Recent reports suggested X Factor are keen to bump up ratings ahead of Strictly Come Dancing’s return later this month, and have made some drastic changes.
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X Factor bosses have cancelled plans to film live Judges’ Houses from around the world – and will now base some of the show in London instead.
The idea was that the acts who survived bootcamp and the subsequent six chair challenge would join their mentors in an exotic location, where their final performances would be broadcast love to the nation for the first time.
Awkward: “They have been talking about the live judges” houses stage for months.
So rather than filming simultaneously live from four different locations around the world, then beaming footage back into people’s living rooms, they will prerecord the wannabes’ performances as normal.
A source told The Sun: “This is a fairly humiliating moment for the X Factor“.
Judges’ houses this year was to be filmed live on the night with hosts Olly Murs and Caroline Flack holding the fort in London. But too many things could’ve gone wrong and, if it all would’ve gone to pot on live TV, it would’ve been disastrous’.
“There will be some red faces in the wake of all this”, the source added.
The newspaper’s insider said: “The biggest part of the show is the contestants’ reactions – finding out whether they have made it to the live shows and learning who the final 12 are”.
“Now that we are finalising our plans this will all happen live from the studio in Wembley with all the judges and the contestants together, along with their friends and family.”
Earlier this month it was revealed that the show is a million viewers down compared to past year – and Simon Cowell, the other judges and the presenters are said to have been given two weeks to save the show.
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Meanwhile, Simon is planning to make the weekly live shows more exciting for viewers. “This seems like a good compromise with a new live element in London and the luxury of Judges” houses at luxury locations too’.
