X Factor

The X Factor is a British reality television music competition to find new singing talent. The contestants are aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created .
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X Factor winners: Every winner to date from the ITV show.

News all Most Read Most Recent. X Factor X Factor: Courts This mum disfigured her own brother-in-law for life after glassing him in vicious pub brawl Alesia Knight attacked her brother in law last December. People This Hull woman looks completely unrecognisable after dropping five dress sizes Kate Parry has lost six stone and dropped five dress sizes. People Widow's heartbreak as Hull City fan Steve Claxton dies from brain tumour he never knew he had Steve Claxton battled with cancer for the past five years.

People View Kate Parry's amazing transformation Kate has lost six stone and dropped five dress sizes. NHS Patient sent miles away for treatment due to lack of beds in East Yorkshire Labour said patients being sent so far from their homes was 'appalling'. Hull City Hull City news Recap: Tigers backed to progress as duo land praise Hull City news and rumours throughout the day. Castle Hill Hospital The incredible reason why these courageous colleagues have all had their heads shaved They look VERY different - but it was all for a great cause.

Most Read Most Recent. Hessle Road 'Flytippers keep dumping rubbish near my home - and it's taken three weeks to clear'. Hull City Council Hull woman fears she'll 'burn to death in her flat' every time someone burn their toast. A selection of the auditions in front of the judges — usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre described by Louis Walsh as "the good, the bad and the ugly" [25] — are broadcast over the first few weeks of the show.

In the first five series, each act entered the audition room and delivered a stand-up unaccompanied performance of their chosen song to the judges. From series 6—9, the judges' auditions were held in front of a live audience and the acts sang over a backing track. If a majority of the judges two in series 1—3, or three from series 4 onwards say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage, otherwise, they are sent home.

From series 10, the judges' room auditions were brought back; successful acts then later went onto the judges' arena auditions. Over 50, people auditioned for series 1, [28] around 75, for series 2 [29] and around , for series 3.


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The contestants selected at auditions are further refined through a series of performances at "Bootcamp", and then at the "judges' houses" previously "judges' homes" , until a small number eventually progress to the live finals nine in series 1, 12 from series 2 to 6, 16 from series 7—8, 13 in series 9, and back to 12 in series Walsh revealed in October that the houses the contestants visit may not actually belong to the judges, but are sometimes rented for the purpose. In the early series, this allocation took place after completion of the auditions and prior to Bootcamp, but from series 4, all four judges work together at the Bootcamp stage.

They collectively choose 24 acts six from each category for the next round and only then find out which category they will mentor. Bootcamp has two stages: Those who pass this stage then must sing again on their own in the next stage in front of the judges. A live audience was added to the second stage from series 4 onwards one exception in series 5 saw the live audience in the first stage instead, and another in series 7 saw it being axed altogether due to Cole's and Minogue's absences , and the performances at both stages now take place at Wembley Arena from series 7 onwards the first use of the live audience at the arena was in series 8.

Usually in both stages, the judges do not give any feedback to the acts after performing, and only deliberate on which acts to send through after all the performances at each stage are finished. However, in series 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14, the judges give feedback to the acts in the first stage and immediately decide who to send through.

They also made the immediate decisions in the second stage In series 7, an intermediate stage was used in-between the two stages in which the acts were taught to do a dance routine by the creative director but were not judged on performance. In series 8 and 9, the judges reviewed the audition tapes of the acts and deliberated on who to send home before their arrival, only revealing their eliminated acts to the contestants just before the first stage.

In series 13, the second stage of Bootcamp was cut down and the judges made the decisions on who to send through to the next stage of the competition. In series 4, 6, and 8 the judges found out which category they would be mentoring at the same time that the contestants found out their mentor, but in series 5, 7 and 9 the contestants did not know who their mentor was until they revealed themselves at the house.

The judges then disband for the "judges' houses" round, where they reduce their six acts to three for the live shows. In series 10, the format to Bootcamp was changed: From Series 11 onwards, the judges do not know their categories before the Bootcamp, so they have to make the decisions together.

After the Bootcamp round, the mentor challenges their contestants through the Six-Chair Challenge. Judges make decisions on who to put through to judges' houses straight after each act has performed, with those getting a yes taking a chair in the final six chairs on stage. It is up to the mentor to decide, which act they want to take to judges' houses, but once all six spots are full, if the mentor wants to send another act through to the next stage it means they have to replace one of those who were previously given a yes.

This format was very poorly rated by many members of the British public. In series 12, all of Bootcamp aired on-screen. For series 12, the judges' houses round was given a new tweak: Judges' houses returned to its previous format in being entirely pre-recorded at the locations for series The selected finalists either 9, 12, 13 or 16 acts move into shared accommodation to take part in the show.

