The X Factor (British TV series)

For the upcoming series, see The X Factor (UK series 8)

The X Factor
The X Factor logo (2006–present)
Created by	Simon Cowell
Creative director	Brian Friedman
Presented by	Dermot O'Leary (2007—) Kate Thornton (2004–06)
Judges	Louis Walsh (2004-) Kelly Rowland (2011-) Gary Barlow (2011-) Simon Cowell (2004–10) Dannii Minogue (2007–10) Cheryl Cole (2008–10) Sharon Osbourne (2004–07) Brian Friedman (2007)
Voices of	Peter Dickson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	195 (as of 12 December 2010)
Production
Producers	Talkback Thames FremantleMedia SYCOtv
Production locations	Various (auditions) Fountain Studios (live shows)
Running time	60–150 minutes
Original release
Network	ITV TV3 (Ireland)
Release	4 September 2004 (2004-09-04) – present
Related
The Xtra Factor The X Factor (U.S.)

The X Factor is a British television competition contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions, which started in September 2004. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date have been broadcast 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. 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 Cowell wished to launch a show to which he owned the television rights. 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. The original judging panel was Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. In 2007 Dannii Minogue joined the panel, 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 Dannii Minogue left the show due to commitments on Australia's Got Talent. From series 6 onwards, auditionees sing in front of a live audience. Successful auditionees go through to "bootcamp" and then "judges houses", where judges narrow down the acts in their category to 3 or 4 acts to mentor for the live shows, where the public vote for their favourite acts following weekly live performances by the contestants.

There have been seven winners to date: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry and Matt Cardle. 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 was gained in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. All of the winners' singles have gone on to achieve the number one chart position nevertheless, with Brookstein and McElderry going on to claim the New Year's number one spot a week later instead. As of December 2010, a total of 17 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 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 is the biggest television talent competition in Europe and has proved hugely popular with the public. Series 6 attracted 200,000 auditionees and peaked at 19.7 million UK viewers (a 63.2% audience share). 10 million votes were cast in the series 6 final. On 18 October 2010, ITV announced that Cowell had signed a three year contract renewing The X Factor until 2013.

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. 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 16–28.

There are five stages to the competition:

• Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges, this stage isn't broadcast or even acknowledged on the show)
• Stage 2: Judges' auditions
• Stage 3: Bootcamp
• 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 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 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. In 2010, applicants for the seventh series were given the opportunity to apply by uploading a video audition to the Internet.

Bootcamp and visits to judges' houses

The contestants selected at auditions are further refined through a series of performances at "bootcamp", 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 October 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 bootcamp, but from series 4 all four judges have worked together at the bootcamp. They collectively choose 24 acts (six from each category) for the next round, and only then find out which category they are to mentor. In series 4 and 6, 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 and 7 the contestants didn't know who their mentor was until they revealed themselves at their homes. The judges then disband for the "visits to the judges' houses" round, where they reduce their six acts to three for the live shows. In series 7, a total of 32 acts went through to judges' houses, giving each judge eight acts instead of six.

The X Factor house

The selected top 12 singers and groups move into shared accommodation to take part in the show. The house accommodates both contestants and TV production staff and footage from the house is often used in spin-off show The Xtra Factor. In 2009 the house, in West Heath Avenue, Golders Green, received significant press coverage when it was mobbed by fans, leading to the police being called. This led to concerns by the neighbours of the 2010 house in Hyver Hill, Mill Hill that it would receive similar attention, with a local farmer worried his land would be damaged, but local businesses were said to be looking forward to increased trade.

Live shows

Entrance to The Fountain Studios

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 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 twelve in series 2. In series 7, following the addition of four wildcards, it increased to 16.

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), five (series 2, 4, 5 and 6), 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 and 6) 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.

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. However, the song is pre-recorded and the contestants mime, due to problems with the number of microphones. 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".

Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1, 3 and 7) 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 The X Factor

Joe McElderry, winner of series 6, 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. 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.

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 and Jeff Brazier hosted the tour.

Series summary

To date, seven series have been broadcast, 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

Series	Start	Finish	Winner	Runner-up	Third place	Main host	UK sponsor	Main judges	Guest judges
One	4 September 2004	11 December 2004	Steve Brookstein	G4	Tabby Callaghan	Kate Thornton	Nokia	Simon Cowell Sharon Osbourne Louis Walsh	N/A
Two	20 August 2005	17 December 2005	Shayne Ward	Andy Abraham	Journey South
Three	19 August 2006	16 December 2006	Leona Lewis	Ray Quinn	Ben Mills				Paula Abdul (London auditions)
Four	18 August 2007	15 December 2007	Leon Jackson	Rhydian Roberts	Same Difference	Dermot O'Leary	The Carphone Warehouse	Simon Cowell Sharon Osbourne Louis Walsh Dannii Minogue	Brian Friedman (London auditions; was originally planned to be permanent judge)
Five	16 August 2008	13 December 2008	Alexandra Burke	JLS	Eoghan Quigg			Simon Cowell Dannii Minogue Louis Walsh Cheryl Cole	N/A
Six	22 August 2009	13 December 2009	Joe McElderry	Olly Murs	Stacey Solomon		TalkTalk
Seven	21 August 2010	12 December 2010	Matt Cardle	Rebecca Ferguson	One Direction				Geri Halliwell (Glasgow auditions) Natalie Imbruglia (Birmingham auditions) Katy Perry (Dublin auditions) Pixie Lott (Cardiff auditions) Nicole Scherzinger (Manchester auditions, bootcamp)

