Their lowest opener.

It's a genuine shame because I think the episode was great. With the throwback feel, a positive energy and a great set of judges / presenters; I think this could be a very good series.

Perhaps the damage has already been done. It is going to take a long time for things to take off again for X Factor.

It was 6.8m +1.

And your point is? I'm sure the next couple of million will be sat watching it nursing their hangovers from going to festivals and going out! It was still the most watched program of the night

Exactly I actually waited till after it to go out but most people wouldn't bother to watch it live when there's so much methods of catchup. I presume it'll be +7m tonight even it being bank holiday Sunday which would be commendable.

People were talking about 9 million was never going to happen , when the audience departs it tends to stay away even with panel changes.

Okay was a bank holiday weekend but the acid test is next week but I feel it will likely stay the same

I suspect next Saturday's show will be higher due to the good reviews, getting past the 7 million mark at least. Tonight's show is guaranteed to get higher ratings since more people will be in (I personally think the show would benefit going on Sunday/week day nights instead of Saturday).

However don't expect the ratings to eventually go back to 2010 levels, you will be really disappointed.

Guaranteed? Like it was the last two years? It went down on Sunday the last two years on the Sunday straight after the first Saturday show- I don't think anything is guaranteed. It may increase due to the positive feedback and the new drama "Victoria" starting after it.... But nothing is "guaranteed".

I don't get what people are getting at when they keep saying it had a throwback feel and it feels fresh. It was nothing we haven't seen before. It was same old, same old. The sob stories, the room auditions, contestants watching outside, joke acts, contrived conversations between acts watching outside. Apart from a different judging lineup (3 of which have judged together before) there was no difference.

I haven't watched yet was out but I have a feeling it's going to look very dated.

I really struggle with Sharon Osbourne as well

They are saying the ratings are down by a million. Ok remember people may still be on holiday. Viewers may not realise it was returning which l think it's at least a week early maybe trying to grab some strictly come dancing viewers and drum it in X factor in back. Catch up is a good way also to attract more viewers so adding this could relect in total more viewers actually watched in but a day or two later?

Where excuses like, people are still on holiday, it was a bank holiday etc, People had BBQs, the weather was hot, etc etc etc, do consider that this very week, The Great British Bake off was on, The BBC baking show returned to the small screen with an audience of 10.4 million and a 47.5 per cent of all TV audiences tuning in.

The rise saw a peak audience of 11.2 million switching on to watch what this year’s batch of amateur bakers would cook up for judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.

The weather by the way was hotter on Wednesday in London.

Only 6.8 million decided to watch XF on ITV, ITV+1 and catch up, Only 34% of available audience. 66% " choose something else, or to go out!

The X Factor suffered its worst series opener in over a decade.

The 13th series of the reality giant kicked off with 6.8m viewers for 34% of the audience share between 8pm and 9:30pm not enough to top last year's launch of 7.65m viewers.

Viewers, " choose" not to watch it.

Hoping the advertisers start taking notice, and this dirge dies a death.

shame thought more would watch than that

We watched Sat Sun episodes consequetively in under 1 hr.. Still heard the usual bereavement drivel from Simon....

Nicole the only qualified judge, the other 3 may as well have been Spitting Image dummies.

So... 6.2 inc +1.... so it wasn't guaranteed to get more viewers, it lost viewers (although not much of a drop).

THIS.

The dated panel was always going to have even more switching off

what are the figures for yesterday ratings?

Dropped 500k for Sunday. Last year it's Sunday episode dropped over 1 million as Sunday's don't perform well for X Factor anymore. Still hugely disappointing, this low opener could potentially harm the ratings for its full series. Hope they rise next Saturday.

I think the figures are depressingly high for such worn out stale rubbish that has been given a contract until 2020.

Again, people don't watch tv the same way. Strictly will be down too.

It was still trending on Twitter etc.

So do you think there should be all young judges? Because that worked out so well last year.

I'll be interested to see next week as all the reviews have been fairly positive

GBBO got 10.4m on Wednesday..... BTW Strictly was up last year in the ratings.

People will still watch live TV if it's "must see" tv.
Like Big Brother the x factor is tired and stale but will continue, to ever decreasing audiences

So who would you have had on the panel because you keep throwing these statements around but I rarely see you actually say what you'd like done

Exactly! If you add all the people who could potentially watch it & those who don't watch it but might & the potential repeat watchers who might watch it the show could have a total audience of 9 billion!

So many naysayers on here only looking at the people who watch the show and official figures.