What To Expect When Attending a Live Taping of The X-Factor

When I was told I had the opportunity to attend a live taping of The X Factor, it was like Christmas morning had come and I was being showered with gifts. I accepted while I was trying to contain my excitement, but burst out screaming when I had realized what I got myself into. I would be able to watch dozens and dozens of people audition while anticipating witty or downright brutal critiques from Simon Cowell. On top of that, I would get to see if Britney Spears would be able to form a sentence, but to be quite honest, I was rooting for her. Looking at the ticket, there was a long list of clothing requirements which ultimately ended in being told to dress "hip and upscale" like we were attending a nice restaurant or club. The ticket also said that if we didn't, we would be denied entry. Needless to say, I made sure I looked slick. I wish I had known that they weren't really serious about the denial of entry as there were plenty of people not following the requirements. I also noticed there were others who took the clothing requirements and ran with it. I saw ballroom gowns and suits galore coupled with a look of embarrassment on these people's faces as they stood next to someone in a hoodie and khakis. In addition, we were in line for a good hour in the blazing heat and I could only imagine how hot it was being layered in clothing. Now here's where it gets fun. Once we got in, we sat there for a really long time listening to the guy they hire to keep the audience interested. We waited a long time. In fact, people who came in significantly later than us got better seats because the fates were on their side when tickets were being randomly handed out. Only people who got there hours beforehand sat in the front while after a certain point, your seating was decided by whoever checks you in. When the judges were finally walked in, the audience cheered for a good 5-10 minutes as our vocal chords and ear drums were about to split. It was exhilarating to say the least and the judges said we were the best crowd yet, which they probably tell everyone. Now that we're on that topic, we were constantly given positive reinforcement every couple of minutes. It makes sense as it makes us feel like we really are the "fifth judge" in their own words. Right after the judges sat down, the auditions started. I was very pleased, but wasn't ready for how long they actually spend on each contestant. They give most of them at least three tries in contrast with the one you see on television. I don't know if it was just horrible song choices, but it was almost refreshing to see Simon and L.A. constantly reject song choices in order to find a better fit for the contestant. Speaking of, the judges' critiques and banter were almost exactly how they appear on television. Whether or not they'll edit it in the end, I at least know that the judges know what they're doing. For the three hours of taping we went to, we only got to see about 10-15 people sing. It went really slow and many people left before it ended. Our entire row was missing except for us and there were empty spots everywhere. It went even slower when the judges took long breaks every hour while we were told it would only take a minute. The audience was getting restless near the middle and we were only a shell of how excited we were in the beginning. When it was all done we were told to do a couple things so they could edit it in (They didn't flat out say they were going to edit it in, but come on). It was quite the experience to be frank, but not for everyone. If I had to warn people of anything it would be: - Make sure you're well rested even if your taping is later in the day. It is extremely tiring. - Dress nice, but not too nice. Wear something comfortable that you don't mind sweating in all day. - Your hands will hurt from applauding. - For The X Factor, recordings are allowed for when the judges come in. I wish I had known this beforehand. - The time on your ticket is an hour ahead of when it starts, sometimes even more. My ticket was 1:00 p.m, but the judges didn't come in till about 2:30 p.m. - Get ready for some rowdy and annoying audience members. After all, we were told to be as naughty as possible. - Remember that you are there to be taped.... - ...but don't expect to be on TV. I would personally go again if I had the chance, but this time I'll be more prepared. The only thing I hope for is that some of the auditions I saw are actually used because there were some great singers and it would be horrible for them to not be featured.