Telly Talk: Simon Cowell's waltzing away with Saturday telly

Blog: Can someone tell me if Simon Cowell really turned up on Saturday night, because the judge everyone loves to loathe seemed to have lost his nasty streak and found his funny bone.

Even the weird and wonderful won his approval as X-Factor staged its first round in the live finals.

Long-haired howler Wagner was certainly "bonkers", as Simon put it, but the man who built a career on a taking-no-prisoners approach said it with almost fatherly affection. What is going on?

It makes you wonder if the media mogul had had enough controversy and mud-slinging for one week after Gamugate, or was he really worrying about Strictly Come Dancing stealing a march on his glory.

Well, if it's the latter he can go back to being his old self next week and let the caustic criticism rip because Strictly has lost its footing.

Never mind the trip from Pamela Stephenson on Saturday night – the entire programme is in danger of falling flat on its face.

Even the BBC know it – let's face it, if they had got it right they would give the Sunday night results show more than 30 minutes of airtime.

And it's a shame because it's almost there. The show is glamorous, it's fun and it glitters, but it seems all that glitters is not TV gold. Because there's no tension. No excitement. No drama.

It's lost all the intensity it once had and if it wasn't for Ann Widdecombe there would be no reason for tuning in at all. The Queen of the witty rebukes is fabulous viewing and I for one loved her salsa. She was having fun and it was Saturday night entertainment at its best.

But ditching the dance-off for a half-hearted effort at a results show is leaving Strictly hanging more precariously in the air than Ann as Anton Du Beke attempted that spinning lift. And, sorry, Alesha Dixon twittering on about it being a public show so therefore it's the public's choice sounded as sincere as Cheryl standing "absolutely" by her decision to choose madcap Katie Waissel. Yes it is about the public's choice (and most of the time they get it spot-on) but it is also about the experience.

We want the roller-coaster of the multi-layered exits. The last gasp chance to be saved. It's what it is all about. It's soap, pantomime and variety all rolled into one with a healthy dose of edge-of-your-seat emotion. For a prime example see Mary's reaction to the audience's extended applause on Saturday night. Fabulous.

I like this year's Strictly line-up but I felt distinctly flat after last night's show. And did Robbie Williams give them a two-for-one deal. Wasn't he the star turn last week? You can have too much of a good thing, you know. By the time Tess Daly came to announce Goldie was going I wanted to join him.

At the moment X-Factor is edging ahead. Their Sunday night show was bristling with atmosphere. Maybe it is the make-or-break nature of the decisions made on this show - Goldie will go back to being Goldie after all. But for Nicolo Festa and FYD dreams were left in tatters last night and you could see that in their reaction.

Perhaps Simon knew something we didn't all along and the lack of any real competition for the Saturday night crown was the reason he was in such a good mood.

But come on Strictly – don't let him have it all his own way.

By Tracey O'Sullivan