Look we know press are reporting it will most probably be Louis and Sharon - Louis most probably, Sharon less unknown.

Nicole Scherzinger, Mel B, Dannii Minogue, have all been there done it

However here are some potential judges I think could make a good judge on the show -

Shaznay Lewis
Ellie Goulding
Natasha Bedingfield
LuLu
Joss Stone
Mel C
Carly Rae Jepson

As an addition for another male, id look at -

Craig David
James Blunt
Seal
Mika
Shane Filan
Adam Lambert

Hopefully not Mrs. O or Lulu but one of them will defnietly be on the panel I would like to see James Blunt who did a great job in australia. Carly Rae Jepson could be interesting to. Another name for me is Michael Buble as friend of the x factor family.

my favourite judge ever on one of these type of shows is Harry Connick jr and with American Idol now finished in theory he could be available but dont think he is well enough known by the demographic that SYCO will be targeting

Sporty spice

I just have one name..........

NICOLE

NICOLE

NICOLE!!!!

Also i think this always happens when we discuss potential judges, many posters go on about who is the most relevant or current in the music biz will make the better judge but actually this isnt true.....

I think it should be focused more on their tv personalith i.e. are they going to be entertaining as opposed to how many number ones they have.....

I suppose justin bieber is fairly relevant but can anyone imagine him as a judge!!!

agreed

2 of the biggest names in the industry that have done these shows were probably two of the worst judges i have ever seen

Someone like Mary J Blige or Laura Mvula would be ideal, but it needs to be someone that actually knows a bit about music which the last two didn't.

Big names don't equate to good judges, or even big ratings any more.

Do they even screen test potential judges? I'd rather see current producers than current artists or people who actually know what they are talking about.

Wasn't the show's original premise that the winning judge would be the winner's producer? It would be nice to be able to go back to that.

I can see where you are coming from! I think that would really help to differentiate X Factor from other talent shows

I always thought that each mentor on the show, should have been given a category from the auditions, and they have a "team" sit in the audition shows with them.

The mentors wouldn't meet together until the Live Shows - this makes it an actual competition from the beginning.

so there could be 4 mentors - who comprise a team of - A Record Producer, An A/R assistant and a song writer.

I think that finds the best talent and most commercially viable artist.

Id welcome an artist like FKA Twigs ( who co produced her own album)

Catherine Marks who produced Wolf Alice's album

Sylvia Massey who has produced 25 gold and platinum albums to her name

these aren;t huge names, but they have known stars, worked with them and can produce amazing music.

They know the X Factor when they see them, and if X Factor really wanting to change up that format, that is how I think they need to do it.

Show how organic and real, and yes tough, brutal and honest the music industry actually is

the problem with that approach is it might not make good TV and the show is primarily still a light entertainment TV show with people singing karaoke on a saturday night

yes it needs to have a more professional approach to the judges critiques and assessments of contestants imo but you cant push it too far to it just being a "build a popstar" type show

i think it still can be entertaining, as by having any number of people on a a panel there will be disagreements and contrasting opinions.

Each mentor im sure may have a different vision, and at end of day, if the contestants are talented enough people will watch

look i think the show as it stands atm does need to change , and imo it needs to change in the direction you are suggesting, i just think your suggestion moves it too far

thats one of the big problems when you make changes, not taking things from one extreme to the other

I would say Carly, but she's way, WAY too classy for X Factor. A different league altogether.

Tulisa

I agree with you in part that the XF actually should have people that know something about music etc, but don't you think the list you posted would make the XF not what it's supposed to be about....i.e. will make it far too serious and earnest?

I think the XF is more about having a light entertainment show on a saturday night, laughing at the contestants, and watching the judges, than it is about actually being a serious talent show.......

If it were a serious talent show, it wouldn't waste weeks showing all the crap on the first auditions, but they do that, because I suppose that is what they class as "light entertainment"....

The Voice tried to be all serious and earnest and "all about the music" in their format, yet the XF still remains the more popular show.

I think they've got to strike a balance between finding someone who is in the public eye, who the public actually want to watch, who is entertaining, interesting and funny i.e. tv friendly yet who has some knowledge of the music industry, or can sing even.

Look at David Walliams on BGT...has he ever been a professional talent scout? I doubt it, yet he's one of the judges on the show. And I imagine he's on there because of his personality, likeability and presence.

I can't see Rita returning either tbh.

Louis and Sharon seem like obvious choices, and perhaps SImon will get Demi Lovato to be the 4th judge to appeal more to the younger audience?

Though look at Gary Barlow. He has got solid credentials in the music business, but sunk like a sack of shit!

Can anyone say that he was entertaining?

I know I keep on saying the same name, but if they're looking for someone who has it all, the presence, the personality, and the experience in the music business, then it has to be Nicole.

And if she's had a drink or two before the show starts, then all the better......

Mel C would be much better than Mel B!

Either Melanies would be nice,...but with up and coming Spice Girl duties later in the year, I think it would be highly unlikely for any girl to commit to the show.

Oh wow never thought about that but Carly would be an amazing option!!

Don't think it really matters who the panel is but I can see ratings dropping to below 5million

I think it will be Simon Nicole Sharon Louis

Kanye West - what would be more entertaining than batshit crazy with an ego bigger than his wifes backside?

I would agree the best thing to do is to have at least 3 judges that are behind the scenes in music, managers, producers, ppl from the label that are actually not scared to give out an opinion and who actually know what they are talking about.

For too long the show has relied on hiring people that in reality are no more qualified to judge musical talent than the audience watching at home