I watch a lot of reality televsion but for some reason I just haven’t watched the X Factor before. Not since the days of Pop Idol or Pop Stars has my living room been graced with a singing competition on a Saturday night so when it comes to the contestants, judges, what’s happening in the shows… I just don’t know.

When I was asked if I’d like tickets (VIP tickets nonetheless) to a filming of the show I wasn’t sure what to say? Yes because it sounded fun even though I knew nothing about it? No because I might hate it? I just didn’t have a clue? Luckily I have a thirteen year old sister who knew EXACTLY what I should say and also that I should opt for Sunday night results tickets rather than Saturday night contestant singing night. She was well in the know that this would mean we would get to see a top act perform as well as watching the sing off for the next contestant to be booted off the show!

So… Off we went, my sister and me!

Now it might surprise you to hear that X Factor is actually filmed not in Wembley Arena but just in a small studio around the corner. It is TINY and as we watched hordes of teenage girls screaming and trying to get in at the door we felt very special (and I gained cool sister points) when we swanned in the guest entrance!

We were given VIP lanyards and ushered up to the VIP suite where there was an open bar and loads of food. MY kind of party!

And then when the party atmosphere was really bouncing we were all taken to a special VIP section of the studio. Sinitta was standing to our left and Mel B’s guests were just in front of us. It was very surreal and having watched it for the first time ever the night before, so that I would know what was going on, it just didn’t feel at all like I expected it to. It almost seemed as if we were in a spoof of a show like X Factor and not watching the actual X Factor at all!

The contestants came out, Dermot came out, we practiced cheering with the warm up dude then the judges made their appearance. Simon is TINY. TINY I tell you! Not much bigger than Cheryl Fernandez-Whatsit who had the most bizarre walk I’ve ever seen affected? She actually looked like she might need a really big poo except of course that there was no way a really big poo would fit in her tiny tummy. Mel B was wearing some sort of white explosion of awfulness which made her backside look enormous (this might have just been standing next to Cheryl and Simon mind) and without even touching her drink barked at someone to make it hotter. Louis just looked a bit bedazzled and as if he may have stepped into the wrong party. I have to say that Simon seemed very sweet wishing a little girl a happy birthday and singing to her and Sinitta (who was also celebrating her birthday) along with the crowd. The other judges barely turned around.

The contestants were funny and I was rooting for the posh bird because she was so ridiculous that I felt someone had to root for her. My sister told me her favourite was Andrea (the Italian guy with an odd, almost Christmas like jumper) so we also had his back when we cheered. Anyway, Jessie J came out to perform and was amazing, quickly followed by Maroon 5 who were even better! My sister had been right! Coming to the show where you get a live performance from a star was definitely the right choice and weren’t we lucky as we got TWO!

When it was time for the dramatics we were on the edges of our seats! Simon waffled for ages (he was being told via motions to make it longer by a crew member) and when he said he liked the boys but didn’t know whether Louis knew what to do with them it was the funniest bit of the night. You probably didn’t hear on television but a guy behind me shouted at the top of his voice ‘OH I THINK HE DOES SIMON!’

The sing off was really good, the posh bird was better in my opinion but the boys had a good song that brought the atmosphere up amazingly so no wonder they were saved. We stayed for the first bit of Xtra Factor and then were whisked back up to the VIP room for a bit more hospitality before leaving with our X Factor goodie bags and bumping into none other than Andrea in the corridor!

It was a most excellent night, funny, entertaining and wonderfully odd. I’d go back in a heart beat and you know what, I think I might start watching it now too! I’ve only one more thing to say,VOTE ANDREA, he’s lovely and sweet and his clothes were kind of cool up close!

I’d like to thank Mecca Bingo for giving me the tickets.

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