...SI BOTTLES IT
WE’RE TOPS FOR TELLY Extra pair of singers escape axe WE’RE TOPS FOR TELLY
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SIMON Cowell has bottled it and waved the white flag in his bid to beat Strictly and The Blue Planet.
The X Factor chief has decided to ditch a TV bloodbath on his talent show in which two extra singers would have been ditched.
The move could lead fans to think the TV mogul has thrown in the towel in his bid to beat his big BBC rivals.
Last week, show host Dermot O’Leary announced that the acts were in for the biggest shock of the series as four of them would be booted out this weekend.
Cowell had hoped the stunt would pull in more viewers.
Producers decided to stage a double elimination tonight and also tomorrow.
But yesterday – 24 hours before the ITV show was due to go on air – he bottled out and axed it. Instead only two will bow out. Earlier in the day, the channel was running trailers with Dermot alerting fans to the shock eliminations. But an announcement went out declaring the stunt was not happening.
A show spokeswoman confirmed: “This weekend’s show will feature one act leaving on Saturday and one on Sunday.”
A source tried to explain the Uturn saying: “There is some great talent on the show this year and Simon thinks it’s unfair to cut the numbers so drastically when contestants are doing so well.
“Producers want to give them more time to shine and more time for audiences to pick favourites.”
Last Sunday X Factor’s ratings dropped to an all-time low drawing just 4.3million viewers.
It went head-to-head against the Beeb’s two biggest shows on the box. Strictly drew 10.8m and The Blue Planet got 11m.
The fact Cowell has now pulled such a stunt this weekend will lead to speculation that there is nothing the latest series of X Factor can do to beat its rivals.
In a recent interview he even admitted he could not see the programme beating Strictly like it did in its heyday.
He said: “I don’t know if you will ever get back to that stage. Maybe one year we will give them a run for their money. “¬
X Factor is on ITV tonight at 8.10pm and tomorrow at 7.30pm.