The X Factor (British TV series) series 4

Template:The X Factor UK The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007. The first show aired on 18 August 2007 and the series was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007.

The show's fourth run saw a number of changes to the format, most notably the lowering of the minimum age for participants from 16 to 14 and the increase in the number of categories from three to four resulting from the division of the under-25s into separate male and female categories.

The series hit the headlines even before recording began. Some of the controversy centred upon whether 14 year olds should be eligible to enter, and also on the high-profile dismissals of judge Louis Walsh and presenter Kate Thornton, to be replaced by choreographer and Grease Is The Word judge Brian Friedman and Big Brother's Little Brother host Dermot O'Leary respectively. Walsh, however, was quickly reinstated, with Friedman becoming the show's choreographer.

Jackson's prize as winner was a £1 million recording contract. His first single release was "When You Believe", originally recorded by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, re-worked for the finalists by composer Stephen Schwartz and released to download on 16 December 2007 with the CD format following from 19 December). The single became that year's Christmas Number One in the UK Singles Chart.

Judges

Lineup

In March 2007 it was reported that judge Louis Walsh, who had appeared in all three previous series, had been sacked. This, along with the additional category, created vacancies for two new judges to join the original panel of Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne. The new judges were initially confirmed as Dannii Minogue and Brian Friedman.

Friedman appeared as a judge at early auditions, but on 22 June 2007 it was announced that he had stood down after discussing with Cowell that he was struggling in the role. Walsh was then reinstated and rejoined Cowell, Osbourne and Minogue at the Manchester auditions. Friedman remained on the show as a performance coach and choreographer, billed on screen as "Creative Director". Suggestions that Walsh's firing and rehiring was concocted to generate publicity were denied.

Commenting on Friedman's replacement by Walsh, Osbourne said that there was no "chemistry" within the original judging lineup, and that the atmosphere was "very uncomfortable". Cowell stated that the atmosphere was "very weird". For his part, Friedman said he felt "incredibly let down with the British talent".

In a clip of the show that aired at the ITV Autumn Launch, Osbourne said that she felt it was "her year to win", adding: "If I don't win I will fire myself – before someone else does!"

Osbourne's walkout

During the results of the first live show on 20 October, judge Osbourne walked away from the panel after it was revealed that both the bottom two acts came from her category. This left the three remaining judges (Cowell, Minogue and Walsh) to decide which of the bottom two would leave the contest. When presenter Dermot O'Leary asked Osbourne for her vote she claimed to have left the show, saying, "I'm out—gone". It later emerged that Osbourne was dissatisfied with the last-minute rescheduling of the programme from 17:45 to 17:30, claiming that fewer people saw the performance of her act, Kimberley Southwick, as she was first on stage. After a considerable amount of media coverage, including Paul O'Grady convincing Osbourne to return live on his chat show, it was confirmed on 23 October by Osbourne's spokesman that the judge would return to the show. A newspaper source explained that leaving prematurely would have been breach of contract and the legal repercussions would have made it in Osbourne's interests to return to the panel.

Alleged feuds and alliances

During the filming of The X Factor, there was much media speculation about rumoured feuds between the judges, most notably between Sharon Osbourne and Dannii Minogue. One report emerged of a backstage argument just 15 minutes before they were due to go live on television. On one show, Minogue criticised contestant Niki Evans's tuning, which prompted Niki's mentor, Louis Walsh, to suggest live on television that Minogue herself could not sing. Minogue then reportedly missed part of the results show as she was crying. In an interview published on December 2 2007, Minogue stated "As for Sharon, you don't click with everybody. But it's her choice not to be friends. Apparently she's envious because I'm younger and prettier.", and in another that she feels "younger and prettier" compared with the other judges. During Osbourne's appearance on The Graham Norton Show, she stated, referring to Minogue, "She knows she's there because of her looks, not because of her contribution to the music industry." In a press conference held on Wednesday December 12 2007, when asked why she had been publicly talking about Minogue, Osbourne said "It's an even playing field, Dannii speaks about me, I speak about her." Minogue said in turn "I've looked up to Sharon and Louis for years and I wanted to be part of that gang. But when they're slating you, you think: 'Please don't, I really like you.'" Cowell has admitted that Osbourne does not feel comfortable about having a new judge and that Osbourne and Minogue will never be "the best of buddies," adding that if Osbourne wanted to leave the show, he would let her. The Daily Mail has reported that Cowell was forced to sit the judges down, asking them to maintain a civil relationship with each other behind the scenes. The apparent flirting between Cowell and Minogue has also generated comment in the popular media.

