The X Factor is a
British television singing competition,
contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It 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 six 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 and is currently sponsored by
TalkTalk in the UK and
Domino's Pizza in Ireland. The
X
Factor of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that
makes for star quality.
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. It is the biggest television talent competition in
Europe, with 182,000 auditioning for
series 5. The prize is a
recording contract with record label
Syco 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. The show has proved hugely popular with audiences, with the
series 5 final attracting 14.5 million UK viewers (approximately a
55% share).
In the initial televised audition phase of the show, contestants
sing in front of judges 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 five winners to date:
Steve
Brookstein,
Shayne Ward,
Leona Lewis,
Leon
Jackson and
Alexandra Burke. The
winner's first single is usually released in the run-up to
Christmas in a bid to become the UK's
Christmas number one single. As
of series 5, each winner's single has reached number one in the
UK Singles Chart; four of them
entered at the top of the chart and were number one at Christmas
(see
music
releases by X Factor contestants).
Versions of
The X Factor have also appeared
in a number of other countries. The
show has become successful throughout the world, most notably in
Denmark and the Netherlands, where two seasons have been shown and
a third is expected, as well as in Italy, Spain, Colombia, Portugal
and India.
Series
The
first series of
The X Factor began on 4 September and ran to 11 December
2004. A
second series ran
from 20 August to 17 December 2005. A celebrity special edition,
The X Factor:
Battle of the Stars, was shown from 29 May to 5 June 2006.
The
third series aired
from 19 August 2006 and concluded on 16 December 2006.
Series 4 began broadcasting on 18
August 2007 and finished on 15 December 2007. The show was given
another three-year contract with ITV and
Series 5 ran from 16 August to 13
December 2008.
Series 6
began airing on 22 August 2009 and will run until 19 December 2009.
The 100th episode aired on 19 September 2009.
Nokia decided not to renew their sponsorship
beyond series 3, and
The Carphone
Warehouse sponsored series 4 and 5. Series 6 is sponsored by
telecomms company
TalkTalk which is
owned by The Carphone Warehouse.
Format
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. The single most
important attribute that the judges are seeking, however, is the
ability to appeal to a mass market of pop fans.
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
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. 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. 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. Only candidates who successfully pass
that second audition are invited to perform to the judges. The
televised version misrepresents the process by implying that the
entire huge crowds are all interviewed by the judges.
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") – 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 –
following the format of ITV's other talent show,
Britain's Got Talent – 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, around 75,000 for
series 2 and around 100,000 for series 3. The number of applicants
for series 4 reached 150,000, 182,000 people auditioned for series
5, and a record 200,000 people applied for series 6.
Boot camp and visits to judges' houses
The contestants selected at audition are further refined through a
series of performances at "boot camp" (held at a venue such as a
country hotel or an arena), 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.
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.
Live shows
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.
Performances
In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the
first show in front of a studio audience and the judges. Acts
usually sing over a pre-recorded backing track, though sometimes
live musicians and backing singers are featured. Dancers are also
commonly featured. Acts occasionally accompany themselves on guitar
or piano (or mime an accompaniment), though almost always over a
backing track.
In the first two series, acts usually chose a cover of a pop
standard or contemporary hit. In the third series an innovation was
introduced whereby each live show had a different theme (for
example,
Motown), thus increasing the show's
similarity to
Pop Idol. The
contestants' songs are chosen according to the theme. This format
has continued in subsequent series. 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. 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. Future series placed less emphasis on
this element.
After each act has performed, the judges comment on their
performance, usually focusing on vocal ability, image and stage
presence. 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.
Results
Before the results are announced, there are performances from one
or more invited celebrities – often major international pop stars.
Sometimes these performers are connected with the week's theme and
featured in the earlier show; other times they are unconnected. In
series 6, the results show began with a group performance from the
remaining contestants. This performance is not judged or voted on
and does not count towards the result.
After all the build-up performances have taken place, 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 earlier series the bottom two contestants
reprised their earlier song, but from series 5 they were able to
pick new songs. 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". In series 3, a twist was introduced in one of the live
shows 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.
Later stages
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. The second show reveals which act
polled the fewest votes, and they are 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.
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.
Post X Factor
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. Other highly placed contestants may also be offered
recording deals, but this is not guaranteed.
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. It is still
believed that if Cowell or Walsh win a future series then they are
entitled to manage their act in the industry.
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." 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.
Judges and presenters
Judges
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.
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.
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, 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.
Osbourne stated that she left
The X Factor because she did
not enjoy working with
Dannii
Minogue.
