I'm not a believer of this 'conspiracy' thing.
You talk as if you know Simon and I haven't seen him saying anything remotely close to this.
I go on what he says, some is acting of course for the sake of the show, but seeing him everywhere else on BGT and speaking aobut AGT in Au and the US he is very very competetive and although he admires winners, he says he always want to be the best.

I think Simon isn't the only one to decide things on the X Factor and he doesn't give out the categories, those are chosen by the other producers.
Simon has a lot of power but he works for ITV, he has a special deal with them which I'm sure he's tied to.
He's an employee there.

It makes good telly if simons fighting to win and copping a strop when his acts go out, its his hissy fits and slagging off the worst singers that keeps the viewer comming back each week the actual talent comes 2nd. Simons wins because as stated its his parade, he gets the eventual winner so is gaurenteed at least 1 no1 even if they bomb after and also because the show gets the ratings because we want to see him loose his rag.

Be honest how many listen to the presenter talking to the act during the judges opinions hearing how they need this, want this, im doing it for auntie flo's dead dog and all that other tripe, and how many are ignoring that keeping an eye on what the judges look like or are saying when the camera pans to them and simons rucking with danni and rolling his eyes ect.

I wouldn't just go on what Simon says. Like most celebs, he probably lies and stretches the truth quite a bit.

I am almost certain that the man has a LOT more power than anyone even knows. He's not just one of the EP's, he's the CREATOR of the show, and has the most star power and money of anyone.

He runs the show. And I can't see the network butting in on his plans unless he does something completely immoral or damaging. So long as it doesn't go near there, I think they probably allow him and his cronies to do as they please.

The only place he is second fiddle in on A.I. to Simon Fuller. Though I think he has a lot more power now that Nigel Lythgoe has left. I think it went Fuller...Lythgoe...Cowell.
I think it's prety much all Cowell on X-Factor.

I think Simon was doing The Conway Sisters (and Louis) a favour. They were clearly not going to get any further than fifth place and there was a great deal of very unfair dislike building up against the Conways every time they were saved because of what happened with Maria. If he had saved them, then it would have been down to Louis yet again and there was no way he could justify sending home the girls over Chico when he booted Maria out against them. Simon basically put them out of their misery while making himself look good and "honest" in the process.

Saving the contestants doesn't really do anything but prolong their stay a bit- it is extremely unlikely they will win if the public rejects them early on.

That's true. No-one who has ever been in the bottom 2 ever went on to win the show anyway.

You are right that he isn't the only one to decide these things, he employs and works with some of the best producers in UK entertainment and naturally values their opinions. But ultimately, they all answer to him because he owns the show. If he really wanted to win, he could over-rule them.

As for ITV, his insistance on a Saturday results show is causing them untold scheduling nightmares just now. If he can push them into that, I doubt they will be bothered which category he takes.

Actually winning the judges competition is down his list of priorities. That's not to say that he won't make sure he has always won more than anyone else on the panel, of course!

It's all acting, lol. The truth is the judges only pick the songs from A LIST compliled by the producers, and ALL the contestants no matter which judge they have are really trained by Yvie Burnette and styled by Faye Sawyer. It's been like that for years, they hardly see the judges.

Think of X-Factor as more of a reality soap opera - even the judges know vaguely what they are going to say before the final 12 act opens their mouth, cos a producer sits in rehearsals and marks out whether the act was any good or not. The judges very rarely even watch their acts rehearse!