X Factor has built up a certain reputation over the last few years – and that's the reputation of a talent show that all the family can enjoy and bond over laughing at internet Christians at.

But X Factor's reputation as a family show is alarmingly fragile. It wouldn't take much for X Factor to lose its widespread appeal, as evidenced last year when Sharon Osbourne decided to have a discussion about her vagina to Shayne Ward on live Saturday evening television. X Factor survived that knock, but could it happen again? It'd only take one word.

Here are the X Factor betting odds for
Simon Cowell to swear during a live X Factor show…

Simon Cowell To Swear During A Live Show – Now this we'd like to see. For three seasons of X Factor, two seasons of Pop Idol and four seasons of American Idol, Simon Cowell has been rude to singers without ever slipping into bad language – that's the reason why people see Simon Cowell as a bit of a pantomime dame rather than a snarling imprisoned murderer. But imagine what would happen if – just once on a live X Factor show – Simon Cowell swore. Just an innocuous little "that was shit" when he thought his microphone was off or something. The floodgates would open after that – nothing that Simon Cowell could ever say to a contestant would be as bad as calling them "shit." The X Factor contestants would laugh in Simon Cowell's face every time he tried giving them a non-sweary insult. The only way that X Factor could ever survive after that would be to move  X Factor to a late night slot, where Simon could call people whatever he liked. "That was about as fun as having by cock pulled of by a fucking Albanian," he'd say, or "Why don't you go and kill yourself, you awful cunt," or "My Nan sings better than you and I fucked her pissing eyes out you big stinkflange." Actually, Simon Cowell, if you're reading this – can you swear on live TV? For us? Pretty please? Current X Factor betting odds – 6/1

Tomorrow – Sharon Osbourne to get throwy with the water again?

[story by Stuart Heritage]