X Factor 2018 introduces brand new twist to the six chair challenge

The X Factor 2018 has introduced a brand new twist to the six chair challenge.

This year sees three new X Factor 2018 judges as Ayda Williams, Robbie Williams and Louis Tomlinson join Simon Cowell on the panel.

This week they begin filming the six chair challenge after the X Factor judges’ categories were revealed.

This year, bootcamp has been scrapped with acts instead going straight through to the six chair challenge from their audition.

A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper previously: “It’s going to be more competitive than ever as those who get through the auditions will have to be the best of the best to survive the Six Chair Challenge.

“It’s all part of freshening up the show to match the new panel. It will add loads of drama and really spice things up.”

For the six chair challenge, performances will take place at Wembley Arena with six chairs on the stage representing the spots at judges’ houses.

The acts in each category will perform once, one after the other, for all the judges and a live audience having picked what they hope is a killer song to get them through.

All the judges will comment – and you can be sure the audience will make their opinion known – but it’ll be the mentor of that category who alone decides whether to give an act a seat or to send them home there and then.

However, even those given seats aren’t necessarily safe. The mentors can choose to swap those in a seat out for another act if they feel others performed better.

But in a new shake up to the format, X Factor bosses have introduced a Britain’s Got Talent golden buzzer style twist.

For the six chair challenge in 2018, each judge can put one act straight through to judges’ houses in a ‘safe seat’.

“This year each of our judges has one Guaranteed Safe Seat to give away in this round,” a source told The Sun newspaper. “If the judge likes an act enough and they definitely want to see them at judges houses they’ll press this golden X and give that act a Safe Seat.

“This means the act cannot be swapped out of their chair and they’ll go straight through to judges houses.”

From judges’ houses, acts will compete to make the live shows.

The X Factor 2018 will start on ITV later this year.