The X Factor (UK)

The X Factor
The X Factor logo (2006 – present)
Format	Interactive reality talent show
Created by	Simon Cowell
Creative director(s)	Brian Friedman
Presented by	Dermot O'Leary (2007—) Kate Thornton (2004–06)
Judges	Simon Cowell (2004—) Louis Walsh (2004—) Dannii Minogue (2007—) Cheryl Cole (2008—) Sharon Osbourne (2004–07)
Voices of	Peter Dickson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	167+
Production
Producer(s)	Talkback Thames FremantleMedia SYCOtv
Location(s)	Various (auditions) Fountain Studios (live shows)
Running time	60–120 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV (UK) TV3 (Ireland)
Picture format	SD: 576i (2004-2009) HD: 1080i (2010-present)
Original run	4 September 2004 – present
Chronology
Related shows	The Xtra Factor The X Factor (U.S.) The X Factor (Australia)
External links
Official website

The X Factor is a British television singing competition contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date have aired from August/September through to December. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's talkbackTHAMES and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.^[1] The show is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off behind-the-scenes shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3. The X Factor was devised as a replacement for the highly successful Pop Idol, which was put on indefinite hiatus after its second series, largely because Simon Cowell wished to launch a show that he owned the television rights to. The perceived similarity between the shows later became the subject of a legal dispute.

In the initial televised audition phase of the show, contestants sing in front of the judges – currently Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole – and, from series 6, a live audience, in the hope of getting through to the "boot camp" round. After a further selection process, the judges are each given a category to mentor and the chosen finalists then progress to the final phase of the competition, during which the public vote for their favourite act following weekly live performances by the contestants. There have been six winners to date: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry. The winning contestant's single is released in time for the end of year chart battle for the UK's Christmas number one, a spot which it has gained in four successive years from 2005 to 2008. As of May 2010, a total of 15 number-one singles have been released by artists who have appeared on the show. The all-new X Factor champion receives a recording contract with record label Syco Music Ltd. with a stated value of £1,000,000. This includes a cash payment to the winner, but the majority is allocated to marketing and recording costs.^[2] The show is the biggest television talent competition in Europe and has proved hugely popular with the public. Series 6 attracted 200,000 auditionees^[3] and peaked at 19.7 million UK viewers (a 63.2% audience share).^[4] 10 million votes were cast in the series 6 final.^[5]

The X Factor format has been adopted in a number of other countries. Versions of the format have become successful throughout the world, most notably in Denmark and the Netherlands, where two series have been shown and a third is expected, as well as in Italy, Spain, Colombia, Portugal and India. However, the original British version has not been broadcast in any other country (except Ireland) due to unresolved rights issues. Television stations in the Scandinavian countries have expressed an interest in showing the UK version but have not been able to acquire the rights.

Series summary

To date, six series have aired, as summarised below.

     Contestant in "Boys" category or male contestant in "Under 25s" category
     Contestant in "Girls" category or female contestant in "Under 25s" category
     Contestant in "Over 25s" or "Over 28s" category
     Contestant in "Groups" category

A celebrity special edition, The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, aired from 29 May to 5 June 2006. It was won by actress Lucy Benjamin.

Format

Leona Lewis won the third series of The X Factor

The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. For series 1–3 the competition was split into three categories: Solo Singers aged 16–24, Solo Singers aged 25 and over, and Vocal Groups (including duos). In series 4–5, the age limit was lowered from 16 to 14, creating a 14–24 age group. This was split into separate male and female sections, making four categories in all: 14–24 males ("Boys"), 14–24 females ("Girls"), Over 25s, and Groups. For series 6, the age limit returned to 16, meaning the four categories were: 16–24 males ("Boys"), 16–24 females ("Girls"), Over 25s, and Groups. In series 7, the age group boundaries were changed, and the Over 25s became Over 28s, with Boys and Girls categories becoming 16–27.^[9]

There are five stages to The X Factor competition:

• Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges)
• Stage 2: Judges' auditions
• Stage 3: Boot camp
• Stage 4: Visits to judges' houses
• Stage 5: Live shows (finals)

Auditions

A round of first auditions is held in front of producers months before the show is aired, either by application and appointment, or at "open" auditions that anyone can attend. These auditions, held at various venues around the UK, attract very large crowds. The auditions themselves are not televised, but shots of crowds waving and "judges' cars" arriving are filmed and later spliced in with the televised auditions shot later in the year. The production team supply the crowds with "home-made" signs.^[10] After waiting at the venue for hours and filming more inserts of screaming and waving, candidates are given a brief audition by someone from the production team.^[10] Should they pass that audition (either for reasons of talent or for the potential of making entertaining television) they are given a "golden ticket" allowing them to sing to a more senior production member.^[10] Only candidates who successfully pass that second audition are invited to perform to the judges.^[10] The televised version misrepresents the process by implying that the entire huge crowds are all interviewed by the judges.^[10]

A selection of the auditions in front of the judges – usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre (described by judge Louis Walsh as "the good, the bad and the ugly"^[11]) – 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. In series 6 (2009), 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 in series 4–6) say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage, otherwise the act is sent home.

Over 50,000 people auditioned for series 1,^[12] around 75,000 for series 2^[13] and around 100,000 for series 3.^[14] The number of applicants for series 4 reached 150,000,^[15] 182,000^[16] people auditioned for series 5, and a record 200,000 people applied for series 6.^[3] In 2010, applicants for the seventh series were given the opportunity to apply by uploading a video audition to the Internet.^[17]

Boot camp and visits to judges' houses

The contestants selected at auditions are further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp", and then at the "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve from series 2 onwards). Judge Louis Walsh revealed in November 2007 that the houses the contestants visit do not actually belong to the judges, but are rented for the purpose.^[18] During these stages, the producers allocate each of the judges a category to mentor. In early series this allocation took place after completion of the auditions and prior to boot camp, but from series 4 all four judges have worked together at the boot camp. They collectively choose 24 acts (six from each category) for the next round, and only then find out which category they are to mentor. The judges then disband for the "visits to the judges' houses" round, where their six acts are reduced to three for the live shows.^[19][20] In series 7, a total of thirty-two acts will go through to judges' houses, giving each judge eight acts instead of six.^[9]

Live shows

Alexandra Burke won the fifth series in 2008

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 are filmed at The Fountain Studios in Wembley, London. In series 1–5, both live shows aired 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 twelve in series 2. It is rumoured that this will be increased to sixteen acts in series 7.^[9]

Performances

In the initial live shows, each act performs once in the first show in front of a studio audience and the judges, usually sing 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. In series 1, much was made of the idea that each performer/mentor combination was free to present the performance however they wanted, including the performer playing live instruments, or the addition of choirs, backing bands, and dancers. From the third series each live show had a different theme; each contestant's song 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) or five (series 2, 4, 5 and 6), 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) or three (series 2, 4, 5 and 6) 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.

Results

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. In series 6, the results show began with a group performance from the remaining contestants. The two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. 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 show 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".^[21]

Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1 and 3) 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). In series 1 the acts also reprised one of their songs in the second show.

Post X Factor

Joe McElderry, winner of the sixth series, performing on The X Factor Live tour in 2010.

The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract, stated to be worth £1 million, with Syco in association with Sony Music Entertainment. In series 5, this deal consisted of a £150,000 cash advance with the balance covering the costs of recording and marketing.^[2] Other highly placed contestants may also be offered recording deals, but this is not guaranteed.^[2] In series 1–3, the premise of The X Factor was that the winner would be managed in the industry by their mentor on the show. With music executive Cowell and managers Osbourne and Walsh as judges/mentors, any of the three would be qualified to do so. Following the appointment of singer Dannii 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.

