The X Factor (UK)
2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Television
| The X Factor | |
|---|---|
 The X Factor current logo (2006 – present) |
|
| Format | Talent show |
| Created by | Simon Cowell |
| Presented by | ITV Network: Kate Thornton (Series 1 – 3) Dermot O'Leary (Series 4 – ) ITV2 Network: Ben Shephard (Series 1 – 3) Fearne Cotton (Series 4 – ) |
| Judges | Simon Cowell (Series 1 – ) Sharon Osbourne (Series 1 –) Louis Walsh (Series 1 – ) Dannii Minogue (Series 4 –) Paula Abdul (Series 3 auditions) Brian Friedman (Series 4 auditions) |
| Voices of | Peter Dickson, Enn Reitel |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 4 (plus 1 celebrity series) |
| No. of episodes | 15 ( Series 1) 18 ( Series 2) 18 ( Series 3) 17 ( Series 4) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | FremantleMedia (as talkbackTHAMES), SYCOtv |
| Running time | 60 – 120 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV (The X Factor) ITV2 (The Xtra Factor) |
| Original run | 4 September 2004 – (renewed until December 2010) |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
The X Factor is a British television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on Saturdays on the ITV Network in the UK and on TV3 in the Republic of Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3. It 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 X Factor is the biggest television talent competition in Europe, with 200,000 auditioning for series 4. The prize is a £1,000,000 (sterling) recording contract (in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but also for other highly ranked contestants). The show has proved hugely popular with audiences, with the series 4 final attracting 12.7 million viewers. There have been four winners to date: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis and Leon Jackson respectively. The winner's first single is usually released around the Christmas season, in an effort to become the UK's Christmas number one single. As of series 4, each winner's single has entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, three of them being number one at Christmas (see music releases by X Factor contestants).
The X Factor was devised as a replacement for the massively 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.)
Versions of The X Factor have also appeared in a number of other countries.
Auditions for the fifth series will begin in 2008.
Series
The first series of The X Factor began in September 2004 and ran to December 2004. It was hugely popular and a second series ran from August to December 2005 . A celebrity special edition The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was shown from May to June 2006. The third series, sponsored by mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, aired from 19 August 2006 and concluded on 16 December 2006. The X Factor producers and creator/judge Simon Cowell subsequently cancelled the show's contract with Nokia, and on June 19, 2007 it was confirmed that mobile phone retailer and ex-Big Brother sponsor The Carphone Warehouse would sponsor series 4. Series 4 began broadcasting on 18 August 2007 and the show has been given another three year contract with ITV, so should run at least until series 7 in 2010.
Auditions for the fifth series will begin in 2008.
Format
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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. Some acts also accompany themselves on guitar or piano, though almost always over a backing track. 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: vocal groups (including duos), solo singers aged 16–24, and solo singers aged 25 and over. In series 4, 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"), 25-and-overs, and groups.
There are four stages to The X Factor competition:
- Stage 1: Auditions
- Stage 2: Boot camp
- Stage 3: Visits to judges' houses
- Stage 4: Live shows (finals)
Auditions
A round of first auditions are held by appointment in front of producers months before the show. These are not broadcast. Selected candidates are then invited back to audition in front of the judges. The producers also hold "open" public auditions at locations across the UK, which anyone can attend. These attract very large crowds.
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. Each act enters the audition room, often after waiting for hours, and delivers a stand-up unaccompanied performance of their chosen song to the judges. If a majority of the judges (two in series 1–3 or three in series 4) say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage, otherwise the act is sent home. Much like Pop Idol, many acts face harsh criticism from the judges, especially from the controversial Simon Cowell.
Over 50,000 people auditioned for series 1 of The X Factor, around 75,000 for series 2 and around 100,000 for series 3. The number of applicants for series 4 reached an all-time high with 200,000 people auditioning.
Bootcamp and visits to judges' houses
The contestants selected at audition are further refined through a series of performances at "bootcamp" (held at a venue such as a country hotel), and then at the "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve in series 2–4). 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, each of the judges is allocated a category to mentor. In early series this allocation took place after completion of the auditions and prior to bootcamp, but in series 4 all four judges worked together at the bootcamp. They collectively chose 24 acts (6 from each category) for the next round, and only then found out which category they are to mentor. The judges then disbanded for the "visits to the judges' houses" round, where their six acts were reduced to three for the live shows.
