Britain's Got Talent v The X Factor

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Talent shows dominate our TV schedules and captivate their audiences. As a nation we have become obsessed. But which talent show is the most talented?

The Britain's Got Talent final is set to break TV audience records this weekend, while its rival The X Factor offers a £1million record contract and has produced a number of genuine big acts.

So which is the best? Two self-confessed, avid viewers argue their case below. But what do you think?

Talent: Leona Lewis was crowned X Factor queen and Susan Boyle is this year's Britain's Got Talent talking point

BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT
Amar Singh
Britain's Got Talent is set to receive record viewing figures this weekend. There are many, many reasons why this programme has captured the public's imagination.

It carries on our long love affair with variety, harking back to a time when we only had three or four channels on TV and shows such as New Faces and Opportunity Knocks were watched by half the nation.

The current series has benefited from the momentum generated by one contestant in particular.

Susan Boyle came with the great 'never been kissed' back story and her performance has now been watched by millions across the world thanks to the clever use of websites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Of course, you know that the some of these acts are not as 'undiscovered' as the producers would like us to believe (series 1 winner Paul Potts was portrayed as a simple mobile-phone salesman, whereas he had in fact appeared in six amateur opera productions), but you cannot help but be impressed by the raw talent shown by singers such as Shaheen Jafargholi and the sheer level of performance demonstrated by dance troupes like Flawless and Diversity.

What Simon Cowell did was take his tried and trusted formula used in The X-Factor and evolve it.

In many ways, BGT has a superior premise to The X-Factor due to the broadness of acts that can potentially win.

For people who are becoming weary of the manufactured pop singers churned out by Cowell and co over the past decade, there are breakdancing pensioners, saxophone-playing buskers, escapologists and dance troupes to appreciate.

But for those, who still love the pop stars that The X-Factor provides, then BGT offers that too, and finalist Shaun Smith could equally be in The X-Factor's final ten.

The crucial difference is, however, that when you watch The X-Factor you see thousands of people sacrifice their individuality to 'fit in' to a conventional idea of what a pop act should be, while BGT turns this completely on its head and celebrates our differences.

Consequently, a more diverse, modern cross-section of Britain is celebrated on the show. Could Stavros Flatly, the father-son dance duo who fuse Irish and Greek dancing or, last year's finalists, Signature , who combine a Michael Jackson tribute with Punjabi dancing, exist anywhere else but in Britain?

Britain's Got Talent has surpassed The X-Factor as the country's favourite light entertainment show. Lets hope ITV and Simon Cowell don't blow it by not counting the phone votes properly.

THE X FACTOR
Anna Davis
I love The X Factor. I know it's all probably scripted, totally cheesy and promotes manufactured pop, but I just can't help myself when it comes to a power ballad.

Firstly the contestants are actually talented. Leona Lewis has become a credible artist and Alexandra Burke has already been nominated for a Brit award.

Then the judges. Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Danni Minogue and formerly Sharon Osbourne - these people do know about the music industry and the acts they are judging, unlike Britain's Got Talent.

What does Amanda Holden know about breakdancing pensioners? And how can she judge such a diverse array of acts, saying one person dances better than another plays the drums?

X-Factor also definitely wins on glamour. Last year Beyonce, Take That, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears were all guest stars on the programme.
And the sob stories far outclass those on BGT. So your Dad sent your X-Factor application form in days before he died? Brilliant. Or are you singing each week for your dead wife, or to escape life as a crack addict? This is the kind of soap opera you need on a Saturday night.

I accept on BGT the children are meltingly cute, but when they are put on stage, rejected and burst into tears it makes for uncomfortable viewing. At least X Factor has an age limit.

Ultimately you have to ask would any of the singers on BGT do well on X-Factor? or is Susan Boyle just doing so well because she is a bit funny looking.

Finally, the ultimate prizes are so vastly different. The X Factor winner gets a £1m record deal and virtually guaranteed No 1 single.

Compare this to an appearance on the Royal Variety Show - something I have not watched since I was 10.

X Factor will begin again in the autumn and finish just in time to create the Christmas No 1. Manufactured? Yes, but at least it gets people interested in the charts again.

Watching someone do a cover of a song selected by Simon Cowell is never going to replace watching real bands performing their own music, but it is fun and strangely addictive - especially if they have a dead relative to talk about.

 

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