The X Factor (British TV series)

For the series that has recently concluded, see The X Factor (UK series 5).

For versions in other countries, see The X Factor (TV series).

The X Factor
The X Factor current logo (2006 – present)
Created by	Simon Cowell
Presented by	Main show: Dermot O'Leary (Series 4-) Kate Thornton (Series 1-3) The Xtra Factor: Holly Willoughby (Series 5- ) Ben Shephard (Series 1-3) Fearne Cotton (Series 4)
Judges	Simon Cowell (Series 1-) Louis Walsh (Series 1-) Sharon Osbourne (Series 1-4, 6-) Cheryl Cole (Series 5-) Dannii Minogue (Series 4-5)
Voices of	Peter Dickson Enn Reitel
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	5 (plus 1 celebrity series)
No. of episodes	15 (Series 1) 18 (Series 2) 18 (Series 3) 17 (Series 4) 18 (Series 5)
Production
Producers	talkbackTHAMES (part of FremantleMedia) SYCOtv
Running time	60 – 120 minutes
Original release
Network	ITV (The X Factor) ITV2 (The Xtra Factor)
Release	4 September 2004 – present (renewed until December 2010)

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 show is currently sponsored by the Carphone Warehouse. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.

In the initial televised audition phase of the show, contestants sing in front of the X Factor judges in the hope of getting through to the "boot camp". After a further selection process, the judges are each given a category to mentor and the chosen finalists then progress to the second phase of the competition in which the public vote on live performances. The current judges are: record label owner and music executive Simon Cowell, music executive Sharon Osbourne, music manager Louis Walsh, and pop singer Cheryl Cole.

The X Factor is the biggest television talent competition in Europe, with 182,000 auditioning for series 5. The prize is a £1,000,000 (sterling) recording contract with record labels Sony BMG and Syco (the latter being creator and judge Simon Cowell's record label), 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 (approximately a 55% share). There have been five winners to date: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke respectively. The winner's first single is usually released around the Christmas season, in a bid to become the UK's Christmas number one single. As of series 5, 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. The show has become a major success throughout the world, most notably in Denmark, Spain and Colombia.

Series

For detailed information see the Series 1, Series 2, The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, Series 3, Series 4 and Series 5 articles.

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 19 June 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 was given another three year contract with ITV, so should run at least until series 7 in 2010. Series 5 began in August 2008, again sponsored by The Carphone Warehouse.

Format

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. 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: Solo Singers aged 16–24, Solo Singers aged 25 and over, and Vocal Groups (including duos). In series 4–5, 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"), Over 25s, and Groups. For series 6, the age limit will return to 16, meaning the four categories will be: 16–24 males ("Boys"), 16–24 females ("Girls"), Over 25s, and Groups

There are five stages to The X Factor competition:

• Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges)
• Stage 2: Judges' auditions
• Stage 3: Boot camp
• Stage 4: Visits to judges' houses
• Stage 5: Live shows (finals)

Auditions

A round of first auditions is held in front of producers months before the show is aired, either by application and appointment, or at "open" auditions that anyone can attend. These auditions, held at various venues around the UK, attract very large crowds. The auditions themselves are not televised, but shots of crowds waving and "judges' cars" arriving are filmed and later spliced in with the televised auditions shot later in the year. Selected candidates are invited back to one or more further auditions in front of the producers, and, if successful, finally called back to audition in front of the judges.

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 the earlier 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 150,000. A record 182,000 people auditioned for series 5.

Boot camp and visits to judges' houses

The contestants selected at audition are further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp" (held at a venue such as a country hotel or an arena), and then at the "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve in series 2–5). 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, the producers allocate each of the judges a category to mentor. In early series this allocation took place after completion of the auditions and prior to boot camp, but from series 4 all four judges have worked together at the boot camp. They collectively choose 24 acts (6 from each category) for the next round, and only then find out which category they are to mentor. The judges then disband for the "visits to the judges' houses" round, where their six acts are 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. These live shows are filmed in studios in London. In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the first show in front of a studio audience and the judges. Acts usually sing over a pre-recorded backing track, though sometimes live musicians and backing singers are featured. Dancers are also commonly featured. Acts occasionally accompany themselves on guitar or piano (or mime an accompaniment), though almost always over a backing track.

