Last Saturday, the X Factor returned to our screens, bringing with it some familiar judging faces, including the triumphant return of the fiery Sharon Osbourne, and a whole host of new contestants and re-formatting. Show producers reverted back to the original format of initial auditions being held in front of judges only, rather than the large arena; a move which seems to have gone down well with critics, as nerves are minimised and personalities given more opportunity to shine.

Only one weekend in, and we have already seen plenty of drama, potential future superstars, and a fair share of failures. Some of the ones to watch so far are:

Tamera Foster

Tamera Foster, 16, originally auditioned as part of a duo, Silver Rock, but was eventually put through as a soloist. After battling the nerves and a rocky start to perform an incredible version of I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston, she had the whole audience behind her.

Hannah Barrett

The nervous 17 year old Hannah, who has fought through a troubled childhood, sailed through the first round, with an emotional and soulful performance that has firmly put her on the list of ones-to-watch.

Sam Bailey

Unlikely star, mother and prison warden Sam immediately wowed the judges with her powerful voice, performing Beyonce's Listen in her first audition, and continued to surprise in front of the audience. A good bet for the 'overs' category.

Alejandro Fernandez-Holt

Heartthrob Alejandro immediately wowed the ladies with a charismatic performance of Enrique Iglesias, and although perhaps not the strongest vocalist in the competition, he certainly has charm in abundance.

As X Factor fever is set to grip the nation again until Christmas, here at London Speaker Hire we are proud to have been a part in the large jigsaw of pieces that make up the show. In previous years we have supplied speaker equipment to the show, and also to some very successful previous contestants who have gone on to perform at large venues. We rent speakers in London to a large variety of performers, and stock equipment to fit a venue and crowd of any size and to any performance budget.

Our eyes are now glued to the screen, and we wish every bit of luck to the new round of hopefuls, some of whom will be lucky enough to sell out arenas in the not too distant future.