Will The X Factor have Halloween Week this year? It's looking unlikely...
As the first live show of X Factor falls this weekend, will we be seeing a special themed episode for week one?
The X Factor's Halloween Week – or Fright Night as they have insisted on calling it – has been something of an institution over the years.
From Little Mix's performance of ET by Katy Perry, to Wagner's Bat Out of Hell, the great and the good (and the not-so-great and the not-so-good) have graced the spook-tacular stage.
However, this year Halloween Week is looking unlikely. The first live shows fall on the 28th and 29th October – the weekend when Fright Night would usually air. It would be highly unusual to kick off with the 16 finalists (the 12 confirmed acts and four wildcards) all in fancy dress for their debut live performances, and RadioTimes.com understands it's unlikely to happen.
Which is so sad, because then we won't get to see this again:
It won't be be the first time Fright Night has been cancelled. Back in 2015, scheduling issues with the Rugby World Cup saw The X Factor launch on 31st October, Halloween itself, and the decision was made to ditch the frightful theme then, too.
It's not all bad news, though. The first live acts have been confirmed for the launch weekend of The X Factor, and they're pretty good. Almost good enough to compensate for missing Louis Walsh dressed up as Frankenstein. Almost.
Liam Payne will be performing during the first live show on Saturday 28th October – his debut solo performance on The X Factor – and on Sunday 29th October, Stormzy will be taking to the stage, fresh from Nicole Scherzinger's Judges' Houses.
The X Factor airs Saturdays and Sundays on ITV
