Ah X factor this year is turning into a right laugh, its going to get all those people who hate it but watch it proper wound up...just the type of thing I like.

The lad from the army is obviously not up to it but is important for the competition because it will get the tabloids onside with some Help for Heroes stuff....I hope he doesn't end up completely going to pieces, because he seems like a decent bloke, but he is being used to get the right headlines.

Plenty of other characters in there that have not got a chance of ever making it as a commercial success - that 'ooh matron' fella must be having a ball because he was on the dole and now he's on TV, and fair play to him he can be entertaining Saturday evening TV but nobody is going to buy an album of his. Same with the groups, they will get voted off straight away as there are too many of them on the market.

The kid called Frankie is getting a load of hate but I think he's alright, what he should do is find some mates who play instruments and go and be the lead singer in a modern indie band with skinny jeans, he's got the right image for that and his voice could pull that off. Also Kitty is getting hate but that's classic X factor taking advantage of someone with mental health issues, she strikes me as a girl with ADHD or something like that and there were stories in the papers from other contestants saying Kitty was being deliberately treated badly at bootcamp by the organisers to provoke her into a reaction - they've found a girl with some borderline mental health issues and are pressing her to make her react in unpredictable ways for good TV.

I can't remember the others they all seem much of a muchness, the best is the young blonde girl Amelia who is easily good enough to be a pop star. I'm not expecting her to produce the type of music I'd buy but she's got the charisma and confidence for it, she can handle herself in front of the cameras and handle the media and seeing as she's only 16 she is easily a natural to make it, she might not win she might be a 'shock eviction in week 5' or whatever but after it is over she will be the one that goes on to have a career.

Those three scousers have no chance, especially as they will split the 'scouse vote'.

Having worked with young people I think that this is pretty common across the board now.

What you see from these predominantly working class kids who have their hearts set on being a singer/superstar, is the same from middle class sixth formers who have their hearts set on investment banking. They are always bright kids who have got As all the way through school and had parents/teachers sucking up to them, telling them they are brilliant geniuses and the world is their oyster. Their first major rejection in life is when they apply to do PPE at Oxford and go down for interview and get the letter just after Christmas telling them that unfortunately Oxford is unable to offer them a place....when they come back in January they are in a state of trauma. I've seen it with some kids that they go totally off the rails then, they think their investment banking dream is in tatters and because they've spent the last year on investment banking forums where everyone mocks accountants/actuaries etc as failures who spend their lives on mediocre salaries of £50-80k a year, the kids don't want to reassess their ambitions down to that...they just think what the heck and start going off the rails. They end up with BBC, turning down their uni offers and loafing around on the dole.

Used to keep any eye on this show, but this year I haven't watched a single episode. I guess I got sick of the horrible constant repetition of cliches and catchphrases, and the ridiculous lauding of singers who wouldn't stand out in a downmarket karaoke bar as musical geniuses. The guy who won last year was just dire - dull as dishwater and couldn't sing in tune. Incidentally, what became of him?

Dunno about him but I think his sisters were singing in the next-door boozer on Saturday night

His new album Letters comes out next month and his debut single Run For Your Life is out 9th Oct, but I have heard it on the radio and seen the video on the music channels. He's been doing lots of promos for his album and single and performing in Scotland over the weekend. He's performing at KOKO in London on 3rd October.

He is brilliant live, I saw him last year, not like I'm a massive fan or owt

Which one of these superstars will be singing at the Grand Final next year?

Bingo wings.

Well the final 16 have been announced.

I picked 14 opf the 16.

As usual it is based not on singers but on who has the "look".

Cannot believe Louis picked Goldie who the pulled out. Maybe because she could not sing a note.

Only surprise was they did not pick melanie the Irsih girl. Great voice and pretty.

In terms of the boys though it is clear that looking good is more imoportant than singing which says a lot about cowell and British music at the minute.

One thing is clear if you are a boy or girl do not enter if you ar FAT except in the overs which is the novelty section.

Take it you did not pick the groups then. Was really suprised when they kicked out The Keys and the other group (think it was The Risk) only to call back 3 from Risk and 1 from Keys to perform another group. I had expected The Risk to go through, only because Ashley from the Risk is someone at works cousin and she let slip that he had got through to live shows.

Indeed, an 'haircut' got through at the expense of a guy who was acknowledged by Barlow as one of the finest singers. In fact I think Barlow told him he was the best singer of the lot.
The guy who had tried and failed the year before.

in contrast the 'haircut' could only talk-sing, but he looked cute.
FFS!

Barlow has taken the Cowell shilling.