Each year x-factor evokes strong emotions from those that view it and from those do not.
Some people love it for its commercialism, others hate it for the same reason. Some have crushes on the acts while others feel kinship though race, sex, age or accent. Some love the choreography others think it is shameless distraction. There are favourites and villains, costumes and scripts.
For me it’s just like watching pantomime. Something fun, not to take too seriously. To boo, to cheer. To feel part of an audience hurling emotions at celebrity caricatures.
And then there is twitter with its xfactor hashtags. A maelstrom of soundbites of love and hate, humour and outrage, things that should never be said, and others that should be said more.
It’s three hours each weekend that I’ll never get back, but as harmless childish fun to me it’s something that money cannot buy.