'X Factor' bosses 'can't confirm judges'

The X Factor producers have revealed that they cannot yet confirm whether all four judges will be returning for the next series of the ITV1 talent show.

Accepting the award for best reality series at last night's Digital Spy Reality TV Awards, series producer Mark Sidaway admitted that they could not clear up rumours that they were looking to recruit a new judge.

"[We can't confirm] at the moment but we're confident that whatever the shape of the judging panel, the show will be as successful as it's always been," he said.

Talkback Thames executive producer Andrew Llinares revealed that around 200,000 people had applied for the sixth series of the show, adding that the categories for this year's contest had not been confirmed.

When asked why the audition age had been raised back up to 16, Sidaway said: "Every year we want to make sure that we change elements of the show, freshen it up and that, for us, felt like the right move this year."