The X Factor 2018

Erm... JLS? Plus others have had varying degrees of success. Cher Lloyd did very well in America. Matt Cardle, Shayne Ward, Rhydian, Leona Lewis all released multiple albums. Ruth Lorenzo is a pretty big name in Spain, still touring and has released a number of albums. Jedward, like them or not, did very well out of the show. They along with Andy Abraham, Lucie Jones and Saara Alto have represented a country at Eurovision.

I think you’re confusing X Factor with The Voice.

Could also add Ella Henderson and Fleur East to that list, both had substantial hits.

Strictly has evolved significantly over the years. The production values have increased and in almost all areas the lighting, the staging, the ambition of some of the set piece dances, the projection and LED graphics production etc. have improved hugely.

The casting has improved - of both the celebrities and the professional dancers - and the whole show has a hugely 'feel good' feel.

It just feels like a confident show at the top of its game. Claudia joining Tess as a main presenter has also given it a fresher feel.

And, of course, BGT's phone voting contributes to the Royal Variety Charity - and while the total has declined by a considerable sum over the years, it's still a six-figure sum that I'm sure the charity wouldn't be keen to lose by ending their association with BGT.

Also interesting to note that the BBC's Performing Arts Fund, which used to receive the Strictly voting revenue, was wound up in 2016, yet the Strictly voting T&Cs still say "Revenue from the calls goes to the charity" - there's your next phone voting scandal on a plate.

JLS I forgot and Leona Lewis did very well, but she’s one now that younger viewers under 18 probably don’t even know because she’s a bit quiet now. Rhydian and Joe McElderry went into musical theatre and do okay for themselves but them or any you’ve mentioned (except JLS/Leona) are not really big names that viewers will remember for doing well. It’s just a name you know from X Factor whereas acts who’ve done big things (Little Mix, One Direction) you almost forget where they came from.

The trouble is (and this dates back to the peak periods) they keep the winner especially out of the spotlight for too long after the show. I understand the desire not to rush out an album but they really should be releasing a single or two in the spring and summer just so they're not deemed to have disappeared, and especially with an act like Rak-Su who were so current when on the show last year, but the trouble with being current is a year later you may not be. Rak-Su and Grace were by far the highest quality of act they'd had since the James Arthur/Ella Henderson year and just hope they don't make the same mistake this year they made back then and off a year that successfully embraced indivuality go back to looking for the next Sam Bailey.

Because it's still true. Don't they go to Children in Need now?

Ruth Lorenzo also did Eurovision. Apart from Andy Abraham and Saara Aalto none of them have done that badly. Aalto only failed because Friedman thought what worked on X Factor UK would work on Eurovision, which is a much, much fairer fight than X Factor who deliberately handicap or boost contestants according to producer agenda.

No: the vote is now intended to be revenue neutral rather than money-raising.

Though I was wrong in what I said above, as failed to realise that there are two sets of voting T&Cs on the Strictly website. The one clearly marked as applying exclusively to the 2017 series explains this correctly. The set you get if you Google "strictly voting terms and conditions" is outdated (though not marked as such).

No great surprise but Sharon now won't return for the live shows.

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-x-factor/news/a867366/the-x-factor-judge-sharon-osbourne-quits/


As for the Six Chair Challenge - poorly edited this year and completely pointless now they give the first six a seat regardless.

Agreed about the poor editing. My mum put it on five minutes after it started because she'd been out, and thought the programme had started early and she'd missed a lot more than just five minutes, because all the chairs had already been filled. They were rushing through the acts, only showing a few seconds of a lot of them!

And that seems to be the popular consensus, it was rushed!

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-x-factor/news/a867328/x-factor-uk-2018-six-chair-challenge-rushed/

I did exactly the same.