The house accommodates both contestants and TV production staff [42] and footage from the house is often used in spin-off show The Xtra Factor. In the house, in West Heath Avenue, Golders Green , [43] received significant press coverage when it was mobbed by fans, leading to the police being called. The finals consist of a series of two live shows, the first featuring the contestants' performances and the second revealing the results of the public voting, culminating in one or more acts being eliminated.

Celebrity guest performers also feature regularly.

These live shows were filmed at Fountain Studios in Wembley , London from series 1 to In series 1—5, both live shows were broadcast on Saturday nights. In series 6, the results show moved to Sunday nights. In series 1, nine acts were put through to the live shows, increased to 12 in series 2. In series 7, following the addition of four wildcards, it increased to Then in series 9, it reduced back to three each, but one wildcard was added, meaning there were 13 finalists. Series 10 reverted to 12 finalists. Series 11 initially did the same, but the addition of four wildcards in the live shows brought it back up to 16 finalists; but with the wildcards chosen by a different judge instead of their category's mentor.

Series 12 used the same format as series 9, in which each category had three acts before one wildcard was added. For series 13, it returned to just 12 finalists, with no wildcard twist like in series 10 , although wildcard acts in each category were selected prior to judges' houses, each judge picking for another judge's category. Series 14 also used the wildcard premise as series 7 and 11, but added a twist in which the public voted for one act in each category to progress to the live shows.

The show is primarily concerned with identifying a potential pop star or star group, and singing talent, appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are all important elements of the contestants' performances. In the initial live shows, each act performs once in the first show in front of a studio audience and the judges, usually singing over a pre-recorded backing track. Dancers are also commonly featured. Acts occasionally accompany themselves on guitar or piano. In the first two series, acts usually chose a cover of a pop standard or contemporary hit.

From the third series, each live show has had a different theme; each contestant's song is chosen according to the theme. A celebrity guest connected to the theme is often invited onto the show, and clips are shown of the guest conversing with the contestants at rehearsal. After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance. Heated disagreements, usually involving judges defending their contestants against criticism, are a regular feature of the show. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the viewing public vote on which act they want to keep.

Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four series 1 and 3 , five series 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 or seven series 7 , the format changes. Each act performs twice in the first show, with the public vote opening after the first performance. This continues until only two series 1 and 3 , three series 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 or four series 7 acts remain.

These acts go on to appear in the grand final which decides the overall winner by public vote. In past series some of the more memorable failed auditionees from the early rounds have also returned for a special appearance in the final. From its inception up to series 7, the final took place in the same studio as the live shows. However, from series 8 onwards, due to the success of the arena auditions, the final now takes place at Wembley Arena , accommodating a larger stage and a much larger audience in series 9, however, the final took place at Manchester Central as Wembley Arena was unavailable.

Series 6 saw a change to the live show format: Series 9 completely changed the voting format. Lines now open for viewers to vote at the start of each show, and then close during the results show. For series 14, the format of the live shows was revised significantly: The voting window has once again been shortened; in that viewers only have a few minutes to vote for their favourite acts after all the contestants on the night have performed.

Before the results are announced, there are live or pre-recorded performances from one or more invited celebrities, often with performers connected to the week's theme. From series 6 onwards, the results show begins with a group performance from the remaining contestants. However, the song is pre-recorded and the contestants mime, due to problems with the number of microphones. Both these acts perform again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home.

In the first four series the bottom two contestants reprised their earlier song, but from series 5 they were able to pick new songs. In series 3, a twist occurred where the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated, and the two with the next fewest votes performed in the "final showdown" as normal. Ties became possible with the introduction of a fourth judge in series 4.

In the event of a tie the result goes to deadlock, and the act who came last in the public vote is sent home. The actual number of votes cast for each act is not revealed, nor even the order; according to a spokesman, "We would never reveal the voting figures during the competition as it could give contestants an unfair advantage and spoil the competition for viewers". Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four series 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9 or five series 2, 4, 5 and 6 , the act which polled the fewest votes is automatically eliminated from the competition the judges do not have a vote; their only role is to comment on the performances.

Two occasions in series 7 and series 10 during the semi-final saw the judges instead vote to send one of the bottom two through to the semi-final. In series 1, the eliminated acts also reprised one of their songs in the results show after being voted off. This has become less common in other series, instead being relegated to results shows with no final showdown. In series 10, the flash vote was introduced: Despite the flash vote eliminating all possibilities of deadlock, it quickly drew criticism from viewers and was quickly dropped after several weeks. However, another variation of the flash vote has debuted in series 11 twice as part of a double elimination.