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 and fifth 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, series 4 and series 5 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 less emphasis on this element.

After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance, usually focusing on vocal ability, image and stage presence. Heated disagreements, usually involving judges defending their contestants against criticism, are a regular feature of the show. 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 again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. In earlier series the bottom two contestants reprised their earlier song, but starting from series 5 they are able to pick new songs. 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; according to a spokesman, "We would never reveal the voting figures during the competition as it could give contestants an unfair advantage and spoil the competition for viewers". 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 2–5), 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, 4 and 5) 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.

Post X Factor

The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract, stated to be worth £1 million, with Syco in association with Sony BMG. In series 5, this deal consisted of a £150,000 cash advance with the balance covering the costs of recording and marketing. Other highly placed contestants may also be offered recording deals, but this is not guaranteed.

In series 1–3, the premise of The X Factor was that the winner would be managed in the industry by their mentor on the show. With music executive Cowell and managers Osbourne and Walsh as judges/mentors, any of the three would be qualified to do so. Following the appointment of singer Dannii Minogue as a judge in series 4, the same principle could not universally apply. In fact, when Minogue won series 4 with Leon Jackson, a new, outside manager was appointed. It is still believed that if Cowell or Walsh wins a future series then they are entitled to manage their act in the industry.

In series 1–2, the winner's debut album would be released a few months after their victory in the show. The album would contain some new material but would consist largely of cover versions. This format changed with series 3 winner Leona Lewis. Simon Cowell, Lewis's X Factor mentor and newly-appointed manager, said: "We could have gone into the studio for a month, made the record quick, and thrown it out. It would have been the wrong thing to do." The success of Lewis' debut album Spirit ensured that the debut albums of future series winners (with Jackson as an example) would consist more of new material than of cover versions.

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.

Speculation also surrounded judging lineup changes for series 5, centring on whether or not Sharon Osbourne would return. On 6 June 2008 (six days before filming for series 5 was due to begin), ITV confirmed that Osbourne had left the show, and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole was confirmed as her replacement four days later. It has been confirmed that a number of other artists and managers had been approached regarding Osbourne's replacement, including former Spice Girl Melanie Brown, Paula Abdul, Sinitta, and former Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman.

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 ITV1. O'Leary was not forced to leave the Big Brother franchise and continued to present Big Brother sister shows during summer 2007. However, Dermot announced that Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack was to be his last Big Brother hosting role so he can focus on presenting The X Factor.

Brian Friedman, briefly a judge in series 4, has taken a role as performance coach and choreographer (billed as "Creative Director") in series 4 and 5. Yvie Burnett has been X Factor vocal coach since series 2. Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel.

For information about The Xtra Factor presenters, see The Xtra Factor below.

The Judges

Current

Simon Cowell (series 1 – present) is an English artist-and-repertoire ("A&R") executive and television personality/producer, best known as a judge on such TV shows as Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco.

Cowell is notorious as a judge for his unsparingly blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their singing abilities, or lack thereof. He is often parodied in pop culture. He is known for combining activities in the television and music industries, having promoted singles and records for various artists, including television personalities. He most recently featured in the seventh season of American Idol and the second series of Britain's Got Talent.

Dannii Minogue (series 4 – present) is an Australian singer and songwriter and occasional actress, model fashion designer and TV personality. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time and in the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s. She has released 5 studio albums to date.

Louis Walsh (series 1 – 3, then series 4 – present) is an Irish music manager, who has managed Girls Aloud, Westlife and Boyzone. Walsh's first television work was in 2001, in the Irish version of Popstars. The following year Walsh appeared as a judge on the UK ITV show Popstars: The Rivals with Pete Waterman and Geri Halliwell. Walsh went head to head with Waterman on the show with his all-girl band Girls Aloud battling it out with Waterman's boy band One True Voice. Girls Aloud won and their debut single "Sound of the Underground" reached #1 in the UK. Walsh managed the band to achieve a million single sales while their debut album went platinum. After the third series, Walsh, along with presenter Kate Thornton, was axed from the show, being replaced by Brian Freidman and Dannii Minogue. However after Freidman was re-assigned the role of Creative Director, Walsh returned to replace him.

