Friday 27-03-2020 - 12:07

The term ‘Saturday night TV’ doesn’t hold nearly enough resonance with us as it used to. Back in its prime, Simon Cowell dominated satellite TV with shows like X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent alike. Although X Factor creeps back on to our screens with re-vamped versions each year, nothing seems to compare to the original stripped back set up of Simon, Louis and Sharon in a small studio space. We’ve scoped out the funniest, most iconic X Factor auditions from over the years and compiled them all in one place for you. Enjoy!

AbLisa 

So, I know we mentioned our appreciation for the classic X Factor days, but we’re going to do a 180 on that and start off a little later down the X Factor line. With a whopping 130 million views on YouTube, it seems only appropriate to kickstart with this somewhat iconic duo. AbLisa (you guessed it, Abbie and Lisa) are friends/cousins/sisters who entered our screens in the 2010 series. After a rough start including a storm-off and “SHUT UUUUP” to the audience, the girls perform their classic rendition of Shane Ward’s ‘That’s My Goal’. Following critique from the judges, Lisa pops the infamous “Who are you, may I ask?” line to guest judge Natalie Imbruglia. Then comes the iconic elbow to the face from Lisa as she storms off stage. Little did these girls know, their tantrums and bickers created a classic TV moment that will be remembered by the British public forever. 

youtube.com/watch?v=rrNbLBS1D2Q 

Ant & Seb 

AKA Ant & Deaf. Comparable to P Diddy, Usher and a hint of Rick Astley (their words, not ours). It’s back to 2008 now for this duo, and we feel no description is needed for why this one had the nation in hysterics. Remember when you were younger, and your parents forced you to take your younger sibling along with you somewhere? That’s the vibe we’re getting. And as if those backing vocals aren’t enough to make you chuckle, the perseverance of these guys is both hilarious and admirable. Enough to have Tony from security get involved, anyway. Top tier X Factor content in our eyes. 

youtube.com/watch?v=KkKaTeWI3KM

Ariel the Holistic Vocal Coach 

With an opening line of “I am not a number; I am a human being” it’s clear we’re in for a good one here. We love to see it. She’s a generalist, not a specialist. She’s performing an academic construction, not a song. And it wasn’t something to be liked, it was to be understood from an academic perspective. If you can’t understand that – you are CLEARLY not an academic. Ariel sadly passed away last year; we hope she knew how much joy she brought people with this iconic audition. 

youtube.com/watch?v=xVhuO2zq4EA 

 

Dawn the Apprentice Jockey 

Next up is Dawn, the unexpected Apprentice racing jockey. Although this incredibly niche job title did tickle us, what made this great content is the judges’ reaction. After double checking the lyrics from a note Dawn had previously prepared, she began her timid rendition of Madonna’s Cherish. Louis and Sharon couldn’t hack it and had to leave the room from laughing too much. To top it all off, Osbourne whacks her head on the way-out, mid-laughing. Fantastic content all round. 

youtube.com/watch?v=-kI6GQtQPYQ

Beck Martin: It’s Friday Night! 

Picture this: self-isolation period is over; you’re meeting back up with the gang on a Friday evening for pre-drinks before hitting the town for the first time in months. Your playlist is looking a bit dry and over-repetitive. You’re after that one tune that’s going to get you in the mood to party and on that dancefloor. Well, look no further. It’s Friday Night. 

youtube.com/watch?v=a1XGTAB13aM 

Judges in Hysterics 

And finally, we're going to leave you with this compilation of the judges amid a giggle frenzy. I don’t know about you, but watching others laugh is completely infectious for us. There may be a repeat of auditions we’ve already mentioned here (because obviously we handpicked the funniest one's for you) but nevertheless this is a great ‘best of’ to end on. 

youtube.com/watch?v=vE2M0QqjecE

So, there you have it, a roundup of some of our favourite old school X Factor auditions. If you’re looking to kill time and fancy a tumble down the dark hole that is YouTube auto play, X Factor auditions are a classic go to. Happy procrastination!