X Factor will switch to "bumper Sunday" shows for a month to avoid Rugby World Cup 2015 clashes
Simon Cowell is confident format changes will make the new weekend slots work whilst the sporting tournament also plays out on ITV
The X Factor will include bumper Sunday night shows for part of its run this year as Simon Cowell confirms plans are in place to juggle the show with ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup.
ITV's commitment to the Rugby World Cup threw up instant questions about how X Factor would fit in, with many high-profile matches - including England games - scheduled in its usual Saturday night slot.
While Cowell joked "We'll just ask them to move the rugby", there's actually a simpler solution in motion.
"We'll have bumper Sundays," Cowell told RadioTimes.com at today's launch of his other Saturday night big-hitter, Britain's Got Talent. "We’ve worked things out," he continued, saying a Friday/ Saturday night split wouldn't happen.
Monster Sunday night shows could seem like a big investment, that's a lot of singing and voting to get in on one night. But Cowell's confident changes to the format will make the move possible and tick the right boxes for fans.
"We’ve made some changes to the format, I think it works. The Sunday is going to work for us for about a month."
Cowell didn't go into details about the changes he's made to the show. Perhaps the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Flash Vote will return, shoving acts into the sing-off within just ten minutes of voting. It didn't stick around for too long last time, but this isn't a show shy of re-trying old formats, hence the return of the in-room auditions.
Of course the entire series won't need moving, with many of the auditions out of the way before the rugby matches kick in. And of course England's success in the later stages will also play its part. No pressure.
X Factor returns later this year, while Britain's Got Talent begins this Saturday at 8:00pm on ITV