Walsh also regularly appears on various talent shows on RTÉ in Ireland, the latest being You're A Star: "You look like a star, you sound like a star... you are a star".

Cheryl Cole (series 5 – present) is a British singer and member of the band Girls Aloud. She became a judge on the show in 2008. She is married to the Chelsea and England football player Ashley Cole.

Previous

Sharon Osbourne (series 1 – 4) is a British music manager and promoter who became a noted television personality after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes. She has also appeared as a judge on America's Got Talent. Her husband Ozzy Osbourne is singer with heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

Brian Friedman (series 4, London auditions only) is an American choreographer who has worked with some of the best-known performers in the music industry, including Britney Spears. He was appointed an X Factor judge in 2007, and was intended as a permanent replacment for the then sacked Louis Walsh. After a week, however, he was re-assigned the role of Creative Director because Simon Cowell believed the judging panel was not working. Louis Walsh then reassumed his place on the panel.

Paula Abdul (series 3, guest judge during auditions) is a Grammy Award-winning American pop singer, dancer, two-time Emmy Award-winning choreographer, actress and television personality. She is also a judge on American Idol, which also stars Simon Cowell.

Judges' categories and their finalists

In each series, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses a small number of acts (three or four, depending on the series) to progress to the live finals. This table shows, for each series, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live finals.

For more detail see The X Factor (UK) Categories Key:

  – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, other contestants in small font.

Series	Simon Cowell	Louis Walsh	Sharon Osbourne	Dannii Minogue	Cheryl Cole
One	Over 25s Steve Brookstein Rowetta Satchell Verity Keays	Groups G4 Voices With Soul 2 to go	16-24s Tabby Callaghan Cassie Compton Roberta Howett,	N/A	N/A
Two	Groups Journey South The Conway Sisters 4Tune Addictiv Ladies	16-24s Shayne Ward Nicholas Dorsett Chenai Zinyuku Phillip Magee	Over 25s Andy Abraham Brenda Edwards Chico Slimani Maria Lawson
Three	16-24s Leona Lewis Ray Quinn Nikitta Angus Ashley McKenzie	Groups The MacDonald Brothers Eton Road 4sure The Unconventionals	Over 25s Ben Mills Robert Allen Kerry McGregor Dionne Mitchell
Four	Groups Same Difference Hope Futureproof	Over 25s Niki Evans Beverley Trotman Daniel DeBourg	Girls Alisha Bennett Emily Nakanda Kimberley Southwick	Boys Leon Jackson Rhydian Roberts Andy Williams
Five	Boys Eoghan Quigg Austin Drage Scott Bruton	Groups JLS Girlband Bad Lashes	N/A	Over 25s Ruth Lorenzo Rachel Hylton Daniel Evans	Girls Alexandra Burke Diana Vickers Laura White
Six |	TBA	TBA		TBA	TBA	TBA

Ratings and Awards

Viewing figures of around ten million were claimed for series 2 and 4. 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. The series 4 final drew 12.7 million viewers – a 55% share of the terrestrial TV audience. In series 5, 12.8 million tuned in to see the 29 November 2008 show featuring guest Britney Spears, a new X Factor record.

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, prompting Simon Cowell to remark "We're not a comedy programme, we're a serious factual drama". The award was presented by Ricky Gervais. In both 2005 and 2006, The X Factor won the award for "Most Popular Entertainment Programme" at the National Television Awards. At the same awards in 2007 the show won the "Most Popular Talent Show" category. Series 1–3 judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh were present to receive the awards.

The show has rated higher than its BBC 1 counterpart. It rates as ITV's most popular programme whilst it airs, and is the first format (along with Britain's Got Talent) in years to knock Coronation Street off the top.

The programme has typically been an awards show favourite, having been crowned "Best Talent Show" for two years. However, it has more recently lost out to Strictly Come Dancing at the TV Quick Awards, TRIC Awards and National Television Awards, all in 2008, despite overtaking it in the ratings.

