Choirmaster Gareth Malone has criticised The X Factor as being too loud and “shiny”.
The 40-year-old – who became a household name teaching choral music to people with little singing experience in BBC Two’s The Choir – feels the volume of the ITV show has been over-amplified and admitted he is not a fan.
Asked by the Radio Times what he would change about British television, he said: “It’s a boring, nerdy answer: less audio compression, which is when they make the softer bits loud, so that everything is loud.
“X Factor is a prime example. It’s so shiny. You can turn it right down, and still hear absolutely everything.”
Gareth also said he would rather watch professional singers than newcomers getting started.
“I work with amateur musicians myself, so those shows feel a bit like a busman’s holiday to me,” he said.
He continued: “Look, I was an avid watcher of X Factor in 2005. It’s just been going on for a little while. And that’s fine, if that’s what you like.
“Sometimes things shouldn’t change too much. Nobody wants a massive overhaul of BBC Breakfast, do they?
“When I watch Countryfile, I know what I’m going to get. John Craven in wellies… With a fantastic jumper.
“There’s a lot to be said for shows maintaining what people like about them.”
It is not the first time the choirmaster has taken a swipe at The X Factor.
Last year he told the Radio Times that both Simon Cowell’s show and The Voice were not to his “taste”.
This week’s Radio Times is on sale on Tuesday.
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