What does the X Factor need to lift ratings?

Mootings in the press today suggest Simon Cowell, the media mogul behind the singing contest, is jetting back from America to discuss the future of the series while the saviour of the format is being suggested as former judge Sharon Osbourne. Others feel the real change to the format is to ditch the ‘fake drama’ and ‘politics’.The Sunday People newspaper suggests that ‘Simon Cowell’s representatives held a secret meeting with Osbourne two weeks ago in a bid to lure her back to the show.
Sharon departed the UK series in 2008 and has gone on to other television success including as one of the hosts of The View – the American originator of Loose Women.
A ‘close source’ told the tabloid that the 60-year-old music executive – turned telly personality – is ready for an X Factor return. The report goes on to suggest it may lead to the departure of current female judge Tulisa Contostavlos.
Meanwhile the Daily Mail have suggested Cowell is to spearhead the ‘crisis meeting’ over the future of the series.
‘Only 11 million viewers tuned in to last Saturday’s final, which was the lowest count since audiences saw Shayne Ward bag the winners crown in 2005’ the paper notes today.
Executive Producer Richard Holloway is reported in the Telegraph of stating that Thames Television – the production company behind the series – and ITV executives will meet in January to discuss its future.

“There is not one element we will not be looking at carefully – from judges and start-times to auditions and glitzy productions.” He is quoted as saying by the broadsheet.

While television ratings may be declining sales of X Factor winner for 2013 continue to rise. James Arthur, tonight number one in the UK charts, became the fastest selling X Factor winner with his cover song, Impossible.

“All this stuff about X Factor needing a revamp – it can’t need one that much because a lot of people seem to have been interested in my single.” He told the BBC.

Of course the days when it took millions of records sales to reach number one have long gone, which means a popular record may not translate to television audiences. Fans online seems to have indicated they were ‘sick and tired’ of the politics and ‘fake drama’ imposed on the programme often to just grab newspaper coverage. Also in for criticism is the ‘sob story footage’ where contestants reveal a ‘heartbreaking’ reason for attempting to win.

“The problem with X Factor is they clearly now believe their own hype and think they can do what they like.” Said ATV Today telly critic Queenie recently.
She continues, “Early on we had the controversy over contestant Carolynne Poole when she became the first to leave the show thanks to Louise Walsh – who initially said he wanted to save Carolynne, and then ‘changed his mind’. That change of vote looked to viewers at home somewhat like producer intervention via an earpiece. Which of course was denied by the broadcaster.
“The fact a man who can’t sing – Rylan Clark – was saved by Poole not being kept in the show saw fellow judge Gary Barlow walk off stage. What was ITV’s answer to all this controversy and viewer annoyance? To run a trailer showing Walsh’s muddling and Barlow walking out with the nerve to describe the farce as ‘drama’. What it actually was is thinking you can do what you like and take the viewers for mugs. I think clearly the audience has had enough of that.  There is only so much on-screen ‘drama’ a talent show can create and X Factor has been making headlines out of ‘staged drama’ for most of its run. But maybe now viewers are just not falling for the weekly tabloid rumours and apparent fall-outs between judges any longer.”
“Walsh has been ‘sacked’ then returned more times than News at Ten.”