Simon Cowell ready for 'ratings battle'

Simon Cowell has said he is ready for “a ratings battle” after it emerged The X Factor is going up against Strictly Come Dancing in the TV schedules.

Simon is ready to take on Strictly with his show (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire)

The BBC ballroom show launches on Sunday September 7, running from 8pm to 9.15pm, which clashes with the X Factor episode on screen from 8pm to 9.05pm.

Speaking at the show’s launch in central London, Cowell said it would be the viewers who would lose out.

He said: “I always think that when people do that, the people they are pissing off are the viewers. And they say this isn’t a ratings battle, it is, that’s why they did it.

“They didn’t have to put it on at the same time as us, they did and it means that people then have to make the choice where before I think it was more of a gentleman’s type agreement but it just shows as far as I’m concerned, this is personally speaking, the producers of the show for what they are.

“They don’t want this show to do well, they don’t want people to watch it, and our job is to do the best job we can so people prefer X Factor to them.”

Tess and Claudia are the hosts of Strictly (Ray Burmiston/Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

A BBC spokeswoman said its hand was forced when ITV scheduled an hour-long episode of Coronation Street on the same night and it had to move Strictly to avoid clashing with the popular soap.

She said: “We always try to avoid direct clashes but it’s important that Strictly launches in prime time and with the extra episode of Coronation Street coming in, it’s unfortunately left us with very little room to move on this occasion.”