Fi-X Factor

Now, the news that a light entertainment programme like the X-Factor has apparently been making up bands from rejected soloists in a bid to try and twist the outright winner towards a group would normally be of little concern. However, we can't help but recall the ringing words of ITV head Michael Grade:

Mr Grade [...] said the current malaise, sparked by a rash of claims about premium phone lines and compounded by recent allegations that programmes had been rigged and competition winners faked, was "as serious as it gets".

Mr Grade said any producer found to have deceived viewers would be shunned by ITV. "If [Big Brother producer] Endemol or any other production company is found to have set out to lie and deceive viewers, we can't do business with them. It's as simple as that. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance."

We'll let you know what ITV will be replacing next week's X-Factor programming as soon as they announce it.