Impartiality

Series 4 presented a change in the panelists' judging style. Simon Cowell said at the ITV Autumn Launch: "We tried to be bit more impartial as judges, and that, you'll see a lot more of on X Factor. There's still competition within the judges but our job essentially is to find a star." This ethic was put into practice with the judges working together at the bootcamp. At the live stages, the acts were no longer introduced with their mentors at the start of the show. Only the judges were introduced, after which the individual performances began.

Presenters

Following the axing of series 1–3 presenter Kate Thornton, Dermot O'Leary took over as host for series 4. In an interview with ITV Head of Entertainment and Comedy, Paul Jackson, Dermot O'Leary said he was still getting used to handling the rejected at the auditions: "I'm still trying to work it out. It's an emotionally exhausting show to do."

Fearne Cotton became the new host of The Xtra Factor on ITV2, following Ben Shephard's resignation. Shephard reportedly quit because he was not given the job of lead X Factor host on ITV.

Standard of talent

At ITV's Autumn launch on 12 July 2007, Simon Cowell discussed the upcoming series. He said that in previous years the programme had been more like a "popularity contest" than a talent show. When asked about the standard of talent, Cowell said: "It's in a different league this year... we're going to have the best 12 [finalists] we've ever seen". This came with comments that the series 4 auditions went "brilliantly".

With the unforeseen and widely recognised talent of series 3 winner, Leona Lewis, The X Factor has evolved from looking for a music act of national standard. Dannii Minogue said at the Sheffield auditions: "I think that Leona [Lewis] has completely upped the ante now on this show, and there's no turning back. We're looking for an international standard of acts that can sell millions of albums". There has also been more emphasis placed on the international standing of The X Factor. Simon Cowell has said that it is the "biggest show in Europe" with around 200,000 auditioning for series 4. In response to the raised standard of talent on the show, producers tried with series 4 to assemble what Dermot O'Leary called an "international panel of judges"; this was particularly the case with the original judging lineup that included Brian Friedman. There were also more international contestants in series 4, with two acts from the United States, numerous acts from Japan and a Brazilian act appearing on the show's weekly broadcast.

Before the first live show, Cowell said that "I think we could be heading for a train wreck," referring to the fact that the public did not believe any of the final 12 this year were as good as the previous year's winner, Leona Lewis. He added, "But if you take Leona out of the equation, they weren't that good last year. As a whole, we've probably got the most talented 12 we've had. We just haven't had the chance to showcase them properly yet."

Auditions

Initial auditions with producers took place in April and May 2007, with callbacks in front of the judges in June. The number of applicants reached an all-time high with 200,000 people auditioning in the cities of London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Belfast. Eight thousand people attended an open audition at Emirates Stadium (home of Arsenal F.C.), London, on 9 June 2007. Due to the record number of applications an additional open audition was held at Birmingham Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on 21 July 2007.

Auditionees needed a minimum of three "yes" votes (previously two) from the judges to proceed to the next round.

Bootcamp

Series 4 saw all four judges work together at the bootcamp, rather than disband to manage their own categories as happened in previous series. Bootcamp was broadcast over a two-part show on Saturday 29 September. Episode 7 showed the first round at the Heythrop Park Hotel in Oxfordshire, where the acts were whittled down to 12 in each category (48 acts in total). The next episode, showing the second round at the Apollo Theatre in London, was screened a few hours later. Here the acts were further reduced to six in each category – a total of 24 acts. After this, the judges were told which category they were to mentor. These were:

• Simon Cowell: Groups
• Sharon Osbourne: Girls
• Dannii Minogue: Boys
• Louis Walsh: Over-25s

The judges then disbanded for the "Visits to the Judges' Houses" round.