Live shows
The finals consist of a series of two live shows each Saturday evening, usually with one act eliminated each week. In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the first show in front of an auditorium audience and the judges. Acts usually sing over a pre-recorded backing track, though sometimes live musicians, backing singers and/or dancers are featured.
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 the Pop Idol format. This format continued during the most recent fourth series. The contestants' songs are chosen according to the theme, and a celebrity guest connected to the theme is invited onto the show. Clips are shown of the guest conversing with the contestants at rehearsal, and the guest also performs in the later results show, immediately before the results are announced. (See the series 3 and series 4 articles for a full list of themes and guests.) 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 much less emphasis on this element.
After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance, usually focusing on vocal ability and stage presence. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the viewing public vote on which act they want to keep.
In the results show, screened an hour or so later, the two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. Both these acts perform their song again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. 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 (this is presumably to maintain interest in the event that there might be a clear winner from an early stage). 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.
Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1) or five (series 2–4), 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 and 4) 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 failed auditionees from the early rounds have also returned for a special appearance in the final.
Judges and presenters
From series 1 to 3, The X Factor judges were Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.
After some months of speculation and provisional lineup changes (see series 4 article), the series 4 judges were finally confirmed in June 2007 as Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue, with Brian Friedman taking a role as performance coach and choreographer. Judge Sharon Osbourne has said she will not return for series 5 if the series 4 winner does not come from her category. This has been denied by Official Sources — an ITV Spokesman has confirmed Sharon Osbourne's X Factor contract will run until the show's contract is over in 2009. However, Dannii Minogue's contract only runs until series 5. Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne will return for series 5..
The show was hosted up to series 3 by Kate Thornton. Thornton was replaced for series 4 by Dermot O'Leary who signed a contract worth £1 million to present two series of the programme on ITV. However, O'Leary was not forced to leave the Big Brother franchise and continued to present Big Brother sister shows during summer 2007. However, Dermot has announced that Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack will be his last Big Brother hosting role so he can focus on presenting The X Factor.
Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel.
For information about The Xtra Factor presenters, see The Xtra Factor below.
Judges' categories
| Judge | Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Cowell | 25 and overs | Groups | 16-24s | Groups |
| Sharon Osbourne | 16-24s | 25 and overs | 25 and overs | Girls |
| Louis Walsh | Groups | 16-24s | Groups | Over 25s |
| Dannii Minogue | – | – | – | Boys |
- The Judge and Category won the competition
Ratings and awards
Viewing figures of around ten million were claimed for series 2. 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.
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 (rather bizarrely, since it is not intended as comedy). The award was presented by Ricky Gervais.
The Republic of Ireland
The "UK" version of The X Factor effectively includes the Republic of Ireland on an equal footing, and viewers in the Republic have been able to vote in all three series via SMS or telephone. The first series was available to Irish viewers only through the Northern Ireland channel UTV, but subsequent series have been shown on Irish terrestrial TV station TV3. The show has held auditions in Ballsbridge, Dublin and Belfast for all three series, and also in other Irish cities over past seasons. Irish acts reached the finals in both series 1 (Tabby and Roberta) and series 2 (The Conway Sisters).
The Xtra Factor
The Xtra Factor is a companion show that airs on digital channel ITV2 on Saturday nights. It features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of The X Factor and shows the emotional responses of the contestants after the judges comment on their performances.
Cameras follow the finalists during their day, and some of the footage is aired in a spin-off show The Xtra Factor: The Aftermath, which is broadcast in the middle of the week on ITV2. The Xtra Factor: Xcess All Areas is a live show in which there are interviews, games and trips around the contestants' homes. The show also lets viewers know which songs the contestants will be singing in the next live show.
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.
The X Factor: Battle of the Stars
The X Factor: Battle of the Stars is 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.
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".
Categories
- – Winner
- – Eliminated
| Category (Mentor) | Acts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-24s (Sharon Osbourne) | Michelle Marsh | Nikki Sanderson | Matt Stevens |
| 25 and overs (Louis Walsh) | Lucy Benjamin | Gillian McKeith | Chris Moyles |
| Groups (Simon Cowell) | Paul and Debbie | James and Rebecca | The Chefs* |
- * The Chefs was a quartet of celebrity chefs: Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli, Paul Rankin and Ross Burden.
