EX-FACTOR: Seven Has Killed ‘The X-Factor’ – Announces It Will Not Return In 2017

The string pullers at Channel Seven have dropped the axe on the X Factor, today confirming the show won’t be returning this year.

According to a statement, the show, which has just wrapped up it’s 8th season, suffered disappointing viewer numbers in 2016. That’s despite some serious dough being pumped in to bring ‘big name’ (lol) hosts Iggy Azalea, Guy Sebastian, ‘Scary Spice‘ Mel B and US export Adam Lambert to the screen.

Despite this, the show, which was originally created by Simon Cowell, struggled to draw more that 600,000 national viewers per episode. When it first popped up it was peaking out at over 4 million national viewers – so it’s been a big ride down.

The X-Factor will now join the TV talent show graveyard alongside Popstars, Australian Idol, It Takes Two, Everybody Dance Now, Strictly Dancing, The Singing Bee and Dancing with The Stars (which could rise from the dead to fill the time-slot). It now appears Channel Nine’s ‘The Voice‘ is the last locally produced singing talent show.

Confirming the news today, Seven’s head of programming Angus Ross told TV Tonight,:

“X Factor is not coming back.”

“Obviously the back half of the year wasn’t as successful as the front half of the year for us. We walk away with Secret Daughter as a win from the back half, but there was a bit of disappointment with some of the other shows.”

“But we are very hard markers on ourselves, versus others. Some numbers that may get a pass mark on other networks don’t get a pass mark with us. So we have a number of slots to fill and over the next couple of months we’ll be announcing a lot more.”

You can take our X-Factor, but you’ll never take former winner Dami Im out of our hearts ?  ?  ?