1. After rising to national prominence through Pop Idol, Simon Cowell created X Factor and was immediately taken to court by Simon Fuller, creator of the Pop Idol format and the guy who hired Simon for the job, accusing Simon of copyright infringement. They settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

2. Regardless of passing the first round or not, participants are not allowed to participate in any other musical events for three months. The contract also contains a clause that artists must not make any statement which "may be considered unduly negative, critical or derogatory of the company – including its personnel and, in particular, Simon Cowell".

3. Equity has called the X Factor 'cheap exploitation', claiming that participants are obliged to travel at their own expense to any location the programme requires them to be present at and that participants are not paid during their participation in the show, even if participating prevents them from attending a regular day job.

4. Steve Brookstein, the first winner of X Factor in 2004 when he beat G4 to the top spot, was one of the few contestants to win every one of the live shows and also holds the record for the highest amount of votes in the final at 6 million. Signing to Sony BMG immediately after the show he was dropped just 8 months later, despite the success of his debut single and album. G4 split up in 2007 citing 'differences'. Steve recently sang on a P&O ferry service between Portsmouth and France.

5. Shane Ward, winner of the 2005 X Factor, is managed by Louis Walsh. A clause in the X Factor contract states that artists leaving the show may have to give 5 per cent of all future live earnings to Simon Cowell for a year.

6. Leona Lewis's first album entered the USA album charts at number one making Lewis the first British artist to reach number one with a debut album.

7. 2007's winner Leon Jackson was dropped by Sony BMG in March 2009. After poor tickets sales for his own tour, he had to merge tours and will be co-headlining this tour with fellow former X Factor contestants Same Difference.

8. Danni Minogue recently put her foot in something bisexual during a recent show.

9. X Factor star Niki Evans said she was encouraged to cry over her dad's death while appearing on the programme last year, and claims she was voted off after she refused advice from judge Louis Walsh to sing Luther Vandross's Dance With My Father and cry afterwards.

10. It's not the talent on X Factor who are having perfumes named after them, it's the judges. X Factor branded perfume will be ready in time for xmas. Just one spray and you too can be a condescending, profiteering, talentless half wit caught up in your own self importance.