Nearly 75,000 hopefuls have entered this year's competition

The show, which sees hopefuls battling it out for the top prize of a recording contract, beat its BBC One rival to take a 40% share of the audience.

The BBC programme, He's Having A Baby hosted by Davina McCall, was watched by 2.4 million viewers.

Ex-pub and club singer Steve Brookstein won the first series of The X Factor.

The 36-year-old picked up a �1m deal with Simon Cowell's BMG label when he was crowned the winner in a live final in December 2004.

Brookstein won the first series of X Factor in December 2004

His debut single Against All Odds went straight to number one in the charts, as did his debut album, Heart & Soul.

However, he failed to capitalise on his early success and was dropped by his record label after eight months.

This year nearly 75,000 hopefuls have entered The X-Factor. They include a dairy farmer who dresses in drag, and a teenager with a voice that has been compared to Whitney Houston's.

The competition has three categories - for 16-24-year-olds, 25s and over, and for groups.

'Real characters'

"The X-Factor has returned stronger than ever with a great mix of talent and some real characters to watch along the way," said Claudia Rosencrantz, ITV's controller of entertainment.

"We are sure the X-Factor will find another top singing sensation," she added.

A BBC spokeswoman defended the BBC's Saturday night offering, saying that He's Having a Baby - which tracks the progress of eight men on their journey to parenthood - was a new kind of reality TV show.

"It is a family show and it is a totally unique format," she said.