Gary replaced Simon Cowell on the judgeâs panel earlier this year, but since the big cheese left the show isnât as popular. It still brings in over 10 million viewers every Saturday but this past weekâs episode was down 3 million compared to last yearâs equivalent and the one time king of reality TV has recently fallen behind Strictly Come Dancing in the polls.
The Take That frontman is also having problems with the public scrutiny that comes from being on the show and he went on to say that âthe people who write about it are so vicious; you are actually sat in a big goldfish bowl. Iâm judging and people are judging me judging â itâs bizarre.â?
While Barlow may be feeling the pressure, itâs probably nothing compared to his fellow judge Kelly Rowland, who has had a strained first season with X Factor. She has been hinting about leaving after this series, but doesnât blame press criticism.
She told The Daily Mirror, âX Factor next year? Weâll see⦠I definitely would love to go on tour though, so that will be my focus.â?
Though it isnât exactly a resignation, she seems less than enthusiastic about returning to the show and many fans will probably welcome her departure. Itâs been rumoured that she may replace Nicole Scherzinger on the USA incarnation, which would be a tough gig to turn down.