The Republic of Ireland

Series 1-4 of the "UK" version of The X Factor effectively included the Republic of Ireland on an equal footing, and viewers in the republic were able to vote in these series via SMS or telephone. However for series 5 in 2008, the decision was made to discontinue Republic of Ireland voting, with no explanation given by ITV. The first series was available to viewers only through the Northern Ireland based ITV station UTV which is widely available in the Republic of Ireland, but subsequent series have been shown on the republic's terrestrial TV station TV3. The show has held auditions in Ballsbridge, Dublin and Belfast for all series, and also in other Irish cities over past series. Acts from the Republic reached the finals in series 1 (Tabby Callaghan and Roberta Howett) and series 2 (The Conway Sisters). Northern Irish finalists have included Phillip Magee (series 2) and Eoghan Quigg (series 5).

The Xtra Factor

The Xtra Factor is a companion show that airs on digital channel ITV2 and on TV3 Ireland on Saturday nights. It features 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, for the fourth series only, before leaving the show to concentrate on her career in the US. Allegations of a falling-out with Simon Cowell were also reported. For series 5, Cotton was replaced by presenter and close friend, Holly Willoughby. Willoughby first presented The Xtra Factor on 9 August 2008, a week before series 5 began airing. The first show recapped on series 4 of The X Factor and revisited the series 4 finalists.

The X Factor Live

The X Factor Live is a live show that tours the UK and Ireland in the new year, following the conclusion of the TV series. It features an array of finalists and other memorable contestants from the most recent X Factor series.

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars

Main article and detailed results: The X Factor: Battle of the Stars

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars logo

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was 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.

The contestants were Michelle Marsh, Nikki Sanderson, Matt Stevens, Lucy Benjamin, Gillian McKeith, Chris Moyles, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, James Hewitt and Rebecca Loos, and "The Chefs", a quartet of celebrity chefs comprising Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli, Paul Rankin and Ross Burden.

The winner of the show was Lucy Benjamin, mentored by Louis Walsh.

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".

Controversy and criticism

Judges and presenters

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 to 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. 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.

In series 5, during a live broadcast, Dannii Minogue broke down in tears after fellow judge Louis Walsh accused her of "stealing" a song for one of her acts that he had wanted for one of his. This came on the back of Louis telling the press during the week how heartless Dannii was and that she should be sacked. Fellow judge Simon Cowell came to Dannii's defence and twice rounded on Louis, forcing him to apologise to Dannii over his treatment of her. Going into the commercial break, Dannii left the panel to go backstage, as did fellow judge Cheryl Cole (who, as revealed on This Morning the following Monday, had left the panel to comfort Dannii, further disproving rumours that there was tension between the two judges), but at the end of the break Dannii had not returned and viewers may have assumed that she had stormed off. However, during a contestant VT she appeared back on the panel and continued with the rest of the show. Later on the ITV2 broadcast, Simon once again defended Dannii's actions and called Louis "childish".

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.

The lowering of the minimum contestant age from 16 to 14 in series 4 attracted criticism from some quarters. Groups such as the Family and Parenting Institute expressed concern that children of this age might be not be sufficiently emotionally robust to cope with the experience.

After the second audition episode of series 5 had aired, Simon Cowell vowed to make changes to the show by reducing the emphasis on contestants' "sob stories", conceding that they had been "out of hand" in the previous series and viewers were "starting not to believe them".

Series 5 auditionee Alan Turner was later criticised in the press for allegedly lying to the judges in his original audition. Turner had told the panel that he had been fostered since the age of four, did not know his real parents and had been sexually abused aged four, but his father and uncle publicly disputed the claims. Producers vowed to stand by the hopeful, who had been put through to boot camp, insisting that his place on the show was "never in jeopardy". Meanwhile, Turner insisted that the show's editing had made him appear dishonest. His mother later claimed that her son had made false claims which had "hurt [her] beyond belief". On one episode, Simon Cowell was shown to have asked Alan face-to-face whether his story was true, and was satisfied that indeed it was. Ultimately, however, Turner would be eliminated at the final stage before the live shows.

Auditions

There is anecdotal evidence from blogs and discussion forums that some of the first-round X-Factor audition sessions held in front of the producers have been poorly organised, with auditionees forced to wait for many hours outside in the cold with few facilities and little information about when they will be seen. Attendees have also complained about queue-jumping, exorbitantly priced refreshments, the very short period of audition time that they are given, and the fact that selection decisions are left in the hands of unqualified production staff. It has been alleged that some of the "open" audition events are simply an opportunity for producers to get shots of large crowds, rather than a serious attempt to find talented contestants.

