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The fiX Factor

By Sarah Burns on December 6, 2010

Mary Byrne

Yet further X Factor controversy.  More accusations of vote fixing and rule breaking. As fans of the show, we recall that the finalists are ordinarily decided by the public vote. But the semi-final hosted a sing off between Tesco Mary and Dot Cotton (Cher) with the judging panel deciding on their fate rather than the public. Fans of the show are outraged with forums and certain newspapers claiming that the programme format was changed to ensure that Cher wasn’t booted off. On Saturday night Dermot told viewers that it was their vote alone that would decide the fate of the final and therefore fans now feel cheated. A show’s spokesperson commented, ‘as the show evolves there are always changes to format.’  

We always tell our clients that it’s unacceptable to change the judging criteria or rules of a live competition to affect its outcome, and that amends of this kind will attract criticism and bad publicity. The ongoing saga of The X Factor only proves this. While the column inches dedicated to its alleged vote fixing will fuel public interest, it will also generate further bad feeling amongst its fans.