't see it as too much of a problem as a round, the chairs are a good idea but the way it's packaged and edited is so contrived and full of false suspense, and that is what puts me off.