Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne

'The X Factor' is to introduce a new 200-second voting system on Saturday nights.

ITV Bosses have decided to shake up the talent show by giving viewers just over three minutes after every wannabe pop star has performed to pick up the phone and save their favourite from the chop, before the act with the lowest vote becomes the first to face the axe on Sunday.

In a bid to keep viewers hooked on the show, they will be asked to vote again on Sunday and the lowest-scoring performer will join the one from the previous day, but as part of the new twist, if the judges - Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger - go to deadlock, the act who received the lowest vote on Saturday will automatically get boot.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Millions tuned out last year because they figured they could just catch up on Sunday when we screened bite-sized versions of the previous night's performances.

"By giving them a chance to vote on Saturday, hopefully they will feel it's worth sticking around and watching.

"It will be more dramatic and have the added benefit of making the show a bit more transparent when we go to deadlock."

This year's 'X Factor' kicks off on August 31.