X Factor

I wonder if Pete Waterman is going to be involved, as he has been in the audience at X Factor Celebrity recently?

"The music mogul has decided to axe the X Factor All Stars series ITV planned to launch next month, featuring ex winners such as Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke."


IF the article is true I wonder whether this might be PR spin to make it sound like it was Simon's decision. I imagine the reality is that ITV bosses might have been slightly alarmed by low ratings the current celebrity series is getting. ITV bosses might have been considering rescheduling it accordingly, or insisting on changes being made to the programme. I assume low ratings means that ITV can't charge as high prices for advertising slots as they used to be able to for X Factor.

Alexandra Burke is working all through December she was never going to be available for live show's during that time.

I would have preferred to see an all star series than a “celebrity” one.

Simon and ITV say they know what they are doing with the brand but I don’t think they do. And there is nothing new on the horizon. Time ITV axed the X and have a shuffle around.

With the nostalgia factor nowadays surely they’ve missed a massive trick by not relaunching it as Popstars: The Rivals? Otherwise I don’t see anyone watching it...

Don't be silly- Cowell only cares about his young audience nowadays. who probably think Popstars: The Rivals was a name of a band.

What young viewers though? That’s the problem - no one is interested anymore and it seems like year after year it’s attracting more of a mature audience

The Popstars brand is dead and buried and more importantly, it's owned by 19 Entertainment and not Cowell and Fremantle.

Absolutely. ITV are clearly panicked that X Factor is tanking and will destroy their revenue in the crucial slots pre-Christmas. They must have forced Cowell into a total rethink.

Popstars is owned by Banijay actually (which has just taken over Endemol Shine).

A couple of my grandkids still watch it- most of the older ones have switched to Strictly in recent years though.

Louis Walsh always used to use the defence of X Factor is pulling in the key demos of young people, even though their ratings as a whole are now in the toilet compared to Strictly.

He kept going on and on about it, and that Strictly may have the big viewing figures, but all of these are older people, i.e. over 35s.

That is pure drivel from Louis, as there are so many under 35s watching, including myself, and with people like Saffron, Karim, Kelvin etc along with some of the dancers like AJ, they are key in attracting a young audience, which they do.