Simon Cowell strictly against a ratings war

Simon Cowell has come out to say that he does not think that the BBC is doing a good thing by placing Strictly Come Dancing up against his X Factor show. This is not about sour grapes, it is just that Simon thinks that licence fee payers could enjoy both shows. He's a fan of Strictly so he's not grinding an axe here. Sounds all very plausible.

However, I sense he's got a bit of an ITV feather protruding from his impresario's hat. He is asking ITV to shift X Factor. Now there was a time when ITV, in the form of Granada, LWT or Thames Television, would relish the thought of humbling the BBC in a ratings war. Not anymore. Now we live in a recession, where TV advertisers are keen to see guaranteed audiences. With so much other than terrestrial television for people to watch, ITV is getting currant buns instead of a slice of the cake. It stands to reason advertisers want to keep ITV programmes in front of as many of the dwindling number of viewers as they can.

The BBC is not phased, though. They blame Merlin for the timing of Strictly. Simon Cowell and ITV may need their own wizard to conjure up a few tricks if they are to combat BBC spin!