Tonight's The X Factor To Feature Just EIGHT Minutes Of Singing?

Tonight's episode of The X Factor has come under fire already... and it hasn't even been broadcast yet.

The show, which airs at 8:10pm tonight, has come under fire from The Daily Mirror for cramming in just EIGHT minutes of actual singing.

The two episodes of the current season so far have seen more focus on contestants' 'stories', with The Only Way Is Essex-style scenes before their tryouts in front of Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Louis Walsh and either Nicole Scherzinger or a guest judge.

According to the newspaper, contestants including Nicola-Marie, Jake Quickenden, Alison Brunta, Joseph Whelan and Melanie Masson are granted between 1 and 2 minutes each.

A source said: "[Simon] always wants the singers to be bigger and better than the previous year.

"But that’s simply not happening. It’s almost as if the well of talent has dried up."

An X Factor spokesperson hit back: "We’re featuring the same amount of singers in the audition shows as we did last year, but we believe the standard of talent is higher in 2012."

What do you reckon?

The X Factor judges return

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