ITV has confirmed that The X Factor will return on September 2.
The talent competition, which will enter its fourteenth season, will be presented by Dermot O’Leary with Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh all returning to the judging panel.
In fact, it’s the first time in seven years that the panel remains the same as the previous year, after a whole host of changes to the show in recent times with judges such as Rita Ora, Nick Grimshaw, Cheryl, Gary Barlow and Mel B filling in.
But what has changed? Below, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know.
No more Xtra Factor
This year, The X Factor will come without its sister show, The Xtra Factor. This companion show, which has been hosted by celebrities such as Rylan, Olly Murs, Caroline Flack and Holly Willoughby over the years, was scrapped in January following poor ratings. It will be replaced by online content on the X Factor’s Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube channels.
Younger entry
The minimum age to audition this year has dropped to 14, with 16 being the minimum age the previous year. Contestants will still need a “yes” from at least three judges to progress.
Fewer live shows
It’s bad news for fans of “your Saturday night starts right here”, as the show will only spawn six weeks of live shows as opposed to the typical ten. Saturday shows typically included performances from all of the contestants but was branded as “tedious” by fans, so now contestants will perform on both Saturday and Sunday, with an act going home each night.
Simon’s got the groups
The judges’ categories have already been revealed for this series, with Simon Cowell taking control of the groups, Nicole Scherzinger managing the overs, Sharon Osbourne mentoring the girls and Louis Walsh looking after the boys.
The six chair challenge is different, too
This year’s six-chair challenge took place from 26 July to 28 July 2017, at The SSE Arena, Wembley. However, unlike previous years, where all four judges sit together, this year, judges will sit on their own when watching their category perform, so to give them more control and breathing room to make their all-important decisions. The remaining three judges will sit elsewhere, together, where they’ll critique contestants.
There you have it – everything you need to know about The X Factor 2017. Are you excited about the show? Let us know on Twitter using @CelebMix.