U.K. Media Regulator Won't Investigate 'X Factor' Over Allegations of 'Fix'

LONDON - U.K. media regulator Ofcom said Monday it has decided not to investigate viewer complaints about X Factor, which had included suggestions that the music competition show was fixed.

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The Simon Cowell-created ITV1 show had drawn 1,329 complaints earlier this season after long-time judge Louis Walsh reversed his vote on two singers, Rylan Clark and Carolynne Poole, Ofcom said.

The two performers had to perform in a sing-off to avoid elimination in early October. Walsh initially voted to keep Poole on the show, but then changed his mind. That led to a split vote among the four judges. Viewers were then asked to decide, and Clark, who remains on the show until now, survived.

Tabloids further stirred the pot in the allegations of a fix, saying that the show's executive producer was seen having a chat with Walsh who always denied any fixes.

"Ofcom judged that this matter did not raise issues …as the format of the contest is made transparent and viewers vote in the knowledge that the ultimate decision to eliminate contestants or force a ‘deadlock’ situation rests with the judges," the regulator said.
   
Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com

Twitter: @georgszalai