It is claimed that some talentless contestants — described by one journalist as "sad no-hopers picked so the judges can mock them" — are deliberately sent forward to the televised audition rounds simply to provide entertainment value. The fact that auditionees will have had to attend as many as four producers' auditions before being selected to face the celebrity judges lends considerable credence to this claim.

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, and that some supposedly "spontaneous" scenes are rehearsed or refilmed.

Several contestants have alleged that they were manipulated by the show's producers. Series 4 finalist Rhydian Roberts reportedly complained that he was "stitched up" and "unfairly edited to look like an idiot", and in series 5 Rachel Hylton claimed that she was "set up" and "exploited" by TV bosses.

Legal dispute

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 irregularities

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 a number of complaints from viewers who said that they were unable to register their vote for Rhydian Roberts, despite trying up to ten times. 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%. A subsequent Ofcom investigation found that Roberts had not been unfairly disadvantaged and that 0.99% of viewers that called couldn't get through to vote for Roberts, compared to 1% for Jackson.

In week two of series five, fans of contestant Ruth Lorenzo complained that at one point during the live show the incorrect number was displayed on screen. Lorenzo ended up ranked in the bottom two alongside Girlband. ITV denied that the mistake affected the result. A spokesperson commented: "During one short sequence, a single digit was missing from Ruth Lorenzo's vote number. The incorrect number was on screen for less than three seconds, and this was accompanied by an audio announcement giving the correct number. The error would not have changed the outcome of the vote. The mistake was that the digits 0901 61 61 10 were shown instead of 0901 61 61 110."

Controversy about X Factor voting arose again in week 5 of series 5 following the surprise elimination of Laura White, who had been considered one of the most talented finalists. Thousands of viewers complained to Ofcom about a lack of transparency in the voting, saying that they could not get through to vote for White, or that their votes had been miscounted. ITV denied all allegations, stating that there were "absolutely no issues with the phone lines or the voting system".

Product placement

In series 4, media watchdog Ofcom upheld a complaint that The Xtra Factor had inappropriately featured close-up shots of the products of then sponsor Nokia.

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, eight of them reaching number one. Following the release of Leona Lewis' single "Bleeding Love", the series 3 winner became the most successful contestant from the show, with the song reaching the number one spot in 34 countries around the world, including on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Though other contestants have also had chart success, only Leona Lewis has achieved any significant success on an international scale, with her second worldwide single, "Better in Time", sharing similar success to its predecessor. Her third and fourth worldwide singles, "Forgive Me" and "Run" have also achieved international success, with the latter reaching #1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Shayne Ward has also had chart success in parts of Asia and South Africa as well as top ten singles in Denmark and the Czech Republic in 2008.

Artist	Title	Year	Peak position	UK sales	Certification	Source
Steve Brookstein	"Against All Odds"	2004	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		-
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	-
Chico Slimani	"D.I.S.C.O"	2006	24		-
Maria Lawson	"Sleepwalking"	2006	20	20,000	-
Leona Lewis	"A Moment Like This"	2006	1	890,000	Platinum
Shayne Ward	"No U Hang Up" / "If That's OK with You"	2007	2	150,000
Leona Lewis	"Bleeding Love"	2007	1	920,000	Platinum
Shayne Ward	"Breathless"	2007	6	102,000
Leon Jackson	"When You Believe"	2007	1	460,000
Leona Lewis	"Better in Time" / "Footprints In The Sand"	2008	2	235,000	Silver
Andy Abraham	"Even If"	2008	67
Maria Lawson	"Breaking Me Down"	2008	110	TBA
Niki Evans	"Love Me No More"	2008	105	TBA
Leon Jackson	"Don't Call This Love"	2008	3	96,890
The X Factor finalists	"Hero"	2008	1	600,000+	TBA
Leona Lewis	"Forgive Me"	2008	5	115,000+
Same Difference	"We R One"	2008	13	TBA
Leon Jackson	"Creative"	2008	TBA	TBA
Leona Lewis	"Run"	2008	1	408,824+
Alexandra Burke	"Hallelujah"	2008	1	992,387 +
Maria Lawson	"These Walls"	2009	TBA	TBA
Leona Lewis	"I Will Be"	2009	TBA	TBA

Four winners' singles in a row have achieved the Christmas number one spot: "That's My Goal" (Shayne Ward), "A Moment Like This" (Leona Lewis), "When You Believe" (Leon Jackson) and "Hallelujah" (Alexandra Burke).