Visits to judges' houses

In the "visits to judges' houses" round, each judge chose three of their remaining six acts to go forward and represent them on the live shows. The locations for the round were confirmed during episode 8 on September 29; they were later revealed by Louis Walsh not to be the judges' real homes. Simon Cowell took his six acts to Marbella; Sharon Osbourne to Los Angeles; Louis Walsh to Dublin; and Dannii Minogue to Ibiza. As in previous series the judges, now disbanded, were joined by an adviser to help them make decisions. Simon Cowell was joined by former pop star Sinitta; Sharon Osbourne by Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger; Louis Walsh by Westlife singer Kian Egan; and Dannii Minogue by songwriter and music producer Terry Ronald. The judges' houses stage was broadcast over a two-part weekend special. Episode 9 on Saturday 6 October showed all 24 acts performing for a place in their mentor's top three and, subsequently, the live shows. The final twelve were revealed the day after on Sunday 7 October.

The acts eliminated in this round were:

• Boys: Luke Bayer, Charlie Finn, Dominic Harris
• Girls: Victoria Closs, Kimberley Howlett, Stephanie Woods
• Over 25s: Daniel Boulle, Icaro Taborda, Zyta Zebihi
• Groups: Ghostt, I Sette Cantanti, W4

Categories and finalists

Twelve acts made it through to the live shows.

Note: All ages given are as of the start of the live shows in October 2007.

Key:

  – Winner

  – Eliminated

  – Withdrawn

Category (Mentor)	Acts
Boys (Dannii Minogue)	Leon Jackson	Rhydian Roberts	Andy Williams
Girls (Sharon Osbourne)	Alisha Bennett	Emily Nakanda	Kimberley Southwick
Over 25s (Louis Walsh)	Daniel DeBourg	Niki Evans	Beverley Trotman
Groups (Simon Cowell)	Futureproof	Hope	Same Difference

Boys

Leon Jackson

Leon Jackson (18) from Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland, is a retail sales assistant. He auditioned in Glasgow and only started singing properly in January 2007 after his mother bought him an iPod and he began recording his voice. Apart from his hobby of karate, in which he is a black belt, Jackson says that singing is the only thing that makes him happy. Before he made it through to the finals, Jackson had been planning to start an Architectural Technology course at Napier University.

Jackson won The X Factor final on 15 December 2007 over runners-up Rhydian Roberts and Same Difference.

Rhydian Roberts

Rhydian Roberts (24) is a classically trained singer from Powys, Wales who auditioned in Cardiff. His voice type is baritone and he has had vocal training for the past seven years. He is a graduate of Birmingham City University (formerly the University of Central England in Birmingham) and at school played trumpet and cornet. Roberts has appeared in singing competitions before — since the age of five he has regularly competed in the annual Urdd Eisteddfod, and in 2007 won two first prizes.

Roberts played rugby for his school, attends the gym daily and is currently a personal trainer. He used to be the strongest bench presser in Wales during his teens but gave up weight lifting for a career in music. During his time on the show there was controversy over the way in which producers edited footage to make him appear, what Roberts calls, a "pantomime villain". He also received highly critical comments from judge, Sharon Osbourne. As a Welsh speaker Roberts has recorded messages and interviews for Radio Cymru, recording an audio diary for the station's Dylan a Meinir Show and has also appeared on S4C shows such as Wedi 7. Although he was the bookmaker's clear favourite to win, Roberts finished second in the competition.

Andy Williams

Andy Williams (22) auditioned in Cardiff and runs an asbestos removal company in his hometown of Newport. He auditioned for series 1 of The X Factor at the age of nineteen but was turned down. He was eliminated on 10 November.

Girls

Alisha Bennett

Alisha Bennett (23) is the oldest of the girls. She is from Wembley, London where she auditioned. Before entering The X Factor, she was educated at Mill Hill School and later worked as a receptionist at a fitness gym. She was inspired to audition after watching Leona Lewis win the show in 2006. Bennett was in the bottom two on 20 October and 27 October but was saved by the judges both times. She was next in the bottom two on 17 November and was subsequently eliminated ahead of Hope, becoming the last of Osbourne's acts to go.

