Simon Cowell to make £200k 'X Factor' loss

Simon Cowell's production company Syco TV will reportedly lose around £200,000 after axing this week's X Factor public vote.



It was announced yesterday that viewers won't be able to vote for their favourite acts, meaning the show will miss out on revenue from the lucrative phone voting.

Instead, judges Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh will each be forced to send one of their acts home on Sunday's results show.

Cowell is said to have agreed to take the financial hit in order to make the first live show more dramatic for viewers.

A source told The Sun: "The series has a new judging panel and ITV wants bumper ratings for the first live episodes."

Fans will be able to vote for their favourite X Factor act when phone voting resumes next week.

The theme for tonight's X Factor is 'UK v US'. Last year's winner Matt Cardle and Cee Lo Green will perform on Sunday's results show.

The X Factor airs tonight at 7.30pm on ITV1. The Xtra Factor follows at 10pm on ITV2.