The X Factor 2017 date revealed as Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh confirm return
THE X Factor return date has been revealed.
ITV's music talent hunt will return to screens on September 2 as judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh begin the search for the next music superstar.
The confirmation comes as judge Louis Walsh has revealed he thinks the Six Chair Challenge on the X Factor is "cruel" and "horrible".
The 65-year-old show judge has been featured on the show on and off since the very first series in 2004 and has seen the format change numerous times over the years, but thinks the new concept, in which wannabe stars try to win a place at Judges' Houses only to then be ditched and replaced by someone else, is brutal.
Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper, the judge said: "As you fill the chairs and as someone else better comes along you have to take someone off a chair.
"It is cruel and it is horrible but that is the music business. It is tough and it is survival of the fittest. It is all ambition, hard work and a bit of talent."
Louis is joined on the panel this year by Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne, who were judges on the show last year as well.
Simon recently revealed that he's prepared to part with more cash when it comes to nabbing the two females for his judging panel because he knows that the Irish music manager is willing to take any fee in order to reclaim his seat on the series.
When asked about the recent BBC wages reveal, Simon said: "For once this is good news. Victory. Yeah, they definitely are. I just don't tell Louis.
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"He's got enough money for a bum implant so he shouldn't be complaining. I'm almost like a pioneer I guess, yeah. If they get the money, it doesn't matter to me whether you're a boy or a girl.
"But I would say we've probably paid girls more money than guys over the years."
Also, the music mogul reportedly doesn't want his show to have to compete with Strictly Come Dancing this year, so has decided to air the X Factor final in early December, while 'Strictly' will continue on until the middle of the month.
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