Emily Nakanda

Emily Nakanda (15) was the youngest of the series 4 finalists. She auditioned in London, gaining the inspiration to audition from a personal health issue. Around a year before entering The X Factor, Nakanda's pancreas shut down and released toxins throughout her body. She survived the ordeal and as a result decided to follow her dream of becoming a singer. Two weeks into the live shows, a number of happy slapping videos appeared in the media, apparently showing Nakanda, with her friends, threatening to gouge out a boy's eyes and beating another teenage girl. On 2 November, ITV announced that Nakanda had withdrawn from The X Factor due to the media attention the videos had brought.

Kimberley Southwick

Kimberley Southwick (19) from Tamworth, Staffordshire works as a bartender in her parents' pub. She auditioned in Birmingham, singing "Show Me Heaven" by Maria McKee, which the judges preferred over her first song, "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson. She attended the Italia Conti Academy but left after a year because she was not comfortable there. She has also performed on Michael Barrymore's entertainment show, My Kind of People. Southwick was the first to be eliminated on 20 October.

Over 25s

Daniel DeBourg

Daniel DeBourg (31) from Chelmsford is a songwriter and singer who has written songs for Jamelia and previously had a recording contract with Dreamworks. He released an album, Tell the World, in the United States in 2002, as well as a single, "I Need an Angel". He was influenced by the videos of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson to pursue dance by the age of four, and by the age of eleven he had been admitted to study at the exclusive Royal Ballet School. He has also worked with R. Kelly. He was the second to be eliminated on 27 October.

Niki Evans

Niki Evans (34) from Polesworth is a catering manager in a school. Auditioning in Birmingham, she applied for The X Factor after finding the application form in her recently deceased father's belongings. She has been in bands since the age of 12 and at 16 was signed to PWL but did not have chart success. Evans was eliminated in the semi-final on December 8. Since leaving the show, she has signed a record deal, with her debut album to be released later this year. She is know by her fans as "the songbird" and has been most on demand since the X factor show finished. More information can be seen at her official website www.Niki-Evans.com. Her new single, called "Love Me No More", is due to be released in August.

Beverley Trotman

Beverley Trotman (37) is a primary school teacher and in her spare time she sings in choirs, which she has done since the age of four. She auditioned in Birmingham and is a member of the award-winning Kingdom Choir who have performed as backing vocalists on both The X Factor and Grease Is the Word. Trotman currently lives in Luton with her husband and two children. She was in the bottom two on 10 November but was saved by the judges. She was again in the bottom two on 24 November, being eliminated by public vote as the judges' votes were tied, creating the only deadlock of the series.

Groups

Futureproof

Futureproof are a male vocal group consisting of Aaron Delahunty (19), Adam Chandler (21), Matthew Protheroe (17), Richard Wilkinson (23) and Sean Rumsey (20). They were formed from male singers who initially auditioned as soloists but did not make it past the bootcamp stage. However, believing that talent was lost, judge Louis Walsh decided to give them a lifeline and invited them to form a group. The group made it past bootcamp to the judges' homes round where they were told by mentor, Simon Cowell, that they were in the final twelve. Futureproof were voted off on the third live show on 3 November.

Hope

Hope are a five-piece girl group consisting of Charlie Mole (23), Emily Biggs (17), Raquelle Gracie (20), Leah Lauder (20) and Phoebe Brown (16), who, like Futureproof, auditioned originally as soloists but did not make it past bootcamp. However, judge Louis Walsh suggested that they re-audition as a five-piece. The group originally contained a sixth member, Sisi Jghalef. After reaching the judges' homes stage and being told that they had made it through to the final twelve, it emerged that Jghalef had an outstanding criminal conviction. This went against the rules of the competition and the show's producers asked her to leave the group. On 3 November, 17 November and 24 November they were in the bottom two but were saved by the judges on the first two occasions, and by the public vote on the other (due to the judges' votes reaching deadlock). Hope were eliminated on 1 December by public vote. Since leaving the show Hope have performed at various events around the UK including The Birmingham Clothes Show and have booked their first international date in Dubai.

Same Difference

Same Difference are made up of siblings Sean and Sarah Smith. Sean (born September 24, 1985) is an entertainer in his home town of Portsmouth while Sarah (born November 4, 1988) is a student. Sean left home at the age of 17 to perform on cruise ships and has appeared in a number of pantomimes. Together, they perform at a local retirement home. Sarah left home at 16 to attend the Italia Conti Academy and has recently finished her diploma. Sarah has also worked as a model and acted in the show Genie in the House but claims that singing has always been her big passion. In her VT during the third live show she revealed that she was bullied at school for being overly interested in singing, and that in her head she pictured her tormentors telling her she wasn't good enough. A friend, Harriet Templer, said that she had been witness to the bullying and that these girls were yelling abuse and even attacked her.

