IAN HYLAND on last night’s telly

As Simon Cowell reels from the shock of losing Little Mix to another record label he could probably do without me highlighting another setback.

I’m afraid The X Factor has just fallen behind Paul O’Grady’s dog rehoming show in ITV’s ratings table.

The solution to Simon’s woes is obvious though.

All he needs do is find a group of rescue dogs that can hold a tune – and get an album out ASAP.

That’s not a snide dig at Little Mix, by the way. I saw them live last year and it

was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. The good news last night was that Paul actually found a tuneful pup called Florence down at Battersea.

The bad news was the tune was coming from Florence’s backside – she was happily parping along to some classical music as she recovered from a hip op.

Of course, were she able to fine tune that act, she could always audition for next year’s Britain’s Got Talent instead.

However, I rather suspect she’ll be too busy tearing around the garden of her new home. That is what this show is all about, after all.

I’m happy to report that the two other dogs featured last night also found new homes – and I don’t mind admitting my heart soared at the sight of their happy little faces. That’s what #POGDOGS does best. It helps you forget about all the doom and gloom.

Well, at least until the second episode of Corrie starts.