The X Factor Live Tour is a live show that tours the UK and Ireland in the months following the conclusion of the TV series. It features an array of finalists and other memorable contestants from the most recent X Factor series.

Judges and presenters

Judges

Sharon Osbourne was a judge on the show from series 1 to 4

Dermot O'Leary has presented the show since series 4

From series 1 to 3, the X Factor judges were music executive and TV producer Simon Cowell, music manager and TV personality Sharon Osbourne and music manager Louis Walsh. Pop singer, dancer and TV personality Paula Abdul was a special guest judge at the series 3 London auditions.^[22]

After the third series, Walsh was dropped from the show, being replaced by American choreographer Brian Friedman and Australian singer and actress Dannii Minogue. After a week, however, Friedman was re-assigned the role of Creative Director because Simon Cowell believed the judging panel was not working. Walsh then resumed his place on the panel, and the series 4 judging lineup was finally confirmed in June 2007 as Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue. On 15 December 2007, Dannii Minogue became the first female judge to win after her series 4 victory with Leon Jackson.

Speculation surrounded judging lineup changes for series 5, centring on whether or not Sharon Osbourne would return. On 6 June 2008 (six days before filming for series 5 was due to begin), ITV confirmed that Osbourne had left the show,^[23] and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole was confirmed as her replacement four days later. It was confirmed that a number of other artists and producers had been approached regarding Osbourne's replacement, including former Spice Girl Melanie Brown, Paula Abdul, Sinitta, and former Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman.^[24][25] Osbourne stated that she left The X Factor because she did not enjoy working with Dannii Minogue.^[26][27]

During series 5 it was rumoured that judge Dannii Minogue would leave the show after the series' conclusion, and that Sharon Osbourne would return to replace her in series 6. These rumours continued during the lead-up to series 6. Others tipped to replace Minogue included Robbie Williams, Victoria Beckham, Charlotte Church, Lily Allen, Sinitta and Randy Jackson.^[28][29] Simon Cowell reportedly held discussions about model Kate Moss joining the show as the contestants' "stylist".^[30] However, Minogue did not leave and all four judges from series 5 returned for series 6^[31]. On 13 December 2009, Cheryl Cole became the first judge to win two series in a row after her victories in series 5 with Alexandra Burke and series 6 with Joe McElderry.

Due to Minogue's maternity leave for series 7, a series of guest judges will fill in for her at the audition stages before she rejoins the panel in September. The guest judges were Geri Halliwell,^[32] Natalie Imbruglia, Katy Perry,^[33] Pixie Lott and Nicole Scherzinger.^[34] In July 2010, Cole was diagnosed with malaria towards the end of the auditions. Bootcamp went ahead with Scherzinger as a guest judge.^[35]

The judges' appearance on screen is accompanied by several pieces of music including Tomoyasu Hotei's Battle Without Honor Or Humanity, Craig Armstrong's O Verona, O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Come With Me by Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page.

Presenters and coaches

The show was hosted up to series 3 by Kate Thornton. Thornton was replaced from series 4 by Dermot O'Leary who signed a contract worth £1 million to present two series of the programme on ITV1. O'Leary was not forced to leave the Big Brother franchise and continued to present Big Brother sister shows during summer 2007. However, Dermot announced that Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack was to be his last Big Brother hosting role so he could focus on presenting The X Factor.

Brian Friedman has continued in his role as performance coach and choreographer (billed as "Creative Director") since series 4. Yvie Burnett has been X Factor vocal coach since series 2. Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel.

For information about The Xtra Factor presenters, see The Xtra Factor below.

Judges' categories and their finalists

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. This table shows, for each series, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live finals.

Key:

     – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, other contestants in small font.

