Simon Cowell revealed to GMTV this morning that X Factor auditions will take place in front of a live audience, much like on Britain's Got Talent.

He also admitted to the programme that Susan Boyle had found it “very, very difficult” to cope with the attention that she received after she appeared on Britain's Got Talent this series.

Speaking of Boyle, Simon said: “Everyone is writing about her, she's in the spotlight and she found it difficult to cope with and, at that point, even I sat down with her and said 'Look, if this is getting too much for you, you don't have to go into the final, no-one is going to force you.'

"'You do whatever you want, no-one is going to force you.'

"And she looked me in the eye and said 'No, I want to win this competition, I want to give it a go' and that was the decision we all made and I thought that she wanted to do it, but it was only at the moment that she lost that it hits you and you go 'How is she going to cope with this?' and she found it very, very difficult."

However he disagreed with suggestions that contestants should be psychologically tested before being allowed to audition on the show, saying that this would be “almost discrimination.”