By The X Factor began this series trumpeting how different it was, how many changes had been made, how we were going to see something new. With such big build-up, it's no wonder that some viewers complained that actually it felt kind of the same.
Fairly or unfairly, much of this landed at the feet of the show's two new judges. Nick Grimshaw - so funny when we went to see the auditions being filmed - hasn't really translated in the episodes yet, but perhaps will really get to show off what he can do in the live shows when his quick wit will be given a chance to shine.
The X Factor 2015: Relive the best (and worst) auditions from Sunday's show
But anyone doubting his fellow newbie Rita Ora must surely have felt differently after Sunday night's episode, which might as well have been renamed The Rita Show.
First it was her ditziness - mistaking Calypso with Calippo lollies (Cheryl Fernandez-Versini congratulating her with all the patience of a harassed primary school teacher); announcing that you shouldn't read a book by its cover; referring to that well-known Sunday programme "Songs of Hymn".
Then there was the entire segment devoted to her flirtiness, with a parade of male singers of varying talent patched together for a good-humoured giggle about how much of a "wild animal" she is. (This montage also showed that Rita's learned something about metaphors from her former Voice colleague will.i.am, bizarrely comparing one act's voice to boiled ham; weirdly, we kind of knew what she meant.)
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Even some of the acts felt like they were there to flag up Rita's place on the panel, as Havva Rebke revealed that she'd previously auditioned for her in 2012 when she was a guest judge.
But The X Factor has always insisted it's not about the judges, but about the talent: so it's just as well that there were some solid acts tonight (despite the presence of the standard 'joke' act, Mary O'Sullivan, whose appearance in which she hit out at Cowell probably went on slightly too long).
Nervous Neneth Lyons was brilliant and blew the judges away, though she'll probably also infuriate some with her history of singing in a Hong Kong hotel before she met her husband.
On the other hand, Kiera Weathers seemed like a real discovery and felt like she could be something special. As Simon Cowell said, she has "taste" - a brilliant but slightly quirky song choice, a stunning voice, and a great look. Kiera definitely looks like one to watch.
But it was another auditionee that felt particularly exciting. Katie Coleman perhaps didn't look like she would be great as she joked about her nerves backstage, but her emotional performance of Ariana Grande's 'Break Free' drew us in.
You know you're in the company of someone special when they can make you see a song in a completely different way, and Katie managed to do just that, with her heart worn so firmly on her sleeve that it was almost difficult to take.
We can go on about the judges as much as we want, but really The X Factor will always survive as long as it can present us with singers like this: real talent like Katie and Kiera that we can all get behind.
The X Factor continues with its final episode of auditions on Saturday (September 19) at 8pm on ITV.