Reception

Ratings and awards

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 the series 2 semi-final, and six million in the first part of the final. The series 3 final attracted eight million votes and 12.6 million viewers.^[38] The series 4 final drew 12.7 million viewers – a 55% share of the terrestrial TV audience.^[39] In series 5, 12.8 million tuned in to see the 29 November 2008 show featuring guest Britney Spears, a new X Factor record.^[40] The series 5 final peaked with 14.6 million viewers,^[41] and the series 6 final topped this with 19.7 million viewers (a 63.2% audience share)^[4] and 10 million votes cast.^[5]

At the British Comedy Awards 2005, The X Factor beat Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to take the award for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme, prompting Simon Cowell to remark "We're not a comedy programme, we're a serious factual drama".^[42] In both 2005 and 2006, The X Factor won the award for "Most Popular Entertainment Programme" at the National Television Awards. At the same awards in 2007 the show won the "Most Popular Talent Show" category. In 2008 it lost out to Strictly Come Dancing at the TV Quick Awards, TRIC Awards and National Television Awards, despite beating it in the ratings. In 2009, The X Factor won "Best Talent Show" at the National Television Awards.

The BBC's rival talent show Strictly Come Dancing initially beat The X Factor in viewing figures, although in recent years The X Factor has reversed this trend, and when the shows went head-to-head for the first time The X Factor attracted a larger audience share.^[43] It rates as ITV's most popular programme whilst it airs, and is the first format (along with Britain's Got Talent) in years to knock Coronation Street off the top.

Series averages

The show's viewing figures have generally trended up each series. However, this was not the case for series 2 and 3, when the former attracted more viewers than the latter.

• All information in this table comes from BARB.

Controversy and criticism

The X Factor has, from the outset, attracted criticism. Recurring allegations are: that the excessive commercialism of the show detracts from of its supposed purpose of unearthing musical talent and even actively damages and distorts the UK music industry^[44]; that auditionees at mass auditions are shabbily treated; that controversy is deliberately courted and orchestrated, and supposedly spontaneous scenes are staged and scripted; that problems with phone lines leave members of the public unable to vote for their favourite acts; and that contestants are manipulated and unfairly edited.

This criticism became very public in 2009 when a Facebook campaign targeted against The X Factor and its effect on British music took "Killing In The Name" by Rage Against the Machine to the Christmas number one spot at the expense of the X Factor winner's single by Joe McElderry.^[45]

Ireland

The first series was available to viewers only through the Northern Ireland-based ITV station UTV which is widely available in the Republic, but subsequent series have also been shown on Ireland's terrestrial TV station TV3.

Series 1–4 of the "UK" version 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 for series 5 in 2008, the decision was made to discontinue Irish voting, 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 3 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 2010^[46] with the judges' auditions being held on 28 June in Dublin.

Irish acts have reached the finals in series 1 (Tabby Callaghan and Roberta Howett), series 2 (The Conway Sisters) and in series 6 (John & Edward). Northern Irish finalists have included Phillip Magee (series 2) and Eoghan Quigg (series 5).

The Xtra Factor

The Xtra Factor is a companion show that airs on digital channel ITV2 and on TV3 Ireland on Saturday and Sunday nights after the main ITV1 show. It features behind-the-scenes footage of The X Factor and shows the emotional responses of the contestants after the judges comment on their performances. The commissioning of The Xtra Factor was prompted by the success of Big Brother's Little Brother, a Big Brother companion show screened on E4.

The Xtra Factor was hosted up to series 3 by Ben Shephard^[47]. The voiceover on series 1 to 3 was Peter Dickson. Shephard did not return for series 4 after being upset at not getting the main ITV presenting job,^[48][49] and Fearne Cotton took over as host, for the fourth series only, before leaving the show to concentrate on her career in the US.^[50][51] Allegations of a falling-out with Simon Cowell were also reported.^[52] For series 5, Cotton was replaced by presenter and close friend, Holly Willoughby.^[53][54][55] Willoughby first presented The Xtra Factor on 9 August 2008, a week before series 5 began airing. Konnie Huq will replace Willoughby as the new Xtra Factor presenter in 2010.^[56]

Cameras follow the finalists during their day, and in early series some of the footage was aired in a spin-off show The Xtra Factor: The Aftermath, which was broadcast in the middle of the week on ITV2. The Xtra Factor: Xcess All Areas was a live show in which there were interviews, games and trips around the contestants' homes. The show also let viewers know which songs the contestants would be singing in the next live show. Both shows were axed after series 3 due to ITV2 cutting back on spin-off programing.

