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The X Factor has been described as "gladiatorial" for years, which Simon Cowell seemed to take as a compliment. What else would account for the introduction of the Six Chair Challenge, surely the most brutal stage of any talent competition out there?
We can't think of a more intimidating arena in which the acts could possibly perform, fighting not just for their spot in the Top Six but also facing the rowdiest of crowds, ready to boo and ruthlessly boot you out of a chair if they think someone is better.
Imagine being an act who has overcome the nerves and won a seat, only to see the audience thrusting their fingers up in the air to indicate that actually they want rid of you?
This series' first Six Chair Challenge - focusing on Rita Ora and her Girls category - was just that brutal, leaving us feeling emotionally exhausted after two hours of cheers, jeers and tears.
At least there was some comic relief, provided by Kelly Mai Webb at just the moment when we thought we might faint with the pressure.
Her jolly demeanour and admittedly not great singing (which gave Cowell a blessed opportunity to shoot out a one-liner about drunkenly emerging from tents) provided a break in the tension at the right time - but even she was booed by an overzealous crowd who had perhaps forgotten they weren't actually meant to be attacking the acts themselves.
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For a new judge, Ora acquitted herself well in the challenge, appearing caring but firm in her decisions. She might have confessed to feeling sick and she might have looked distraught, but she was steadfast and didn't buckle when the audience responded with fury to some of her swaps and began chanting for acts to be brought back. Even Cowell can't say that.
And if there's one upside to all this, it's that there's a huge amount of talent in the Girls category. After all, there would be no tension in the Six Chair Challenge if there were only six good acts, but in this case the bar was set very high indeed.
In another series, the likes of Charli Beard and Lucy Duffield would have sailed through to Judges' Houses, but that just goes to show how brilliant the acts were. Special mention must go to Louisa Johnson, who must surely have booked her place in the live shows by now, and also to Chloe Paige, who stepped things up hugely with a jawdropping a capella version of 'Amazing Grace'.
Going into Judges' Houses, then, Ora's category is looking fierce - and, more importantly, varied, with the likes of the talented Havva Rebke offering something other than the standard 'stand and belt' class of singer.
Her choices and the strength of her acts go some way to overpowering the more difficult parts of the Six Chair Challenge, though watching the lucky ones attempt to celebrate their place in the next stage just after the emotional nightmare they'd been through was quite something.
Whether the other categories will be able to prove themselves in quite the same way remains to be seen - we would wager not. With Cowell already complaining about being given the Overs to mentor, it seems there could be some interesting journeys to come, as X Factor would say.
The X Factor continues next Sunday (October 11) at 7pm on ITV.
Want to be on The X Factor, but without Simon Cowell grimacing at you? The Bopheads app gives you the chance to appear in that funny bit in the ad breaks, all thanks to those clever people at TalkTalk. Simply download here.
