Simon Cowell is taking over our lives: X Factor launching mid-week show

ITV will be copying Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice UK’s spin-offs by airing in the middle of the week, although Xtra Factor will also still air straight after the weekend’s two live shows as usual.

In a reported bid to save falling ratings, Simon Cowell has decided that what the series needs is a brand new mid-week edition of The Xtra Factor on ITV2.

An ITV spokesman said: “We consider guests from all shows across channels for our programmes”.

There were standing ovations, tears and even an ice cream fight but ratings dipped by 600,000 viewers week-on-week to result in the lowest Saturday night figure of the series so far and the worst the show has had in a DECADE.

Sources at the BBC say they have been trying for more than a month to get their dancers and their celebrities on shows including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women.

Well, we have no idea, but while recording this week’s Celebrity Juice, Holly did reveal that she was “terrified” of how X Factor boss Simon Cowell would react when she had to tell him she was quitting. “The talent’s great, they’re interesting, so if it’s us versus Peter Andre, I’m going to put my money on us”.

ITV head Peter Fincham recently accused the BBC of deliberately orchestrating the scheduling clash between Strictly and The X Factor, saying: “It feels a bit like, “Let’s try to see if we can clip The X Factor’s wings”.

When Strictly launched at the beginning of September, the dancing competition beat The X Factor with a staggering 8.7million viewers compared to the ITV singing contest’s 7.5million.

“Perhaps they don’t want to promote us when we are already ahead of The X Factor“.