X Factor judges houses boost travel searches for flights and holidays

Let’s face it, who didn’t catch at least a few minutes of the X Factor last weekend? As the people who can actually sing progress from the comedic dross of the auditions, succeed at the reality checking ‘bootcamp’, the young hopefuls (and over 28’s) then get an amazing freebie to one of the exotic locations featuring the X Factor judges ‘homes’.

This particular stage (where dreams are made and broken amongst turbo charged emotions and bucket loads of tears – are the contestants actually paid per tear?) has become something of a regular feature in X Factor tradition.

The stunning homes of Simon, Louis, Danni and Cheryl always cause a bit of a stir

It was the young boys who seemed to come up trumps as new mum Dannii Minogue took her warbling squad to her native Australia. The cubular coiffed Simon Cowell took the groups to his luxurious holiday home in Marbella, Spain, whilst the over excitable Louis Walsh took his ‘do-they-ever-win-over-28s’ to his home town Shannon, Ireland. Frustratingly for the girls, they clearly drew the short straw as Cheryl Cole took her group to Ascot, Berkshire.

Sydney, significantly warmer than Britain and the location of Danni's 'digs'

Of course for the die hard X Factor faithful (the ones that write slogans on bedsheets in the crowd, print t-shirts and clap louder when over excitable Louis passionately stands up) they will have been more concerned with which acts went through than where the judges took their acts! However, for those of a more neutral, grounded footing who haven’t been swept up in the tabloid-esque furore that encapsulates the nation every autumn, the sweeping views of the Sydney Opera House, the glistening shots of Simon Cowell’s swimming pool and the idyllic panoramas across Shannon were hard to ignore on a wet autumn evening.

Marbella - scene of Simon's judging lair and favourite with British holiday makers!

So much so, ITV’s top show looks to have tickled the Britain’s itchy feet that little bit more.
Here at travelsupermarket.com we saw incredible increases in searches to all three of the overseas destinations showcased in the programme over the weekend:

• Searches for flights to Sydney, Australia were up 42 percent
• Searches for flights to Shannon, Ireland were up 83 percent
• And searches for package holidays to Marbella, Spain were up 45 percent

The Cliffs of Moher, Shannon and over excitable Louis' backyard!

Only Cheryl Cole’s location, Ascot, was not affected, with no uplift in searches between last weekend versus. the one before – poor Cheryl, at least you don’t need to take anti-malarials to enter the jungles of deepest Berkshire!

Next year, I think Cheryl should host the judging in her real hometown of Newcastle and have Geordie boy Sting as accompanying assistant judge!

Which of the judges salubrious mansions impressed you the most?