[tellyblues]

Not sure that was really an issue because it lasted many years with the winner becoming a massive star very few years. Even as far back as Pop Idol 2 the winner failed to achieve anything outside perhaps their first single or two most years. 

Had it have continued to get 7 or 8 million viewers it would have still been on air. I think people just got bored of the format and constant changes, as well as suffering from younger viewers slowly moving away from traditional TV viewing.

Strictly on the other hand always skewed older and any changes to the format happening slowly over the years.

I agree that constant chopping and changing doesn't help matters but unlike most shows The X Factor had a very high place to fall from and the amount of viewers wasn't going to half in the space of a year or even two. Up until series 10, the show's claim of making stars out of people couldn't be called into question as there was always someone who had a good career out of the show. Sam Bailey was probably the first winner you couldn't imagine going anywhere, Ben Haenow the same but they still got to No.1 at least. Everyone afterwards, only decent singers and by then the show was seen as a curse.

The appetite for series 3 of Pop Idol will remain a mystery but had it continued and produced a winner like Michelle McManus every year, it too would have ended soonafter.