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
Castaways is a reality series testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances as each individual learns there are other castaways out there but are unaware of how many, their locations or when they will be rescued. The series follows 12 diverse individuals as they’re dropped alone throughout various islets in Indonesia and challenged to survive among washed-up luggage, scattered resources and abandoned structures.
Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick is one of England’s top veterinarians. “Supervet” showcases Fitzpatrick and his staff treating hard-to-cure ailments with innovative care and surgical techniques. The program gives the often-emotional stories of pets, owners and the passionate team that pushes boundaries of medicine to save animals from life-threatening conditions. Nicknamed the Bionic Vet, Fitzpatrick employs more than 100 people at his neurosurgery/orthopedic clinic in Surrey, England.
A raw look at three teenage pregnancies and the effects it has on their families as everyone prepares for the arrival of the babies.
Docu-series that follows 10 entrepreneurial techies looking to make names for themselves while also perhaps bursting others’ bubbles. To do so, they must enter a grueling seven-week program at Draper University, a program led by billionaire founder and venture capitalist Tim Draper. After a semester of learning the fundamentals of launching a startup company under the mentorship of America’s business leaders, the students will pitch their ideas to venture capitalists eager to find the next big tech innovation.
Being married to the game comes with its fair share of perks, but make no mistake: managing the pressures of trades, relentless travel, family, career uncertainty, injury, and long periods of separation in the white hot years of your life is a full time job. Meet the off-ice Captains — sexy, savvy, jet-setting women, stick handling life through another grueling hockey season. From wives who are new to the league, to those whose partners are Stanley Cup winning superstars or nearing retirement, these women form a team of their own, supporting and encouraging one another through personal and professional highs and lows.
The daily lives of a group of racing wives in Lake Norman, N.C., where the who’s who of stock car racing live. Go inside the personal and professional lives of the women as they support their husbands, friends and one another, both on and off the raceway.
American Grit contestants will be mentored by “The Cadre,” made up of military members who, along with Cena, will push their civilian charges throughout the competition. The Cadre consists of: Navy Seal trainer, Rorke Denver; Purple Heart recipient, U.S. Army veteran Noah Galloway; Veteran U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Tawanda “Tee” Hanible; and U.S. Army Ranger sniper, Nick “The Reaper” Irving.
David Ortiz, the one and only Big Papi, has jacked his last mammoth home run into the Fenway stands. He retired after the 2016 season as one of the most decorated and best-loved players in Red Sox history. Of course, if you know anything about Big Papi, you know the man isn’t about to rest on his laurels. He’s already going out of his mind—and he’s driving his family nuts too! They all agree on one thing—this man was not built for a retirement made up of “puttering” around the house. He needs to find himself some gainful employment—and fast! Watch Big Papi as he seeks out new jobs and opportunities with hilarious and surprising results.
King of the Nerds is the ultimate nerd-off. The series follows fierce competitors from across the nerd spectrum as they set out to win $100,000 and be crowned the greatest nerd of them all. King of the Nerds takes the glory of geekdom to a whole new level as the competitors live together in “Nerdvana.” Each week, they must face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills, and pop culture prowess. One competitor is eliminated each week until one nerd stands alone as the ultimate champion of all things nerdy.
A singing competition where celebrities compete with each other but with one particularity: their identity is hidden by full masks. The British adaptation of the worldwide hit.
