We at heat are of the opinion that The X Factor live shows time is the best of the year.
The leaves are changing, Christmas is on the way, we can finally wear our on-trend winter coat, and we have FITLORDS like Matt Linnen and Sam Black on our telly screens every week.
And Rak-Su.
;)
It may have escaped your notice (actually, it probably hasn’t – literally the whole of Twitter has been kicking off about it) that they’ve completely revamped the format this year.
Instead of having all the acts compete on the Saturday, a sing off with the bottom two on the Sunday, and the judges deciding who goes home, they’ve split the acts across the weekend – and the public vote has the sole power.
There’s also a ‘winner’ each week (decided again by the public), and this act wins a prize – this week Grace Davies won a trip to New York to meet P!nk.
![grace x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59fa/f4b8/327d/8528/d9e7/d05b/grace-x-factor.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
And some are keener than others on the new format.
Ex-X Factor contestant Sam Callahan, who was in the show in 2013, has slammed the new arrangement – saying it renders the judges ‘pointless’.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: "For me, on the one hand, if it's legitimately true as they're saying and they just don't have any power then it's good because there's been a lot of controversy over the years that maybe it's not as true as they're saying, or is it fixed, is it manipulated?
![sam callaham](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59fa/f440/327d/8528/d9e7/d050/GettyImages-866376636.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
"So I think it's nice for the public to feel that the audience are really to blame for who goes.
"However, I have been known to say before, and I stick by this, that Louis Walsh, I don't believe had any input or any say in how far I went in the competition by mentoring me.
SPEAKING OF THE LIVE SHOWS, LET'S RECAP WHICH CONTESTANTS ARE IN THEM:
Contestants through to The X Factor live shows 2017
![holly tandy x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/33b1/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1ddc/holly-tandy-x-factor.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
holly tandy x factor
Holly Tandy - Girls (Sharon Osbourne)
![grace davies](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3486/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1df4/grace-davies-x-factor.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
grace davies
Grace Davies - Girls (Sharon Osbourne)
![Rai-Elle Williams](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/34d2/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e05/x%20factor%20rai%20elle%20williams.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Rai-Elle Williams
Rai-Elle Willians - Girls (Sharon Osbourne)
![matt linnen x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3591/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e12/matt-linnen.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
matt linnen x factor
Matt Linnen - Overs (Nicole Scherzinger)
![tracy leanne jefford](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3613/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e23/tracy%20leanne%20jefford.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
tracy leanne jefford
Tracy Leanne Jefford - Overs (Nicole Scherzinger)
![kevin davy white](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3664/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e2b/kevin%20davy%20white.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
kevin davy white
Kevin Davy White - Overs (Nicole Scherzinger)
![cutkelvins x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/36a1/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e36/cutkevlins.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
cutkelvins x factor
The Cutkelvins - Groups (Simon Cowell)
![sean and conor x facotr](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3716/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e48/sean%20and%20conor%20price.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
sean and conor x facotr
Sean and Conor Price - Groups (Simon Cowell)
![rak-su x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3761/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e52/rak-su%20x%20factor.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
rak-su x factor
Rak-Su - Groups (Simon Cowell)
![talia dean x factor](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/37c0/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e61/talia-deane.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
talia dean x factor
WILDCARD: Talia Dean - Groups (Nicole Scherzinger)
![jack and joel](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/380a/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e6c/jack%20and%20joel%20x%20factor.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
jack and joel
WILDCARD: Jack and Joel - Groups (Simon Cowell)
![leon mallett](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/3842/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e70/leon%20mallett.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
leon mallett
WILDCARD: Leon Mallett - Boys (Louis Walsh)
![alisah bonoabrah](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/59f3/388c/c5cf/ef0b/e22c/1e79/alisah-bonoabra.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
alisah bonoabrah
WILDCARD: Alisah Bonaobrah - Girls (Sharon Osbourne)
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