At audition, Cowell described Same Difference as "potentially two of the most annoying people I've ever met", but he went on to champion the duo as mentor, later calling them "genuinely nice people". During the live shows, the siblings came in for particular criticism from judge Louis Walsh, who described them as "cheesy" and suggested that they would be better suited to children's parties and pantomime. In response to Walsh's comments Cowell, Osbourne and Minogue all disagreed, praising Same Difference for their upbeat performances. They reached the final of the show, finishing in third place.

After leaving the show, Same Difference signed a one-single contract with Simon Cowell's label Syco. During the X Factor Live tour the pair confirmed that the single, whose release has been put back to Summer 2008, will be a cover of "Breaking Free" from High School Musical. There will also be an original B-side to the single called "The Miracle". The tracks were recorded in Sweden in early March and the video is expected to be filmed some time in the next few weeks. It was reported that they would not be re-signed if the single is not a success..

In April 2008 it was reported that Same Difference have been signed to Syco for a one million pound deal for at least one album, though the value of the contract was not confirmed by the record company. They are to work with Pete Waterman, and the writers behind Leona Lewis and High School Musical will be composing material for them.

Sarah and Sean have made many television appearances since leaving the show, including spots on Blue Peter and Basil's Swap Shop.

Live shows

The live shows commenced on 20 October, 2007, a week later than in previous series. This was because of ITV's coverage of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Series 4 saw the continuation of the themed live show format, in which the acts sing songs according to a different musical theme or genre each week. This format was introduced in series 3. Each week a celebrity guest connected to the theme performed in the results show, and some of the guests – Céline Dion, Boyz II Men, Girls Aloud and Michael Bublé – also coached the acts in rehearsal. Series 3 winner, Leona Lewis, appeared as a guest on the first live show on 20 October. During the results show she performed a premiere of her new single, "Bleeding Love", from her debut album, Spirit. Series 2 winner, Shayne Ward, also appeared as a guest on the fourth live show. He performed his latest single, "Breathless", from his second album of the same name during the results show on 10 November. Westlife appeared on the sixth live show on 24 November singing "I'm Already There" from their 2007 album Back Home. Duran Duran sang "Notorious" and "Nite Runner" during the seventh live show results on 1 December.

The rules relating to judges' votes in the results show changed from previous series. In the past, the decision as to which act was sent home each week was made by the three judges (from which there would always be a majority). Now, with four judges, if there is a two-way tie (billed on the show as "deadlock") the act with the fewest votes from the public is eliminated, otherwise the judges' decision stands.

With the appointment of Brian Friedman as choreographer finalists used dance routines more frequently during their live performances in comparison to previous series.

Three acts (previously two for series 1 and 3) competed in the final for the £1 million recording contract.

Contrary to reports about a change of venue, the live shows for this series continued to be broadcast from The Fountain Studios. Unlike past series there was no dramatic change in the set, only minor alterations and space created for a larger audience.

It was reported that the producers of the show hired a counsellor to help the contestants deal with the pressure of appearing in the live shows each week.

Results summary

The Contestants labeled yellow were Sharon's Contestants (Girls - 14 to 24), the Contestants labeled dark blue are Simon's Contestants (Groups), the Contestants labeled purple were Dannii's Contestants (Boys - 14 to 24) and the Contestants labeled light blue are Louis' (Over 25s).

		Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	FINAL Week 9
										Round 1	Round 2
	Leon Jackson	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Winner (Week 9)
	Rhydian Roberts	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Runner-Up (Week 9)
	Same Difference	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Bottom	Eliminated (Week 9)
	Niki Evans	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Bottom	Eliminated (Week 8)
	Hope	Safe	Safe	Bottom Two	Safe	Bottom Two	Bottom Two	Bottom	Eliminated (Week 7)
	Beverley Trotman	Safe	Safe	Safe	Bottom Two	Safe	Bottom	Eliminated (Week 6)
	Alisha Bennett	Bottom Two	Bottom Two	Safe	Safe	Bottom Two	Eliminated (Week 5)
	Andy Williams	Safe	Safe	Safe	Bottom Two	Eliminated (Week 4)
	Futureproof	Safe	Safe	Bottom Two	Eliminated (Week 3)
	Emily Nakanda	Safe	Safe	Withdrew (Week 2)
	Daniel DeBourg	Safe	Bottom Two	Eliminated (Week 2)
	Kimberley Southwick	Bottom Two	Eliminated (Week 1)
Bottom Two		Alisha, Kimberley	Alisha, Daniel	Futureproof, Hope	Andy, Beverley	Alisha, Hope	Beverley, Hope	-	-	-	-
	Simon's Vote	Kimberley	Daniel	Futureproof	Andy	Alisha	Beverley	-	-	-	-
	Dannii's Vote	Alisha	Daniel	Hope	Beverley	Alisha	Hope
	Sharon's Vote	-	Daniel	Futureproof	Andy	Hope	Beverley
	Louis' Vote	Kimberley	Alisha	Futureproof	Andy	Alisha	Hope
Eliminated		Kimberley 2 of 3 Votes	Daniel 3 of 4 Votes	Futureproof 3 of 4 Votes	Andy 3 of 4 Votes	Alisha 3 of 4 Votes	Beverley 2 of 4 Votes	Hope Bottom	Niki Bottom	Same Difference Bottom	Rhydian 45% to win
											Leon 55% to win

Live show details

20 October 2007

• Theme: Number-one hits
• Celebrity guest: Leona Lewis
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Bleeding Love"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Kimberley Southwick	"It's Raining Men" (The Weather Girls)	Eliminated
2	Andy Williams	"I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Crazy Horse)
3	Futureproof	"She's the One" (World Party)
4	Beverley Trotman	"I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)
5	Emily Nakanda	"I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" (Aretha Franklin and George Michael)
6	Leon Jackson	"Can't Buy Me Love" (The Beatles)
7	Same Difference	"Tragedy" (Bee Gees)
8	Niki Evans	"Nothing Compares 2 U" (Sinéad O'Connor)
9	Alisha Bennett	"Dreams" (Gabrielle)	Bottom two
10	Rhydian Roberts	"I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)" (Meat Loaf)
11	Daniel DeBourg	"Heaven" (Bryan Adams)
12	Hope	"Umbrella" (Rihanna)

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Osbourne: Refused to vote due to two of her acts being in the bottom two.
• Cowell: Kimberley Southwick
• Minogue: Alisha Bennett
• Walsh: Kimberley Southwick

27 October 2007

• Theme: Songs from the movies
• Celebrity guest: Céline Dion
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Taking Chances"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Hope	"Lady Marmalade" (Labelle)
2	Leon Jackson	"Home" (Michael Bublé)
3	Beverley Trotman	"I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston)
4	Alisha Bennett	"I Say a Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick)	Bottom two
5	Same Difference	"Breaking Free" (Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Andrew Seeley)
6	Daniel DeBourg	"Build Me Up Buttercup" (The Foundations)	Eliminated
7	Rhydian Roberts	"The Phantom of the Opera" (Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford)
8	Emily Nakanda	"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Britney Spears)
9	Futureproof	"If You Don't Know Me by Now" (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes)
10	Andy Williams	"Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees)
11	Niki Evans	"My Heart Will Go On" (Céline Dion)

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Walsh: Alisha Bennett
• Osbourne: Daniel DeBourg
• Minogue: Daniel DeBourg
• Cowell: Daniel DeBourg

3 November 2007

• Theme: Big band
• Celebrity guest: Boyz II Men
• Song performed by celebrity guest: Medley of songs including "I'll Make Love to You" and "End of the Road"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Leon Jackson	"Fly Me to the Moon" (Kaye Ballard)
2	Futureproof	"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Frankie Valli)	Eliminated
3	Niki Evans	"All That Jazz" (from the musical Chicago)
4	Rhydian Roberts	"Get the Party Started" (Pink)
5	Same Difference	"Reach" (S Club 7)
6	Alisha Bennett	"Valerie" (The Zutons)
7	Hope	"Hanky Panky" (Madonna)	Bottom two
8	Andy Williams	"This Guy's in Love with You" (Herb Alpert)
9	Beverley Trotman	"Feeling Good" (Gilbert Price)

Emily Nakanda withdrew from the competition during the preceding week and did not appear.