In this variation, the act who polled the fewest votes on Saturday's show is automatically eliminated. The two acts with the next fewest votes on Sunday then perform in the final showdown. This double elimination variation was used once again in series A lifeline vote was introduced within the first half of the series 13 live shows, where the bottom three contestants are announced. Viewers are then given a few minutes to vote to save one of the bottom three, with the winner of the lifeline vote avoiding the final showdown.

As of series 14, the contestants are split into two halves competing on Saturday and Sunday night, respectively, therefore each week is a double elimination. As the results are announced, the contestant who had the lowest viewer votes on each night is announced and leaves the show immediately; the winning contestant is announced thereafter. The two winning contestants of both Saturday and Sunday night then compete in a sing-off to win their weekly prize. Once they have performed their sing-off songs, the lines then reopen and the public votes on which contestant to win the weekly prize.

Following the appointment of singer Minogue as a judge in series 4, the same principle could not universally apply. In fact, when Minogue won series 4 with Leon Jackson , a new outside manager was appointed. It features an array of finalists and other memorable contestants from the most recent The X Factor series and is hosted by Jeff Brazier.

On 22 June, it was confirmed that Friedman had been reassigned the role of creative director and would be replaced on the panel by Walsh.

The Official ITV X Factor Website

Speculation surrounded judging line-up changes for series 5 , centering on whether Osbourne would return. On 6 June , six days before filming for series 5 was due to begin, ITV confirmed that Osbourne had left the show, [63] and a number of other artists and producers were approached regarding her replacement. On 10 June, Cheryl Cole was confirmed as Osbourne's replacement. Despite rumours that Minogue would leave the show after series 5, [66] [67] all four judges from series 5 returned for series 6.

Due to Minogue's maternity leave during series 7, a series of guest judges filled in for her at the audition stages before she rejoined the panel in September.

X Factor: Simon Cowell 'left speechless' after Hull singer hits back at him

In July , Cole was diagnosed with malaria towards the end of the auditions, so Scherzinger returned as a guest judge for bootcamp. On 5 May , it was confirmed that Cowell and Cole would not be returning to the judging panel for series 8 , to concentrate on the American version of the programme. For this reason I am unable to return. Barlow, [83] [84] Walsh [85] and Tulisa [86] returned for series 9. Rowland left due to other commitments. On 21 May , ending months of media speculation, Tulisa confirmed that she would not return as a judge for the 10th series.

On 7 February , it was confirmed that Cowell would return as a judge for series Cowell was confirmed to return as a judge for the 12th series. He also revealed that he was in the dark about whom Cowell had the intentions of bringing onto the panel. To get 10 was great, to get 11 was amazing - I'm not hanging around for them this year. On 18 February , a series representative announced Grimshaw's departure from the judging panel, confirming: Sharon Osbourne —, , —. Nicole Scherzinger —, — The first three series of the show were hosted by Kate Thornton.


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On 16 April , ITV confirmed that both Olly Murs and Flack would take over presenting duties, becoming the first duo to host the show. In a statement, Murs stated, "This was an incredibly hard decision to make and one I didn't take lightly as I've really enjoyed co-hosting The X Factor.

Friedman served as performance coach and choreographer billed as "Creative Director" from series 4—7 and left before series 8 to join the American version. Brian Burke and Elizabeth Honan replaced him for series 8, although Friedman returned for three weeks in series 9 and Honan did not return. Friedman returned as creative director in series 11, replacing Reeve and Swanhart. However, Tennant's contract was ended before the live shows and Burnett was reinstated.

Dickson announced his departure from the show on 28 July , [] but announced his return due to "popular demand" on 30 October Dermot O'Leary —, —. In each series, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses a small number of acts three or four, depending on the series to progress to the live finals. From series and 13 onwards, these categories were decided by the producers of the show. In series 12 viewers voted via hashtags on Twitter to determine which of the judges is allocated each of the four categories. Viewing figures of around 10 million were claimed for series 2 and 4, and 11 to 12 million for series 5.

Over three million public votes were cast in series 2 and six million in the first part of the final. The series 3 final attracted 8 million votes [] and a peak of The BBC's rival talent show Strictly Come Dancing initially beat The X Factor in viewing figures in , although The X Factor soon reversed this trend, and when the shows went head-to-head for the first time, [ when?

