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X Factor supremo Simon Cowell said there is "no end in sight" for his hit show despite falling audiences for the new series.
Viewer numbers remain well down on last year, with one episode dipping below eight million for the first time in almost five years when it went up against the closing ceremony of the Paralympics.
There have also been criticisms about the minimal amount of each programme which is actually devoted to music and it's now in a Saturday night ratings battle with BBC1's ballroom show Strictly Come Dancing.
But Simon said The X Factor benefited from competition, telling Broadcast Magazine: "Credit to The Voice, they came up with a twist with the spinning chairs. Where shows like that or Strictly and the X Factor benefit each other is that they have to improve to keep pace with one another."
He said the BBC investment in Strictly was "good" for all the reality shows, adding: "I see no end in sight. If you've got the budget and the appetite for reinvention, I see no reason they can't be like Christmas - something you always look forward to."