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Walsh: Futureproof
• Osbourne: Futureproof
• Minogue: Hope
• Cowell: Futureproof

10 November 2007

• Theme: 21st century hits
• Celebrity guest: Shayne Ward
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Breathless"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Niki Evans	"Because of You" (Kelly Clarkson)
2	Same Difference	"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" (Scissor Sisters)
3	Andy Williams	"Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol)	Eliminated
4	Beverley Trotman	"You're Beautiful" (James Blunt)	Bottom two
5	Hope	"Back to Black" (Amy Winehouse)
6	Leon Jackson	"Dancing in the Moonlight" (King Harvest)
7	Alisha Bennett	"Put Your Records On" (Corinne Bailey Rae)
8	Rhydian Roberts	"You Raise Me Up" (Secret Garden)

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Walsh: Andy Williams
• Osbourne: Andy Williams
• Minogue: Beverley Trotman
• Cowell: Andy Williams

17 November 2007

• Theme: Disco
• Celebrity guest: Girls Aloud
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Call the Shots"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Leon Jackson	"Relight My Fire" (Dan Hartman)
2	Niki Evans	"Hot Stuff" (Donna Summer)
3	Rhydian Roberts	"Go West" (Village People)
4	Hope	"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (ABBA), incorporating parts of "Hung Up" (Madonna)	Bottom two
5	Beverley Trotman	"I'm Every Woman" (Chaka Khan)
6	Alisha Bennett	"Young Hearts Run Free" (Candi Staton)	Eliminated
7	Same Difference	"Blame It on the Boogie" (Originally by Mick Jackson, though the cover by The Jacksons [no relation] is now better known)

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Cowell: Alisha Bennett
• Minogue: Alisha Bennett
• Osbourne: Hope
• Walsh: Alisha Bennett

24 November 2007

• Theme: Love songs
• Celebrity guest: Westlife
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "I'm Already There"

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Results
1	Beverley Trotman	"Without You" (Badfinger)	Eliminated
2	Same Difference	"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (Starship)
3	Niki Evans	"The Power of Love" (Jennifer Rush)
4	Rhydian Roberts	"Somewhere" (from the musical West Side Story)
5	Hope	"Hurt" (Christina Aguilera)	Bottom two
6	Leon Jackson	"You Don't Know Me" (Eddy Arnold)

Judges' votes to eliminate

• Walsh: Hope
• Cowell: Beverley Trotman
• Minogue: Hope
• Osbourne: Beverley Trotman

For the first time in the series there was a deadlock, and the act with the fewest public votes was eliminated. Osbourne's comments suggested that she deliberately voted to cause a deadlock, rather than necessarily voting for the act she wanted to send home.

1 December 2007

• Theme: Best of British
• Celebrity guest: Duran Duran
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Notorious/Nite Runner"

Each act performed two songs. For the first time this series there was no bottom two and the judges did not vote; the act with the fewest votes from the public was eliminated.

Order	Artist	First song (original artists)	Order	Second song (original artists)	Results
1	Rhydian Roberts	"Somebody to Love" (Queen)	10	"I Vow to Thee, My Country/World In Union" (Cecil Spring-Rice/Gustav Holst/Charlie Skarbek)
2	Hope	"2 Become 1" (Spice Girls)	6	"We Will Rock You" (Queen)	Eliminated
3	Niki Evans	"Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Bonnie Tyler)	9	"Fields of Gold" (Sting)
4	Leon Jackson	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Queen)	7	"The Long and Winding Road" (The Beatles)
5	Same Difference	"Any Dream Will Do" (from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)	8	"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" (Wham!)

