The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in September 2004 and has since aired annually from August/September through to December. The show is produced by FremantleMedia’s Thames and Cowell’s production company SYCOtv. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off behind-the-scenes show The Xtra Factor screened on ITV2. It is the originator of the international The X Factor franchise. 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 Cowell, who was a judge on Pop Idol, wished to launch a show to which he owned the television rights. The perceived similarity between the two shows later became the subject of a legal dispute. The “X Factor” of the title refers to the undefinable “something” that makes for star quality.
The original judging panel was Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Dannii Minogue joined the panel in series 4, and Cheryl Cole replaced Osbourne in series 5 after her departure. After series 7, Cowell and Cole both left to judge the American version of the show whilst Minogue left the show due to commitments on Australia’s Got Talent. Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Gary Barlow then joined Walsh on the judging panel for series 8, though Rowland announced she would not return for series 9 and was replaced by Nicole Scherzinger. Osbourne later returned in 2013, replacing Contostavlos. Since 2007, the show has been presented by Dermot O’Leary, who replaced original host Kate Thornton. The show is split into a series of phases, following the contestants from auditions through to the grand finale. In the original televised audition phase of the show, contestants sang in an audition room in front of just the judges. From series 6 onwards, auditionees sing on a stage in front of the judges and a live audience. Successful auditionees go through to “bootcamp” and then to “judges’ houses”, where judges narrow down the acts in their category down to three or four acts to mentor for the live shows, where the public vote for their favourite acts following weekly live performances by the contestants.
All Episodes
You May Also Like
California builder and designer Jasmine Roth is on a mission to make sure not all suburban homes look the same. Jasmine transforms builder-basic houses into custom dream homes by giving them features that stand out from the crowd.
Twelve hopeless bakers are recruited for an intense boot camp, during which hosts Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale will attempt to transform them into pastry experts over the course of six weeks of intensive sweet and savory challenges.
Livin’ Lozada follows the lives of Evelyn Lozada, of “Basketball Wives” fame, and her 21-year-old daughter Shaniece. Evelyn has moved on from the heartache of her highly publicized divorce in a big way. She is engaged to big league baseball player Carl Crawford and the happy couple have a one-year-old son, Leo. Between learning to be a mom all over again, setting up a new home in Los Angeles for her and her family, working on getting the sequel to her first book published, as well as dealing with issues surrounding her family back East… Evelyn has a lot going on!
Three strangers push themselves to their absolute limits in complete darkness – enduring days buried underground while navigating prehistoric cave systems, ancient subterranean cities and centuries-old abandoned mines. Are you afraid of the dark?
The game that has become a worldwide phenomenon comes to life as teams of two people use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards featuring next generation technology to conquer Candy Crush and be crowned the champions.
Couples learn what it really means to downsize when they take the plunge into the tiny house real estate market. At an average size of only 180 square feet, watch as clients meet with their builders, or decide to build these tiny homes all by themselves, and follow along through the construction process until the house is complete.
The world’s most renowned matchmaker, Patti Stanger, returns with millionaires from her past and present as they bring their relationship problems and issues to the exclusive “Millionaire’s Club” for a final chance at finding love.
From the producers of Jersey Shore comes the most outrageous Party Down South. Follow eight young, brazen adults for one wild summer of extreme fun. Their summer vacation spot, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, may never be the same after these fast friends work, party and bond with one another over their common love of the South.
A docu-series following a tight-knit group of friends in small town Florida as they attempt to transition into adulthood.