Judges and presenters

Judges

Judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole during filming of the London auditions for the seventh series

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. Paula Abdul was a guest judge at the series 3 London auditions. After the third series, Walsh was dropped from the show, being replaced by American choreographer Brian Friedman who was hired after impressing Cowell on his show Grease Is the Word. A fourth judge was also brought in: Australian singer, actress and Australia's Got Talent judge Dannii Minogue. Simon hired Minogue after viewing tapes of her judging on Australia's Got Talent, and because of her 30 years experience as a singer and performer. However, Friedman was re-assigned the role of Creative Director because Cowell believed the judging panel was not working. Walsh then resumed his place on the panel, and the series 4 judging lineup was Cowell, Osbourne, Walsh and Minogue. Minogue became the first female judge to win after her series 4 victory with Leon Jackson.

Dannii Minogue became a judge during the fourth series

Speculation surrounded judging lineup changes for series 5, centring on whether 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. 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 Minogue. Despite rumours that Minogue would leave the show after series 5, all four judges from series 5 returned for series 6. 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 during series 7, a series of guest judges filled in for her at the audition stages before she rejoined the panel in September. The guest judges were Geri Halliwell, Natalie Imbruglia, Katy Perry, Pixie Lott and Nicole Scherzinger. In July 2010, Cole was diagnosed with malaria towards the end of the auditions. Bootcamp went ahead with Scherzinger as a guest judge.

On 5 May 2011, it was announced that Cowell and Cole would leave their positions on the panel to concentrate on the American version of the programme. After Cole and Cowell announced their leave, a number of celebrities have been linked to the judging role, including Frankie Sandford and Alesha Dixon. Simon Cowell confirmed on 9 May 2011 that Gary Barlow was in talks to become a judge, though his contract is yet to be finalised. Although that Dixon was rumoured to become a judge, she announced that she would not become a judge due to her commitment with Strictly Come Dancing.

On 14 May 2011, it was announced that Minogue would not be appearing on the eighth series of The X Factor. Of her decision, Minogue said "During discussions for me to return [to The X Factor] it became clear that unfortunately, this year, The X Factor audition dates in the UK clash with the live shows of Australia's Got Talent during June and July. For this reason I am unable to return." Since then, The Daily Star has reported that American R&B singer Kelly Rowland has been drafted in as a replacement for Minogue, though her contract has not been signed and her appointment to the pannel has not been officially confirmed.

Presenters and other personnel

Dermot O'Leary has presented the show since series 4

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 ITV. O'Leary was not forced to leave the Big Brother franchise and continued to present Big Brother sister shows during summer 2007. However, O'Leary 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 The X Factor's vocal coach since series 2, but was replaced in series 7 by Ali Tennant and Savan Kotecha. However, Tennant's contract was ended before the live shows and Burnett was reinstated. In series 7, Richard "Biff" Stannard started work as show song producer for Minogue's contestants, and Grace Woodward joined the series as Fashion Director. 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

Leona Lewis won the third series

See also: List of The X Factor (UK) 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, eliminated contestants in small font.

Series	Simon Cowell	Sharon Osbourne	Louis Walsh	Dannii Minogue
One	Over 25s Steve Brookstein Rowetta Satchell Verity Keays	16-24s Tabby Callaghan Cassie Compton Roberta Howett	Groups G4 Voices With Soul 2 to go	N/A
Two	Groups Journey South The Conway Sisters 4Tune Addictiv Ladies	Over 25s Andy Abraham Brenda Edwards Chico Slimani Maria Lawson	16-24s Shayne Ward Nicholas Dorsett Chenai Zinyuku Phillip Magee
Three	16-24s Leona Lewis Ray Quinn Nikitta Angus Ashley McKenzie	Over 25s Ben Mills Robert Allen Kerry McGregor Dionne Mitchell	Groups The MacDonald Brothers Eton Road 4Sure The Unconventionals
Four	Groups Same Difference Hope Futureproof	Girls Alisha Bennett Emily Nakanda Kimberley Southwick	Over 25s Niki Evans Beverley Trotman Daniel DeBourg	Boys Leon Jackson Rhydian Roberts Andy Williams
Series	Simon Cowell	Cheryl Cole	Louis Walsh	Dannii Minogue
Five	Boys Eoghan Quigg Austin Drage Scott Bruton	Girls Alexandra Burke Diana Vickers Laura White	Groups JLS Girlband Bad Lashes	Over 25s Ruth Lorenzo Rachel Hylton Daniel Evans
Six	Over 25s Olly Murs Danyl Johnson Jamie Archer	Boys Joe McElderry Lloyd Daniels Rikki Loney	Groups John & Edward Miss Frank Kandy Rain	Girls Stacey Solomon Lucie Jones Rachel Adedeji
Seven	Groups One Direction Belle Amie Diva Fever F.Y.D.	Girls Rebecca Ferguson Cher Lloyd Katie Waissel Treyc Cohen	Over 28s Mary Byrne Wagner John Adeleye Storm Lee	Boys Matt Cardle Paije Richardson Aiden Grimshaw Nicolo Festa

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 a peak of 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,. The series 6 final was watched by 19.1 million viewers (a 63.2% audience share) with 10 million votes cast and the series 7 final topped this attracting 19.4 million viewers with over 15 million votes cast.

