Comment: Just let X Factor die

X Factor, funded by music mogul Simon Cowell, will continue for at least another year – but we all wish it didn’t. 

The show, which has clung to our screens since 2004 like a chronic migraine, is returning in the next month with, surprise surprise, a few changes. Changes which every year Cowell thinks will transform the show.

But no matter what he does, the changes, which this year sees former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson come on-board as a judge, are not going to have the grand appeal and bring a massive boost to viewer figures.

X Factor should have come off our screens in 2011 when Little Mix, arguably the last big winners, took home the crown.

Since then, Cowell has been desperately trying to come up with new ideas to give the show appeal. But do the people even want X Factor anymore?

The show had been iconic when viewers were entertained by outrageous contestants such as the angry Ablisa or Ariel Burdett, a self-titled “holistic vocal coach”.

However, in Cowell’s attempts to appeal to the audience of The Voice, these iconic, untalented acts have been dumped in favour of musically talented people, but this makes X Factor boring.

It is simple, The X Factor cannot compete with The Voice’.

And in the age of YouTube, a programme simply for embarrassing auditions has become unnecessary.

It is long overdue for this show to be axed from our screens.

The British public are losing appetite for the show, with The X Factor hitting its lowest ever viewership figures in 2017 with just 4.4million, compared to its 2010 peak of 19.4 million.

Meanwhile, ITV2 has more success with Love Island its most watched show. Love Island may not be for everyone, but it was certainly a popular talking point during its time on screen.

These shows are more contemporary, and their steady growth in popularity deserve more attention from mainstream stations.

In comparison, X Factor deserves to be put to bed.