Girls Aloud label X Factor judges' rowing a 'pantomime'

The girlband's outburst came when they were asked whether the judges had become harsher. Girls Aloud were catapulted to fame by winning a similar show, Popstars: The Rivals, in 2002.

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Having been through it all herself, 25-year-old Kimberley Walsh didn't feel the need to give the ITV show's current victims any sympathy.

Speaking at the launch of the MusicStation unlimited mobile download service, she said: "The judges are harsh, but that's nothing new. We're not seeing anything we haven't seen before."

Cheryl Cole, 24 - seemingly agreeing with critics who have claimed bickering on the show is staged to cover for the lack of talent - chimed in with: "It's like a pantomime."

Nadine Coyle, 22, said she preferred Strictly Come Dancing anyway, and would love to be taught some moves by one of the professionals.

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She also managed to have a dig at one of the BBC1 show's contestants: "I'm not good enough to be on the show, I'd just make a fool of myself. I'd be the Kate Garraway of Strictly Come Dancing!"

Nicola Roberts, 22, had advice for current members of The X Factor: "It's important the contestants realise that, at the end of the day, they're only making a TV show and to not let everything bother them.

"If you take on board every bit of criticism it can be quite deflating, especially for a newcomer singing in front of millions of people."

The X Factor has barely been out of the headlines in the past couple of weeks.

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Two weeks ago, Sharon Osbourne stormed off on live TV and claimed she had quit after two of her contestants were voted into the bottom two. She returned the following week.

In a bid to keep the show in the headlines last week, Louis Walsh half-heartedly claimed that all the judges had undergone cosmetic surgery.

After an initial round of headlinesthe accusation sank without-a trace.

The X Factor was trumped in Saturday's ratings by Strictly Come Dancing, averaging 7.8 million viewers against the BBC show's 8.7 million.

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But when the two programmes overlapped by half an hour, the dance show attracted a massive 9.1 million against The X Factor's

Boyband Futureproof - under the tutelage of Simon Cowell - were the latest to be booted off at the weekend. The band, made up of singers who auditioned for the show as solo performers, was tipped to win at the start of the series.

Band mentor Simon Cowell had to decide between two of his own acts when Futureproof and Hope landed the bottom two places in the show.

Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne had voted for boy band Futureproof and Dannii Minogue had followed suit by voting for Hope to leave.

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The boys gave it their all as they performed Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You in an attempt to win over the judges.

Simon was left in the difficult position of deciding whether to tie the scores, and let the public vote determine which group should go, or send Futureproof home.

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The music mogul said: "I'm going to make this decision on who I think has got the best long term potential," before naming Futureproof as the group to leave in his casting vote.

Undaunted, Futureproof's Aaron promised it wasn't the last of their band, later vowing on The Xtra Factor: "X Factor started us. X Factor won't finish us."

It was good news for Alisha Bennett however, who was the first act to be declared safe - a relief after being in the bottom two acts for the last fortnight.

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But shamed Emily Nakanda was forced off the show earlier this week after a "happy-slapping" video emerged of her attacking another girl.

The 15-year-old was caught on a mobile phone grabbing a girl in a headlock and swinging her by the hair.

The church choir singer, who is dressed in a school uniform in the footage, then tells the girl she is going to rip out her hair.

Eight acts now remain, with Dannii Minogue the only mentor who has yet to see one of her performers eliminated.