Gary can’t put that Celebrity Dad of The Year trophy down!

It seems that Simon Cowell isn’t the only person disappointed with last year’s X Factor contestants.

The music mogul reportedly said they were the worst and most boring batch of singers ever seen on the show and in a recent interview, head judge Gary Barlow has admitted that many of the hopefuls tunred out to be incredibly lazy.

The Take That star mentored the boys on the 2011 run and worked closely with Craig Colton, Marcus Collins, Frankie Cocozza and James Michael as they progressed through the competition. He even continued to assist Marcus with his debut album after he finished in second place.

Speaking to You magazine this week, Gary said many of the stars became too lazy and complacent when the series ended and were unwilling to out in the work needed to become successful.

He said: “One of the biggest shocks for me last year was how quickly people become lazy once they get into this competition.

“Many times I found myself thinking, ‘Hold on, this is just the start. You haven’t made it yet. Even if you win, it’s just the start.’”

The handsome singer added: “It’s weird, you take people off the street and put them in this bubble, and they start to act like they’ve arrived. You can see them thinking, ‘I was born to do this. I don’t have to work at it.’”

Louis Walsh agreed with Gary’s assessment, saying: “Looking back, the contestants weren’t as strong as we initially thought.”

He continued:

“A lot of them think they deserve it. What they don’t appreciate is that the judges have clawed their way there. I’m not sure many of them realise how much hard work’s involved.”

The X factor returns to ITV next weekend and both men have promised that they have found some of the best contestants ever seen on the show to date. They say the new faces have musicality and talent that makes them proud.

Are you excited about the new series? Leave your comments below….