The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing will briefly go head to head against each other in the television schedules as the battle for Saturday night ratings heats up.

Channel bosses are usually at pains to ensure the two hit shows do not cross over but there will be a five-minute overlap next Saturday.

ITV has scheduled The X Factor's second live show to run from 8.20pm to 10.35pm, while BBC1's ballroom show will run from 6.30pm to 8.25pm.

x factor

It comes six months after the two channels were locked in a ratings war for Saturday night supremacy between BBC1's The Voice and another Simon Cowell show - Britain's Got Talent (BGT).

That battle was made more personal when Cowell poached former Strictly judge Alesha Dixon to join him on the BGT panel with Amanda Holden and David Walliams.

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