Since , however, ratings of The X Factor have been in sharp decline. It was overtaken in the rating battle by Strictly Come Dancing during series 8 and has since very rarely managed to beat it, with Strictly Come Dancing extending its lead over the show per year. The ratings crisis has worsened in the following year with the show recording its lowest ever figures and Strictly Come Dancing now enjoying nearly three times the audience figures of The X Factor in most weeks. The show won the Entertainment award at the Royal Television Society Awards , described as "Undeniably a brilliant, genre-defining piece of television; the team behind this show never rest on their laurels and are determined to continually raise the bar and set new standards.

Must-see television, which everyone talks about on a Monday morning. Over the first seven series the show's viewing figures have generally trended up each series, however this was not the case for series 3. Since series 8, viewing figures have declined year on year, with the average audience figure for series 14 being nearly 2 million lower than the previous year.

From the outset, The X Factor has attracted heavy criticism.

The X Factor

Series 1—4 of The X Factor effectively included Irish viewers on an equal footing, and Irish viewers were able to vote in these series via SMS or telephone. However, in series 5, voting from Republic of Ireland was discontinued, with the decision being blamed on new regulations introduced regarding phone competitions in the UK. The show held auditions in Dublin and Belfast for the first three series, with Belfast auditions continuing for series 4 before being dropped, though Irish singers could still audition in other cities.

Dublin first round auditions returned in [] with the auditions held on 28 June. In , The X Factor did not hold auditions in Ireland, instead replacing them with a new audition city, Liverpool. A source from The X Factor said: We went to Dublin last year but we haven't been to Liverpool so we thought we should do it this year. Obviously this is a blow to the Irish contestants but it's only a short hop across the Irish Sea to Liverpool. On 18 January , it was announced that The Xtra Factor would be axed after 13 years and would be replaced by an online show instead.

Xtra Bites is the second companion and spin-off show to The X Factor which replaced The Xtra Factor , although Xtra Bites is an online spin-off show which started airing in The show looks at all the action from the show including behind the scenes footage of the judges and interviews with contestants from the show. There were 13 episodes uploaded altogether for the first series, all presented by Becca Dudley.

Battle of the Stars was a celebrity special edition of The X Factor , which screened on ITV, starting on 29 May and lasting for eight consecutive nights. Nine celebrity acts participated, singing live in front of the nation and facing the judges of the previous The X Factor series: Cowell, Osbourne and Walsh.

Voting revenues were donated to the celebrities' chosen charities. The winner of the show was Benjamin, mentored by Walsh. It was reported on 26 August that Cowell had decided not to do a second edition, describing it as "pointless" and adding "we are never going to do it again". As of June [update] , the show has spawned a total of 35 number-one singles: By series 6 in , it had seemingly become such a certainty that the X Factor winner would gain the Christmas number one slot every year that bookmakers William Hill were considering withdrawing from the year tradition of betting on the outcome.

In series 1—2, the winner's debut album would be released a few months after their victory in the show. The album would contain some new material but would consist largely of cover versions. This format changed with series 3 winner Leona Lewis. Cowell, Lewis's X Factor mentor and newly appointed manager, said: It would have been the wrong thing to do. Series 10 winner Sam Bailey , however, released her debut album of covers, The Power of Love , in March , just three months after winning - the earliest ever debut album release by an X Factor winner.

During the fifth series of the show, the finalists released a cover of Mariah Carey 's " Hero " in aid of Help for Heroes which reached number one in the UK singles charts. Following the success of the song, Cowell announced that a charity single would be released annually though the process was discontinued in series 9.

Bang Bang! Ezat Azur takes to The X Factor stage

He is quoted as saying: The finalists released a cover of David Bowie 's " "Heroes" ", with proceeds once again going to the Help for Heroes charity. The charity single was scrapped after series 8, although the winner's singles from series 9 onwards were all released for charity. The album features 34 songs from 21 of the show's finalists. The X Factor Songbook is a song compilation album released 24 November The X Factor brand has also appeared on clothing, jewellery, [] perfume, make-up, toiletries, [] bedding, gifts, confectionery, [] soft drinks [] and pizzas.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Peter Dickson Redd Pepper. Syco Entertainment Thames — Talkback Thames — This section is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. July Learn how and when to remove this template message. He was originally recruited to be a permanent judge. Cheryl Cole was diagnosed with malaria after the Cardiff auditions therefore being unable to attend the Manchester auditions and bootcamp.

Alexandra Burke temporarily replaced her. Simon Cowell —, —. Louis Walsh —, — This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. December Learn how and when to remove this template message. Battle of the Stars. The X Factor UK discography. Jesse McCartney Ryan Tedder. Wayne Hector Steve Mac. Arnthor Birgisson Ina Wroldsen.

Rebecca Ferguson Eg White.