[Firewire]

The X Factor has fired a new shot in its ratings war with Strictly Come Dancing.

The ITV singing competition will air on Friday, September 26 as well as on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28.

This is the first time that The X Factor has aired on a Friday, and means that it will clash directly with the first Strictly Come Dancing live show.

The new battle in the shows' ratings war comes after Strictly Come Dancing beat The X Factor this past weekend, with Simon Cowell tweeting: "Round one to them".

Cowell had previously bemoaned the ratings war between the two shows, suggesting that the only losers were viewers.

However, BBC One defended its decision to air the Strictly launch opposite The X Factor, explaining that it was to avoid Coronation Street - which had unusually moved to Sunday because of football.

The X Factor will air on Fridays for two weeks, with the first long weekend dedicated to the Boot Camp stage and the following week to the Judges' Houses round of the competition.

A BBC insider told Digital Spy: "It's very odd as they claim they are doing everything they can to avoid clashes but are playing X Factor on a Friday night for the first time ever when Strictly's first live show has been on Fridays for years.

"We were genuinely surprised at the scheduling because Simon Cowell spent the week saying he thinks it's best to avoid Strictly and X Factor clashing but ITV obviously hadn't told him that they were planning to create a clash for the Friday."

ITV sources have defended the move, suggesting that it was always planned because they are unable to fit in a long enough episode of The X Factor on Sunday nights; the schedule also includes the return of Downton Abbey and episodes of Sunday Night at the London Palladium.