Family visit - Oxford Part 3 - The Extra Factor

I am not a huge fan of the X-Factor. To be honest I cannot remember who won what, when and other than a handful of contestants I cannot really think of any who have made a real career from winning it.

I hold my hand up and admit that I will occasionally watch the first few open audition weeks, although this is typically with the same type of morbid fascination that the ancients watched gladiatorial games. It is incredible to see young Wayne, whose Mum has put him up for it and whose voice she says is that of an angel, who would only be able to hit the correct note if it was lying bleeding at his feet and he had a big shovel in his hands, and who has as much chance of hitting the charts as I have of becoming the first man to walk on the sun! But for some reason it's is almost addictive to watch these people come on and murder a song before being ripped apart by the judges on the panel. It does seem a bit sad that celebrity is something that is so desperately sought that people will willingly risk national humiliation for the chance to gain it (I know that I couldn't carry a tune even in a bucket......and therefore I would not enter myself into a singing competition!)

This weekend, my Sister, who really enjoys the X-Factor, but knowing that she was going to be sharing the TV with three rugby lads decided to make things slightly more interesting with an X-Factor drinking game. I believe she found it online, and having had a brief look I know that there are several out there all along the same lines, but the rules that we played are these:

With a TV turned onto the X-factor and a drink of your choice in hand (admittedly alcohol in our case but this is not necessarily a requisit and I certainly don't suggest or recommend drinking in excess.....even if I do tend to end up doing it!)

Everytime one of the following happens two fingers depth of drink and drunk:

• Louis Walsh mentions that Simon Cowell brought the world...........(you can choose for yourself who to suggest or just use the fact that he mentions anyone)
• Louis Walsh mentions Westlife
• Simon Cowell winks at a contestant
• A contestant describes that this is their "life dream" or that they are "going to give it their all"
• Cheryl Cole calls someone "Pet"
• That anyone of the judges uses the phrase "you owned that!"

If this was not enough you are then to "down" the drink if:

• A contestant's performance is described as karaoke
• Cheryl Cole cries
• A performance is described as the "Best performance of the night", or
• Someone utters the phrase "you are the reason that this competition exists!"

I admit that after the first few rounds we had to swiftly move on to shots as we were running out of beer, although we kept to the longer drinks for the two finger challenges.

I don't know if I enjoyed the X-factor anymore than normal, although I must admit that it did seem to go faster.

Sunday was not so much fun!