It's a good song. Not really a Christmas song, but if people bought it to protest against X-Factor then good for them.
Despite the 22m ratings, a lot of people probably only do so in order to see how bad it is (you know, those people who read the Daily Mail to get outraged!) and take the p**s out of it. They don't vote, don't care for the talent - which is poor compared to previous/early years - but watch anyway. Some people HAVE to watch it because their friends/colleagues watch it.
And some will watch because it is that sort of dumbed down TV that reflects modern TV. Large graphics, crashing sound effects and shouting. It could just as well be Fox News.
Lookign at Big Brother; eventually people all gave up. Nobody watched just in case something decent happened. Nobody felt left out when people at work were talking about it. In fact, people would be wondering why on earth you'd watch such dross.
This will happen to X-Factor.
Simon Cowell knows this too. He's a very shrewd business man and I'm certain he's already looking to move on and adapt to something else.
We may kill off X-Factor, but we'll still be seeing him (or one of his TV productions) on television for many years to come.
Personally, the idea of a TV talent show isn't bad. It just need to concentrate on real talent and less on hype. The contestants that went through to the final stages weren't good enough. No single person(s) could have ever been real world-class winners. Perhaps part of this comes down to the way the minority, who actually vote and don't simply watch, vote. Are the kids voting for the talent and skill, or who they like the look of, who they've read about most in the well manipulated press..? Look at 'Jedward' - they were AWFUL, but arguably could be good entertainers.. but this was the wrong programme for them in the first place.