X Factor 'controversy' bores me rigid

Telly Talk: And the X-factor controversy rolls on for another week, writes Tracey O'Sullivan.

While this show certainly ramps up the entertainment value each Sunday – the boy band spectacle last night was fabulous, make no mistake – I'm now getting a little tired of all the extra-curricular shannanigans.

I'm bored now of whether Katie should stay or go or whether some lowly-paid runner, probably hired to burst the balloons after Paige's performance, leaked the results on Twitter. Witter, Witter, Witter frankly.

It's interesting enough to be caught up in all that gossip for a week or two but now I'm starting to suffer from a little outrage fatigue; not my own because I watch it from the comfort of my sofa without ever receaching for the phone. And, yes, that is probably why the pantomime drivel has never bothered me before – I have never cast or paid for a vote, so as long as the key players were producing some decent entertainment I didn't care.

But now it's all getting a bit too much, and while I can see the justification if you are parting with your hard-earned cash for your favourite I have had enough of the bandwagon that is the X-factor chaos.

The incessant booing, the taut faces, Katie clutching her microphone to her ear on last night's results show, and clinging on to a very reluctant-looking Aiden for dear life (that girl really is not particularly popular is she, but mysteriouslyshe's been saved for another week). I mean, how many times can you ooh and aah when Simon seems to swap allegiance between his female judges for the umpteenth time before you want to just switch off.

So much better value is the spine-tingling feeling when someone delivers a faultless performance with guts and determination. If it wasn't for Matt and Rebecca I'd be joining Katie in those panic attacks at having to watch.

Now I was Strictly's biggest critic when the Saturday night wars started with a vengeance. I didn't think it had the goods to compete with ITV1's efforts.

But on talent alone it edged it this weekend. While X-Factor's finest (and there are still some among the melee) were lost in the drama Gavin Henson, Kara Tointon and Scott Maslen took their fancy footwork to new levels on Saturday night and it was exciting to watch. It was Strictly fabulous and just ahead of their road trip to Blackpool. Woop Woop – I'm there with them next Saturday. In spirit anyway.

I'm still waiting for Tess Daly to actually prove why she's there. But Claudia is coming into her own and isextremely funny, while The Soldiers on last night's show came close to giving Take That a run for their money for sheer emotion.

Perhaps the battle for Saturday night is not such a done deal after all.