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". 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. It rates as ITV's most popular programme whilst it is broadcast, and is the first format (along with Britain's Got Talent) in years to knock Coronation Street off the top.

At the 2011 National Television Awards, the X Factor won the Talent Show award beating, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain's Got Talent and Dancing On Ice with Cowell and Cole collecting the award accompanied by series 7 winner, Matt Cardle.

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.

Series	Series premiere	Series finale	Episodes (inc. results shows)	Average UK viewers in millions (inc. results shows)
Series 1	4 September 2004	11 December 2004	23	7.40
Series 2	20 August 2005	17 December 2005	30	8.73
Series 3	19 August 2006	16 December 2006	26	8.27
Series 4	18 August 2007	15 December 2007	27	8.57
Series 5	16 August 2008	13 December 2008	30	10.51
Series 6	22 August 2009	13 December 2009	31	13.00
Series 7	21 August 2010	12 December 2010	30	14.13

• All information in this table comes from BARB.

Controversy and criticism

Main article: Controversy and criticism of The X Factor (UK)

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; 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.

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 the Irish 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, voting from Republic of Ireland was discontinued, with the decision being blamed on new regulations introduced regarding phone competitions in the UK. In 2010 TV3 announced that Irish viewers would only be able to vote using voting numbers posted online once the live shows start. These numbers change weekly.

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 with the auditions held on 28 June.

Irish contestants have reached the finals in series 1 (Tabby Callaghan and Roberta Howett), series 2 (The Conway Sisters), series 6 (John & Edward) and in series 7 (Mary Byrne, Rebecca Creighton in group Belle Amie and Niall Horan in group One Direction). Northern Irish finalists have included Phillip Magee (series 2) and Eoghan Quigg (series 5).

In 2011, The X Factor will not hold auditions in Ireland, after being replaced with a new audition city Liverpool. A source from The X Factor said: "There are only so many places we can go for auditions. 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."

The Xtra Factor

The X Factor
Created by	Simon Cowell
Presented by	TBA (2011–) Konnie Huq (2010) Holly Willoughby (2008–09) Fearne Cotton (2007) Ben Shephard (2004–06)
Voices of	Peter Dickson (2004–09) Brian Blessed (2010–)
Country of origin	UK
No. of series	7
Production
Producers	talkbackTHAMES FremantleMedia SYCOtv
Production location	Fountain Studios
Running time	60-80 minutes
Original release
Network	ITV2 (UK) TV3 (Ireland)
Related
The X Factor

The Xtra Factor is a companion show that is broadcast on digital channel ITV2 and on TV3 Ireland on Saturday and Sunday nights after the main ITV 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 was broadcast. Konnie Huq replaced Willoughby as the new Xtra Factor presenter for series 7. However, Huq decided to depart from the series in March 2011 because of work commitments.

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 is broadcast 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

Main article: 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 be broadcast in its place as Celebrity Pop Idol but was stopped 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.

It was reported on 26 August 2006 that Simon Cowell had decided not to do a second edition, describing it as "pointless" and adding "we are never going to do it again".

Music releases by The X Factor contestants

Main article: List of music releases from The X Factor (UK) 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. 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. 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." 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: "Following last year's record we made with the X Factor finalists in aid of Help For Heroes, we decided we wanted to do something annually on the show to help good causes."

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. The 2010 single was a cover of David Bowie's Heroes, with proceeds once again going to the Help for Heroes charity.

Year	Song	Peak chart positions		Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK	IRL
2008	"Hero"	1	1	UK: 2× Platinum
2009	"You Are Not Alone"	1	1	UK: Gold
2010	"Heroes"	1	1

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 console game (2007)
• Series 5: The X Factor: The Board Game (2008)
• Series 5: Top Trumps X Factor – card game (2008)
• Series 7: The X Factor – karaoke console game (2010)

Books

• Series 1–3: The X Factor: Access All Areas (2007)
• Series 6: The X Factor Finalists of 2009: Annual 2010 (2009)
• Series 7: The X Factor Annual (2010)

Magazines

• X Magazine – weekly publication starting in 2010.

Other

The X Factor brand has also appeared on clothing, jewellery, perfume, make-up, toiletries, bedding, gifts, confectionery, soft drinks and pizzas. The Sun newspaper reported that the parents of Kate Middleton were using The X Factor logo without permission to publicise party accessories sold through their mail-order business.

External links

• The X Factor at itv.com
• The X Factor at stv.tv
• The X Factor at IMDb

• The X Factor on Facebook
• The X Factor on Twitter
• The X Factor's channel on YouTube