Results summary
Pink indicates elimination, green indicates the winner
| Date | Bottom two | |
| June 5 | Lucy Benjamin | Matt Stevens |
| June 4 | Chris Moyles | |
| June 3 | The Chefs | |
| June 2 | The Chefs | Nikki Sanderson |
| June 1 | James and Rebecca | Nikki Sanderson |
| May 31 | Lucy Benjamin | Michelle Marsh |
| May 30 | Michelle Marsh | Gillian McKeith |
| May 29 | Gillian McKeith | Paul and Debbie |
Controversy and criticism
Judges
In Series 1, tabloid reports claimed that the show was fixed, after Louis Walsh allegedly cheated and tried to help a band that he had previously managed get through to the final stages. Footage of Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne coaching contestants to argue back to the judges was also being sold over the Internet to the highest bidder.
Shortly before the first ever live show, Sharon Osbourne claimed that Simon Cowell had "rigged" the show by editing footage to make his contestants more appealing to viewers.
The show received a record number of complaints in December 2004, after Sharon Osbourne made a verbal attack on Steve Brookstein in the Series 1 finale. As a result, her future on the show was uncertain, but she later made an apology and was allowed to return.
Sharon and Louis were criticised in Series 2 for tactical voting, due to an alleged pact against Simon Cowell carried forward from the first series. Louis was alleged to have told Chenai Zinyuku in the second live show of the second series that she was safe, because "Sharon owed him one" from the previous show. Later in the same series Louis was heavily criticised for casting the deciding vote to keep Irish group The Conway Sisters in the show at the expense of the popular Maria Lawson, especially after it was revealed that he had worked with the Conways personally prior to the show. The Conway Sisters had supported Westlife, a band managed by Louis, on one of their tours. On one occasion, judge Louis Walsh announced after the live Saturday show that he would quit the series, claiming that the other two judges had been 'bullying' him. This included various verbal assaults on Louis, and Sharon Osbourne even throwing water over him, live on air. Louis' announcement was claimed by many to be a publicity stunt, especially when he decided to return to the show the following Saturday night.
Contestants
In Series 3, one boyband, called Avenue, were accused of cheating. It emerged that they already had a management deal with music mogul Ashley Tabor, who reportedly hoped to use the show in order to publicise the boys. It was also revealed that one of the members, Jamie Tinker, once had a recording contract with Simon Cowell's recording company SonyBMG, though this was judged not to be against the rules of the show. The boys later lost their places in the final 12, though they insisted that they were not cheats.
During Series 4 the producers discovered that Sisi Jghalef, a member of six-piece girl group Hope, had a criminal conviction in contravention of the show's rules. Sisi was asked to leave, and Hope, who had already been selected as finalists, continued as a five-piece.
Later in Series 4, 15-year-old Emily Nakanda pulled out of the show after being discovered in a " happy slapping" video, in which she apparently attacks another girl. Both her mentor, Sharon Osbourne and her family were said to be upset with her behaviour. She was given the option of leaving of her own accord or being forced out, and she chose to withdraw.
Accusations of staging
There have been suggestions that much of the controversy surrounding the show, such as the bickering between the judges, is deliberately orchestrated to attract publicity, that some supposedly "spontaneous" scenes are rehearsed or refilmed, and that some candidates are selected for entertainment value rather than because they have any talent or prospect of progressing in the competition.
Legal row
Simon Fuller, the creator of Pop Idol, claimed that the format of The X Factor was copied from his own show, and, through his company 19 TV, filed a lawsuit against The X Factor producers FremantleMedia, Simon Cowell and Cowell's companies Simco and Syco. A High Court hearing began in London, England in November 2005, and the outcome was awaited with interest by media lawyers for its potential effect on the legal situation regarding the copyrighting of formats. However, in the event the hearing was quickly adjourned and an out-of-court settlement was reached at the end of the month.
