Grab yer earplugs, eye shields and some cushions to gnaw on: the new series of X Factor will kick itself off on TV3 and ITV on Saturday August 18th, sometime between 8pm and 9.15pm.
Geri Halliwell and Mel B, Anastacia, Rita Ora and Leona Lewis were all guests on the judging panel before Simon Cowell thought the UK needed to endure more of Nicole Scherzinger's desk dancing.
Dermot O'Leary will still deploy hugs early on in the series, followed by much heel spinning and cheesy dance moves during the live shows, while Caroline Flack and Olly Murs will pretend to fancy each other over on ITV2 for the Xtraneous Factor.
The series hasn't even started yet and there's already rumours circulating about the show's finale. This year, instead of the finalists performing with their mentors, or with some global superstars, they're going to perform alongside holograms of those who died before their time thanks to a series of crippling addictions. Yay!
All jesting aside, it's seriously being reported that the memory of Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley are being employed to croon along with the machine's latest offerings. A seriously macabre case of pop consuming itself.
Someone taking time out of their busy weekend to speak with The Sun said: "The X Factor has to keep getting better so they are looking at holograms as a way of creating a splash. Imagine Elvis or Amy Winehouse at the grand final. It would be incredible TV and an amazing experience for contestants. The technology's there and has been used on several big stages. The X Factor final is perfect for something like this. It nearly happened last year after show boss Richard Holloway saw the Stevie Wonder hologram on Celine Dion's show."
