It barely feels like five minutes since Rak-Su and Grace Davies were battling it out to be crowned winner of The X Factor last Christmas; but the 2018 auditions are already under way. It's all systems go for our favourite telly talent show as they travel up and down the country on the hunt for the next Little Mix, One Direction or James Arthur; and we quite fancy our chances tbh.
On Saturday 26th June budding hopefuls aged 14+ can show producers what they've got in Liverpool, before the open auditions make their way down to London on Sunday 3rd June. So - after the bar was set higher than ever last year - we caught up with SYCO Entertainment's Head of Talent Barney Addison to find out just what he's looking for.
Come on, Barney. What've you got for us, pal?
DO take notes from 4th Impact
"My favourite ever audition is probably 4th Impact [then 4th Power]; four sisters from the Philippines. They’re really unassuming and you would never, ever predict what was going to happen on stage. They had rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed and had prepared an incredible performance of Bang Bang.
"The reaction on the judges' faces is absolutely mind blowing and I was lucky enough to be there when they first auditioned for us and knew it was going to be huge.
"But it’s hard to choose because James Arthur's version of Tulisa's Young is another big favourite of mine. I think it’s very brave to take a song of a person that you’re singing for who is making a judgement turn it into something completely different."
DON'T be a copycat
"What people tend to do is take a song which has been done the previous year that's done really well. They’ll come back sing the same song the next year.
"We’re looking for something different; just try and think what hasn’t been done yet. The same songs get done on the show because they’re really hard to sing and people want to show off their vocals; but I think the viewers want to see something different."
DON'T sing an Ed Sheeran song, basically
"I’m a huge fan of Ed Sheeran, but I’ve literally heard his entire back catalogue about 25,000 times over. Unless you can take an Ed Sheeran song and do something really different with it it’s a bit of a no-go, really.
"I know for a fact that if someone was going to on stage in front of Simon saying 'I’m going to sing an Ed Sheeran song,' he would automatically roll his eyes. If you’re not changing the melody or the way you’re singing it then it’s just going to feel like karaoke."
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DO choose your cover wisely
"That could mean taking a song which is brand new on the charts that everyone’s loving or it could be about bringing a song people have forgotten about back up-to-date by doing something different to it with your voice.
"The Live Lounge on BBC Radio 1 is so popular for a reason; 'cause the artists are covering a song that they love and in a completely unique way. That is the key an audition on The X Factor.
DO put on a show
"We’re going back to the arenas for the auditions this year, which s an incredible place for an artist to shine on the stage because staring in the face of essentially four celebrities in a room and singing - trying to hold your nerves - is really hard.
"You expect a proper performance. People in the past have brought backing dancers and all sorts of things that boost their performance and there are very few rules when it comes to what you can bring on stage with you. If that’s what you are as an artist, then you would brng whatever it is that you would think would help boost you. Show us that in the audition.
The X Factor open auditions hit Liverpool's Royal Court on Saturday 26th June (10am-6pm) and London's SSE Arena Wembley on Sunday 3rd June (9am-5pm). For more details, head over here. GOOD LUCK.