Sometimes we lie awake at night possessed by an eternally difficult conundrum: do we like X Factor or American Idol more? It's a tough one, because both X Factor and American Idol have so much going for them.

In X Factor's corner, there's Sharon Osbourne; a bizarre woman who can flick between a patronising, sing-song 'I like poor people and Princess Diana' little girl voice and an angry shrieking roar because somebody mentions in passing that they don't like the butter adverts that Ozzy Osbourne does. But then, American Idol has a never-ending, ridiculous stream of guest judges. Want to know what Kenny Loggins thinks of your singing voice? Go on American Idol. But what if X Factor and American Idol smashed into each other head-on at 10,000mph, like a giant ceramic dragon taking on a glistening metal eagle with snakes for wings in an epic battle to save the solar system? What then?

Here are the X Factor betting odds for Taylor Hicks to be a guest judge on this year's X Factor…

Taylor Hicks to be a guest judge on this year's X Factor – With the inclusion of Paula Abdul during the audition sections of X Factor, it's clear that season three of X Factor is going to be all about the big-name guests. Elton John, Robbie Williams and, er, Westlife have been whispered about in terms of joining the show at various points this series, but what about Taylor Hicks. You know who Taylor Hicks is, don't you – he won the last series of American Idol with his bizarre hiccupy whooping singing voice. Now, it's unlikely – Simon Cowell usually washes his hands of the winners of his TV shows roughly 2.5 seconds after their first single has been released – but if Taylor Hicks has a single out in the UK to promote, there's every chance that he'll be wheeled on to act as an X Factor judge. Quite what his opinions on the singers would be are another matter, though – apart from "Why don't you try and fill every second of the track with a sort of random bellowing?" we can't really see what Taylor's expertise would add up to. Current X Factor betting odds – 8/1 

Tomorrow: An X Factor finalist to quit?

[story by Stuart Heritage]