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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Mark Sweney

Simon Cowell’s X Factor revamp hits flat note with viewers

The X Factor: Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora joined Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Simon Cowell on the judging panel
The X Factor: Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora joined Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Simon Cowell on the judging panel. Photograph: Photograph: Syco/Thames TV/PA

Simon Cowell’s overhaul of the X Factor failed to impress viewers with its return on Saturday night attracting the lowest audience for a launch show in a decade.

The new-look show, which featured new judges Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora, attracted an average audience of just 7.1 million viewers on Saturday night.

Viewing rises to 7.6 million if ITV1+1 is included.

It is the lowest audience for a launch show since 2006, almost 2 million viewers down on the first episode of last year’s X Factor, which drew about 9.5 million viewers including ITV1 +1.

And it went from bad to worse on Sunday night as another million viewers drained away.

X Factor’s Sunday night show attracted an average of 6.5 million viewers, including ITV1+1, thought to be the lowest ever.

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