X Factor criticised: just eight minutes of singing in hour long show
This weekend's episode pushes fans to brink of tolerance
- X Factor is born: Taking the Pop Idol idea and giving it a radical overhaul (well, letting old people get involved), Simon Cowell premiered X Factor on ITV in 2004. Cowell was joined by jolly Louis Walsh and mad old bat Sharon Osborne. The show included a blind entrant and the winner, Steve Brookstein, disappeared after one hit single. No one gave it second though, it was just a bit of telly after all.
Tags: X Factor
X Factor has come under fire yet again after it was revealed that this weekend's episode contained just eight minutes of actual singing in an hour long broadcast.
The ITV1 show, which aired between 8:10 and 9:10pm on Saturday (Sept 1) was padded out with backstage interviews with judges Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Louis Walsh as well as guest judges including Mel B and Anastasia.
The programme also continued with the 'TOWIE style' scripted interludes between hopeful auditionees. This new format style was criticised by viewers last week as distracting from the singers on the show.
With so little singing on show during the current series, Simon Cowell is said to be worried that the talent has simply dried up.
'He always wants the singers to be bigger and better than the previous year. But that's simply not happening. It's almost as if the well of talent has dried up,' a source told The Mirror.
Fans who did tune in for their eight minutes of X Factor action last night saw builder Joseph Whelan and young lifeguard Jake Quickenden impressing the judges.
X Factor: from the early days to a bubble ready to burst
