Every year Simon Cowell likes to shake the X Factor up a bit. He drops age limits, raises them again, adds a fourth judge, sacks and rehires Louis Walsh and then brings in celebrity guest judges. Every year Simon likes the format to remain fresh and it would appear that 2010 is no different.

As well as bringing in a host of stars including Natalie Imruglia, Geri Halliwell, Katy Perry and Pixie Lott to guest judge at the nationwide auditions, the music mogul is also reportedly planning to change how this year’s finalists will be chosen.

Simon’s ex girlfriend and right hand woman Sinitta let the cat out of the bag to one of her reporter friends today. James Ingham from The Daily Star revealed via Twitter that in a twist to this year’s procedures, the public will be allowed to vote for and choose four wildcard finalists.

He tweeted:

Oh and sinitta has revealed 4 wild cards will go straight into the x factor final chosen by the public on line… Not the judges…

Sinitta may be in Cowell’s bad books for opening her trap, because James followed up by saying:

Think she’s opened her big mouth too soon again! Not sure that’s out yet…. It is now!

It is expected that all four judges will be able to choose their two favourite singers from the last six in their category, the public will then get to vote for one singer from each group to advance to the live shows.

The concept has already been tried on a smaller scale on this year’s Over The Rainbow show. After the judges picked their favourite ten Dorothy hopefuls, the public were allowed to vote one extra girl in – they chose 19 year old Emilie Fleming. Emilie survived for four weeks before being voted off and though she attracted much criticism from the judges during her time on the show, she managed to stay out of the bottom two until her final week.

Wed love to hear what you think of this wildcard idea? Would you like to have more of a say in who makes the finals? We would love to think that this development would lead to less people as untalented as John and Edward Grimes getting through, sadly we think the opposite may be true!

Leave your comments below.