Gary Barlow has admitted he wasn’t comfortable with some of the raunchy routines on the X Factor last year.

The new series of the talent show kicks off today and many parents will be hoping that they don’t see a repeat of the sexually provocative sets performed by Christina Aguilera and Rihanna on last year's final.

Thousands of viewers complained to broadcasting regulator Ofcom over the performances, which were pre-watershed and showed both singers scantily clad as they performed sexually suggestive dance routines.

Despite the complaints, Ofcom ruled that the performances were “at the very margin of acceptability”.

There was disappointment over the ruling and now even Take That singer and X Factor judge Barlow has come down against the routines.

He was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: “I was watching the show last year and had a ten and an eight-year-old with me. Christina Aguilera was too much for me.”

Earlier this month, former Spice Girls singer Mel C told of how becoming a mother had made her think differently about artists such as Rihanna.

She said that Rihanna should take responsibility for her younger fans.

“People have to take responsibility because we’ve got to a point where over-sexualisation of young children has gone too far,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Women in music, very successful women, are extremely sexual and they have young fans. It is inappropriate.

“Rihanna has responsibility and although culture’s always changing, it’s changed too much. It needs to be dealt with. It’s reached saturation point, we owe it to our kids to protect them.”