Each year after the series has come to an end, The Xtra Factor has a week of special programmes titled Best and Worst, featuring the best and worst auditions from the previous series, ranging from 2 to 5 episodes each year.

A 60-minute special titled The Winner's Story airs each year over the festive period, featuring the winner of that year's X Factor. Cameras follow the winner from the announcement of the result through the lead-up to the Christmas No. 1. Before series 6 there featured a special called X Factor Rewind.

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was a celebrity special edition of The X Factor, which screened on ITV, starting on 29 May 2006 and lasting for eight consecutive nights. Pop Idol was intended to air in its place as Celebrity Pop Idol but was stopped from airing shortly before transmission, when ITV selected The X Factor instead.

Nine celebrity acts participated, singing live in front of the nation and facing the judges of the previous The X Factor series, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Voting revenues were donated to the celebrities' chosen charities.

The contestants were Michelle Marsh, Nikki Sanderson, Matt Stevens, Lucy Benjamin, Gillian McKeith, Chris Moyles, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, James Hewitt and Rebecca Loos, and "The Chefs", a quartet of celebrity chefs comprising Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli, Paul Rankin and Ross Burden.

The winner of the show was Lucy Benjamin, mentored by Louis Walsh.^[57]

It was reported on 26 August 2006 that Simon Cowell had axed the show, describing it as "pointless" and adding "we are never going to do it again".^[58]

Music releases by X Factor contestants

As of May 2010, the show has spawned six number-one winners' singles (four of which have been the Christmas number one), two number-one charity singles, and a total of 15 number-one singles by contestants who have appeared on the show (including winners and runners-up).

By series 6 (2009) 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 30-year tradition of betting on the outcome.^[59] However, hostility to the show's stranglehold on the Christmas number one slot from some quarters had prompted attempts to propel an alternative song to the 2008 Christmas number one spot, and in 2009 a similar internet-led campaign was successful, taking Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" to Christmas number one at the expense of X Factor winner Joe McElderry.^[60] McElderry's single climbed to the top of the chart a week later.

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. Simon Cowell, Lewis's X Factor mentor and newly-appointed manager, said: "We could have gone into the studio for a month, made the record quick, and thrown it out. It would have been the wrong thing to do."^[61] The success of Lewis's debut album Spirit ensured that the debut albums of future series winners (with Jackson as an example) would consist more of new material than of cover versions.

Charity singles

During the fifth series of the show, the finalists released Hero in aid of Help for Heroes which reached number one in the UK singles charts. Following the success of the song, Cowell has announced that a charity single will be released annually. He is quoted as saying:

The 2009 single was a cover of the Michael Jackson song You Are Not Alone which was released in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital and reached number one in its first week.^[62]

Merchandise

DVDs

• Series 1: The X Factor Revealed: The Greatest Auditions Ever (2005)
• Series 2: The X Factor: The Greatest Auditions Ever (2006)
• Series 3: The X Factor Revealed (2007)

Games

• Series 4: The X Factor — interactive DVD game (2007)
• Series 4: The X Factor Sing — karaoke game (2007)
• Series 5: The X Factor: The Board Game (2008)
• Series 5: The X Factor Top Trumps (2008)

Books

• Series 1–3: The X Factor: Access All Areas (2007)
• Series 6: The X Factor Finalists of 2009: Annual 2010 (2009)

References

External links

• The X Factor at itv.com
• 'The X Factor at Unreality TV
• The X Factor at stv.tv
• The X Factor at the Internet Movie Database
• Simon Cowell's 2010 X Factor photo diary

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