The Great British Bore Off! Is X Factor more exciting than Bake Off?

“My belief is it’s more exciting to see someone like Leona Lewis win and sing a fantastic song, than looking at a chocolate éclair at the end of the show,” Cowell told Piers Morgan at a Mipcom session in Cannes, reports the Guardian.

The media mogul’s comments come less than a week after an average overnight audience of 12.3 million tuned in to watch The Great British Bake Off final on BBC1, making it a serious contender for one of the most watched programmes of the year. A somewhat better performance than Cowell’s own effort at a cookery contest in the shape of Food Glorious Food, which failed to excite viewers or critics in the spring of 2013.

Meanwhile, however, Cowell’s X Factor has entered its eleventh series on ITV, and continues to draw big audiences on Saturday and Sunday night – despite aggressive competition from BBC rival Strictly Come Dancing.

With Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini back on the show, and some ‘girl power’ added to the judging panel in the shape of Mel B, it looks like it could turn out to be another vintage year for the long-running singing competition.

But what is more exciting; soggy bottoms or bum notes, bingate or deadlock, Mary Berry or Mel B?

There’s only one way to settle this without setting up a shiny-floored talent show where people literally sing for their dinner – and that’s with a good old-fashioned public vote…

Over to you!