Voting issues
After Series 3, it was discovered that ITV had overcharged viewers who voted via interactive television by a total of approximately £200,000. ITV said a data inputting error was to blame and that they would refund anybody affected on production of a telephone bill. They also indicated that they would make a £200,000 donation to Childline. This error, and those by other broadcasters, eventually led to a temporary suspension of all ITV's phone-in services on 5 March pending an audit and meeting with ICSTIS. The suspension of phone-in programming also saw ITV Play "temporarily" taken off air. ITV Play never came back, and was replaced on Freeview by ITV2+1.
In October 2007, it emerged that "serious technical issues" had resulted in viewer votes being ignored in the series two final, though it was found that the problems did not "alter the actual outcome" of the vote. ITV put in place a scheme which allowed affected consumers to be offered refunds.
Following the result of the series 4 final, won by Leon Jackson, media watchdog Ofcom received 80 complaints from viewers, who said that they were unable to register their vote for Rhydian Roberts to win, despite trying up to ten times. It is possible that Leon Jackson voters experienced the same difficulties, though it is unlikely that they would complain after he won. After complaints topped 1,100, ITV issued a statement which assured viewers that "Leon won The X Factor fair and square" and did so with a winning margin of 10%.
Music releases by X Factor contestants
Singles
Several singles released by contestants in The X Factor have reached the top twenty in the UK Singles Chart, six of them reaching number one:
| Artist | Title | Year | Peak position | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Brookstein | " Against All Odds" | 2005 | 1 | 100,000 | - |
| G4 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | 2005 | 9 | 70,000 | - |
| Shayne Ward | " That's My Goal" | 2005 | 1 | 1,300,000 | Platinum |
| Chico Slimani | " It's Chico Time" | 2006 | 1 | 250,000 | - |
| Shayne Ward | " No Promises" | 2006 | 2 | 200,000 | - |
| Shayne Ward | " Stand by Me" | 2006 | 14 | 25,000 | - |
| Andy Abraham | "December Brings Me Back to You" | 2006 | 18 | 30,000 | - |
| Maria Lawson | " Sleepwalking" | 2006 | 20 | 20,000 | - |
| Leona Lewis | " A Moment like This" | 2006 | 1 | 800,000 | Platinum |
| Shayne Ward | " No U Hang Up" / " If That's OK with You" | 2007 | 2 | 144,525 | |
| Leona Lewis | " Bleeding Love" | 2007 | 1 | 787,652 | Gold |
| Shayne Ward | " Breathless" | 2007 | 6 | 90,000 | |
| Leon Jackson | " When You Believe" | 2007 | 1 | 395,669 |
Three winners in row have acheived the Christmas number one spot. These being "That's My Goal", "A Moment Like This" and "When You Believe".
Albums
Several albums released by contestants in The X Factor have reached the UK Albums Chart, six of them making number one:
| Artist | Title | Year | Position | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Brookstein | Heart and Soul | 2005 | 1 | 250,000 | Gold |
| G4 | G4 | 2005 | 1 | 800,000 | 2x platinum |
| G4 | G4 & Friends | 2005 | 6 | 400,000 | Platinum |
| Journey South | Journey South | 2006 | 1 | 405,000 | Platinum |
| Andy Abraham | The Impossible Dream | 2006 | 2 | 300,000 | Platinum |
| Shayne Ward | Shayne Ward | 2006 | 1 | 505,000 | Platinum |
| Maria Lawson | Maria Lawson | 2006 | 41 | 15,000 | - |
| G4 | Act Three | 2006 | 21 | 300,000 | Gold |
| Andy Abraham | Soul Man | 2006 | 19 | - | |
| Ray Quinn | Ray Quinn | 2007 | 1 | 215,000 | - |
| Ben Mills | Picture of You | 2007 | 3 | 133,000 | - |
| The MacDonald Brothers | The MacDonald Bros | 2007 | 18 | 15,000 | - |
| Journey South | Home | 2007 | 43 | - | |
| Leona Lewis | Spirit | 2007 | 1 | 1,590,000 | 5x platinum |
| Shayne Ward | Breathless | 2007 | 2 | 422,000 |
Merchandise
- The X Factor Revealed The Greatest Auditions Ever (Series 1 DVD)
- The X Factor Greatest Auditions Ever (Series 2 DVD)
- The X Factor Revealed (Series 3 DVD)
- Access All Areas (Book)
- Interactive DVD Game
- The X Factor Chocolate Board Game
- The X Factor Sing (Karaoke Game)