8 December 2007 (Semi-final)

• Theme: One song chosen by mentor, one song chosen by contestant.
• Celebrity guest: Michael Bublé
• Song performed by celebrity guest: "Lost"

Order	Artist	First song (original artists)	Order	Second song (original artists)	Results
1	Niki Evans	"Songbird" (Fleetwood Mac)	5	"One Moment in Time" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
2	Leon Jackson	"The Very Thought of You" (Ray Noble)	6	"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Marvin Gaye)
3	Rhydian Roberts	"Bridge over Troubled Water" (Simon and Garfunkel)	7	"You'll Never Walk Alone" (From the musical Carousel)
4	Same Difference	"Chain Reaction" (Diana Ross)	8	"Never Had a Dream Come True" (S Club 7)

15 December 2007 (Final)

• Theme: Christmas classics, duet with guest and each contestant's favourite song from the series
• Celebrity guests: Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Katherine Jenkins
• Songs performed by celebrity guests: "Wow" performed by Kylie Minogue

Order	Artist	First song (original artists)	Second song (original artists)	Third song (original artists)	Fourth song (winner's single)	Results
1	Same Difference	"All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey)	"Any Dream Will Do" sung with Jason Donovan (from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)	"Breaking Free" (Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Andrew Seeley)	N/A (Eliminated after third performance)	Third place
2	Leon Jackson	"White Christmas" (Bing Crosby)	"Better the Devil You Know" duet with Kylie Minogue (Kylie Minogue)	"You Don't Know Me" (Eddy Arnold)	"When You Believe" (Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston)	Winner
3	Rhydian Roberts	"O Holy Night"	"You Raise Me Up" duet with Katherine Jenkins (Secret Garden)	"Somewhere" (from the musical West Side Story)	"When You Believe" (Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston)	Second place

After the finalists sang their first songs, highlights from the series were shown. After their second songs, some of the more memorable auditions were shown, followed by a performance of "One Moment in Time" by some of the auditionees.

Alleged voting irregularities
It was reported that Ofcom received at least 1,100 complaints from would-be voters for Rhydian Roberts, the runner-up of the series, saying that despite calling numerous times they were unable to get through to vote for Roberts. The programme said the high number of calls meant some people were greeted by engaged tones. Ofcom said earlier on 17 December that it had received 700 complaints; this later jumped dramatically to 1,100.

ITV denied the allegations, commenting that "As all numbers go through to the same lines and vote platform it is impossible for there to be any bias in favour or against a particular contestant." ITV confirmed that Leon performed strongly throughout the series and won on the night of the final by around 10% of the popular vote. A subsequent Ofcom investigation found that Roberts had not been unfairly disadvantaged.

Viewership

The fourth series proved yet again to be a ratings winner. The first episode peaked at 10.7 million viewers, with an average of 9.5 million viewers (45% share), according to unofficial overnight ratings. This was 2.5 million viewers higher than last year's launch, and higher than the series finale of both series 1 and series 2. Moreover, 60% of 16- to 34-year-olds tuned in that night. The Xtra Factor on ITV2 also performed well on its launch night, with an overnight figure of 1.2 million viewers watching the episode — 500,000 more than for the 2006 launch.

The second episode was another ratings success and attracted more viewers than all of the other terrestrial channels combined. The show peaked at 10 million viewers with an average of 8.5 million, beating its rival DanceX (the finale) on BBC One which attracted 3.6 million.

The third episode attracted 8.7 million viewers, which was considerably more than BBC One's Eurovision Dance Contest which achieved an audience of 3.8 million viewers. Viewing figures remained strong in the fourth episode, averaging 8.2 million viewers. The fifth episode featuring auditions generated 7 million viewers and a 43% share of audience. The sixth and final episode featuring auditions attracted another strong audience which peaked at 9.2 million and averaged with 8 million and an audience share of 45%.

The seventh and eighth episodes in the series featured the successful candidates auditioning at boot-camp. Despite competition from BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor received the highest viewing figures, beating Strictly Come Dancing by 2.1 million viewers and receiving 6.8 million in total. The second part of the show attracted 7.2 million viewers. The ninth instalment won 7.5 million viewers, narrowly beating the live launch of Strictly Come Dancing, which had 7.2 million.

The final of The X Factor on December 15 scored highly in the ratings with a peak audience of 12.1 million. The first part of the show attracted an average of 11.4 million viewers, whilst the second half averaged with 11.7 million viewers. This was the highest rating, in terms of total viewership, for all four series of the show.

External links

• The X Factor at itv.com