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
Following Nick and Drew Lachey as they open a bar in their hometown of Cincinnati—because nothing mixes together quite like siblings, construction, and beer.
Pickers like Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner’s land. Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two men earn a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person’s trash into another’s treasure.
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls is an American reality competition series hosted by adventurer and survivalist Bear Grylls. The eight-episode series premiered on NBC on July 8, 2013.
Jump in the cab with some of the men and women behind the wheel of monster road trains and reveals what life is really like on the wide-open road. Highly dramatic, often humorous, Outback Truckers reveals the true blue heart and soul of Aussie trucking.
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?
Girl Code is an American reality comedy television series on MTV that debuted on April 23, 2013. It is a spin-off series to Guy Code. The series features female actresses, musicians, stand-up comics — plus a few men — who discuss the sisterhood that women share. It was announced on June 13, 2013, that the series has been renewed for a twenty episode second season. Season 2 will premiere on October 29, 2013.
From the warm Caribbean waters of Playa del Carmen to Pacific Coast destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, we’re following homebuyers in search of sun, sand and surf. Whether it’s a vibrant nightlife and sizzling culinary scene or a totally secluded piece of paradise these buyers crave, local realtors will help them find the perfect property for their own slice of Mexico heaven.
Elite street racers from around the world test their limits in supercharged custom cars on the biggest, baddest automotive obstacle course ever built.
The story of the real characters who bring life to this enormously popular television genre. Set in Miami, the series follows a group of beautiful and fierce Latina actresses and actors working in this hyper-competitive world, which has captivated hundreds of millions of viewers.
“Buying Alaska” proves that forgoing basic amenities is a reasonable tradeoff when it comes to breathtaking views and stunning wild surroundings that you can’t find anywhere in the lower 48 states. Offering much more than living quarters, these properties are so in tune with the extraordinary landscape that it’s often what’s beyond the house that proves to be the main attraction – from the ability to hunt and fish from a back deck, to extreme seclusion on your own private island, to self-sustaining features such as smokehouses and greenhouses. However, there are also dangers that come with all the beauty, and living in this rugged and remote terrain can lead to animal attacks and brutal winters that cut you off from society.
What happens when you put two complete strangers – sans clothes – in some of the most extreme environments on Earth? Each male-female duo is left with no food, no water, no clothes, and only one survival item each as they attempt to survive on their own.
In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of “The Walking Dead,” experience thrills, chills, and laughter as PewDiePie encounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.
