X FActor Autotuning

Multi-million dollar music mogul Simon Cowell has defended the X Factor's decision to allow the use of 'auto-tuning' technology in order to help struggling artists maintain their pitch in the itv show's auditions.

Fan's had branded some contestants 'cheats' after the show's synthesisers were used to mask mistakes in their performances, contrary to the concept that the show is a competition to find the best natural singers.

"Do the producers think our ears are that easily lied to? The whole point is to disseminate the good from the bad," vented one viewer.

The controversial auto-tuning is a corrective measure to cover up mistakes in performances during the audition phases of the show. X Factor bosses maintain that it's used to help the budding artists - most of them young - to cope with the pressure of performing, so that they can acclimatise themselves to the competitive atmosphere before performing in front of a live audience.