Can't help thinking that the X Factor "fix" which Louis Walsh claims wasn't an X Factor "fix", really was an X Factor "fix" to help add a bit of spice to an ageing format.

Similarly with Simon changing his mind by giving Ray another chance, thus meaning that each judge had to now have 8 finalists instead of 7.

Now the boring stuff begins. I like some of the contestants, but these later, phone vote, stages drag on far too long. I might tune in for the last five minutes of each show to see who's been sent home, but until the final I'm lost as a viewer.

about three series ago it became the ZZZZ Factor.

When I first saw them I thought they looked right and sounded right and could be the next Take That. There does appear to be a gap in the market right now for this kind of band. I then thought that X-Factor would probably ruin any chance they had, after all no artist since Will Young have done particularly well.

They've had great exposure from the show and from the "scandal" and now they're away from it, could they avoid the "curse of X-Factor" and make it big?

Something else to chew on. Surely Simon, Louis and Sharon are all aware of the "curse"? Could it be that one or all of them are behind this?

It was originally Ashley Tabor that put them together. Ashley is Louis' "dupe" manager for the X Factor acts - so should have know the rules all too well !

Apparently the band and Tabor split - and when the band were called back to see Louis they thought that they were going through (having dumped their management and therefor now contract free).

End result? No X Factor promotion - and no manager either !!!!!!!!!

Ashley Tabor, Louis Walsh... All sounds very familiar.. There isn't a member of the group named Sam Jones is there MM?!

well, if they were members of Avenue then they would already have contact details for Ashley (as he managed them) wouldn't they?

Though when I saw that they were working their way through pop managers, I did wonder !

well, if they were members of Avenue then they would already have contact details for Ashley (as he managed them) wouldn't they?Not sure, would Ashley give out his details at that stage? Why would he need to, they'd be together a lot of the time.