Simon Cowell has decided it's put up or shut up time for The X Factor.

The music mogul has made sure that his ITV series The X Factor will be put up against the BBC One dancing competition for the second time on Friday, October 10 after ensuring an episode airs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for boot camp and judges' houses stages of the series.

Credit: ITV

Shows will go head to head at 9pm, but ITV bosses have denied this clash is deliberate and instead insist they've been forced to broadcast an extra episode on Friday as Sunday's schedule is too packed.

An ITV source said: "The plan to spread Boot Camp and Judges' Houses across three nights has been in place for some time - before we saw the Strictly launch night billing.

"These are always longer shows and this year we don't have space on Sundays."

Credit: BBC

BBC bosses have hit back at the claims, and an insider told The Sun: "They claim they are doing everything to avoid clashes but are playing The X Factor on a Friday for the first time ever when Strictly's first live show has been on Fridays for years. "

Strictly came out on top in round one of 2014, drawing a crowd of 9.4 million to X Factor's 9.2 million.

by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
find me on and follow me on

Tagged in