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The X Factor (UK TV Series)

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The X Factor is a British talent-based reality TV show in the same format as its predecessor, Pop Idol and American Idol. The similarity of format led to a court dispute between Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller.

The X Factor

Judges

Former Judges

Presenters

Former Presenters

Contest Format

Auditionees are invited to apply for the show and shortlisted acts are invited to audition at arena-sized venues across the UK. The early stages of audition are performed in front of producers and record label representatives, and these are further shortlisted for future auditions in front of the TV judging panel.

At the end of the shortlisting process, the acts are divided into groups by age and gender and with a further category for vocal groups. A judge is assigned to mentor each group and they then take their chosen acts through to the Boot Camp stage. This is a final refinement of the shortlist to select the best acts remaining. The successful acts then go on to the live round stage where they have to perform in front of a live studio audience.

Using a combination of phone votes and judge voting, one act per week is evicted from the show. In the final stages, only the public vote is used to select the winning act.

Judges

The original judging panel consisted of Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne. Walsh was fired after Series 3, and was slated to be replaced by choreographer Brian Friedman for Series 4. However, Friedman proved to be unsatisfactory and was given a choreographer role while Walsh was invited back. Dannii Minogue was added to the Series 4 panel as a fourth judge.

In the run-up to Series 5 auditions, Sharon Osbourne quit as a judge, recommending Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole as her replacement. Cole was confirmed as a judge on 10th June 2008.

X Factor Winners

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