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. Simon Cowell reportedly
held discussions about model
Kate Moss
joining the show as the contestants' "stylist". However, Minogue
did not leave and all four judges from series 5 returned for series
6.
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 can 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.
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. The series 4 final drew 12.7
million viewers – a 55% share of the terrestrial TV audience. In
series 5, 12.8 million tuned in to see the 29 November 2008 show
featuring guest
Britney Spears, a new
X Factor record. The series 5 final peaked with 14.6
million viewers.
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". The award
was presented by
Ricky Gervais. 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. Series
1–
3 judges Simon Cowell, Sharon
Osbourne and Louis Walsh were present to receive the 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.
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.
The programme has typically been an awards show favourite, having
been crowned "Best Talent Show" for two years. However, it has more
recently lost out to
Strictly Come Dancing at the
TV Quick Awards,
TRIC
Awards and
National
Television Awards, all in 2008, despite overtaking it in the
ratings.
Ireland
Series 1–4 of the "UK" version of
The X Factor effectively
included Ireland 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 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. The show has held
auditions in Dublin and Belfast for only the first 4 series. Irish
acts have reached the finals in series 1 (
Tabby Callaghan and Roberta Howett), series
2 (
The Conway Sisters) and in
series 6 (
John and Edward Grimes).
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. 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, and
Fearne Cotton took
over as host, for the fourth series only, before leaving the show
to concentrate on her career in the US. Allegations of a
falling-out with Simon Cowell were also reported. For
series 5, Cotton was replaced by
presenter and close friend,
Holly
Willoughby. Willoughby first presented
The Xtra Factor
on 9 August 2008, a week before series 5 began airing. The first
show recapped on
series 4
of
The X Factor and revisited the series 4
finalists.
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.
The X Factor Live
The X Factor Live is a live show that tours the UK and
Ireland in the new year, following the conclusion of the TV series.
It features an array of finalists and other memorable contestants
from the most recent
X Factor series.
The X Factor: Battle of the Stars
- Main article and detailed results: The X Factor: Battle of the
Stars
The X Factor: Battle of the Stars
logo
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 meant to air
in its place as
Celebrity Pop Idol but was stopped shortly
before transmission, when ITV picked
The X Factor over
it.
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.
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".
Controversy and criticism
Music releases by X Factor contestants
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 is a cover of the Michael
Jackson song You Are Not
Alone which was released in aid of Great Ormond
Street Hospital
and reached number 1 on its first
week.
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
- Factor
Brightdance - TalkTalk Brightening your X Factor
- Described as "something you can't quite put your finger on" by
judge Cheryl Cole, The Xtra Factor, 23 November 2009
- Nokia drops X Factor sponsorship, BBC
News, 10 May 2007
- "Walsh's charm factor", Whitby
Gazette, 30 October 2007
- Who'll get a £1m Xmas present?, Daily
Mail, 11 December 2004
- New X Factor proves ratings hit, BBC News, 21
August 2005
- The appeal of the Macdonalds, The
Independent on Sunday, 25 November 2006
- X Factor's Dannii Minogue says she 'won't miss'
Sharon Osbourne, Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2008
- "Walsh's X Factor house 'not his'", BBC News,
11 October 2007
- Fans of X Factor's Laura White complain to Ofcom
over voting, The Guardian, 14 November 2008
- "Hallelujah: how Leonard Cohen became an X Factor
winner without trying", The Times, 13 December
2008
- Sharon: 'I quit 'X Factor' because of Dannii',
Digital Spy, February 17 2009
- Dannii Minogue faces the X Factor axe,
stv.tv, 29 January 2009
- 'X Factor' judge decision next week?
Digital Spy, 5 February 2009
- Dannii's still got the X Factor, as Cowell does
U-turn, mirror.co.uk, 7 February 2009
- "DS Fantasies: The new 'X Factor' panel",
Digital Spy, 12 March 2009
- "The X Factor final is a rating winner",
talkbackTHAMES
- "Everything you need to know about the X Factor
final 12", The Independent, 10 October 2008
- "Britney Xposed", The Sun, 1 December
2008
- X Factor in top comedy award win, BBC
Newsround, 15 December 2005
-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/20/x-factor-strictly-come-dancing
- "Find out all about GMTV presenter Ben Shephard |
Presenters | GMTV"
- "TV Holly Willoughby's nice F-earner", News
of The World
- "Loos, Hewitt booted off X Factor", Irish
Examiner, 2 June 2006
- "Simon scraps Celeb X Factor", The
Sun, 26 August 2006
- Hit's for kids Daily Mirror, 25 October
2009
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