Albums

This first list only includes contestants with at least one certified album, and the totals do not include pre-X-Factor recordings, digital-only albums or EPs.

Silver, Gold, Platinum, and/or Multi-Platinum (UK Sales Only)

	Former Contestant Total Sales	Debut Album	Second Album	Third Album
1.	Leona Lewis (Series 3, Winner) 2,561,000	Spirit (9 November 2007) Sony BMG 2,561,000 8xPlatinum Peak: #1 Deluxe Edition Peak: #1
2.	G4 (Series 1, Runner-Up) 1,500,000	G4 (28 February 2005) Sony BMG 800,000 2xPlatinum Peak: #1	G4 & Friends (28 November 2005) Sony BMG 400,000 Platinum Peak: #6	Act Three (27 November 2006) Sony BMG 300,000 Platinum Peak: #21
3.	Shayne Ward (Series 2, Winner) 1,000,000	Shayne Ward (17 April 2006) Sony BMG 530,000 Platinum Peak: #1	Breathless (26 November 2007) Sony BMG 470,000 Platinum Peak: #2
4.	Journey South (Series 2, 3rd Place) 440,000	Journey South (20 March 2005) Sony BMG 410,000 Platinum Peak: #1	Home (22 October 2007) Anca 30,000 N/A Peak: #43
5.	Rhydian Roberts (Series 4, Runner-Up) 375,000	Rhydian (24 November 2008) Sony BMG 375,000 Platinum Peak: #3
6.	Andy Abraham (Series 2, Runner-Up) 363,000	The Impossible Dream (20 March 2006) Sony BMG 300,000 Platinum Peak: #2	Soul Man (13 November 2006) Sony BMG 60,000 Silver Peak: #19
7.	Ray Quinn (Series 3, Runner-Up) 315,000	Ray Quinn (12 March 2007) Sony BMG 315,000 Platinum Peak: #1
8.	Steve Brookstein (Series 1, Winner) 239,000	Heart and Soul (9 May 2005) Sony BMG 230,000 Gold Peak: #1	40,000 Things (9 October 2006) Numunu Records 9,000 Gold Peak: #165
9.	Ben Mills (Series 3, 3rd Place) 133,000	Picture of You (12 March 2007) Sony BMG 133,000 Gold Peak: #3
10.	Leon Jackson (Series 4, Winner) 135,000	Right Now (20 October 2008) Sony BMG 135,000 Gold Peak: #4
11.	Same Difference (Series 4, 3rd Place) 110,000	Pop (1 December 2008) Sony BMG 110,000 Gold Peak: #22

A comprehensive list of other X Factor alumni album sales reflects the fact that commercial success can be achieved through association with The X Factor and with post-X-Factor promotion, although the degree of success varies considerably. (This list only includes contestants who have no certified albums and again does not include pre-X-Factor recordings):

	Former Contestant	Total Sales	Albums
12.	The MacDonald Brothers (Series 3, 4th Place)	40,000	The MacDonald Brothers (2 April 2007) #18 The World Outside (15 October 2007) #41 With Love (8 February 2008) Failed To Chart Young Celts (13 October 2008) #112
13.	Maria Lawson (Series 2, 8th Place)	19,000	Maria Lawson (28 August 2006) #41 Emotional Rollercoaster (February 2009) #TBA
14.	Rowetta Satchell (Series 1, 4th Place)	10,000	Rowetta (3 October 2005) #89

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)
• The X Factor Top Trumps (Released November 2008)

Transmissions

Series

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	4 September 2004	11 December 2004	15
2	20 August 2005	17 December 2005	18
3	19 August 2006	16 December 2006	18
4	18 August 2007	15 December 2007	17
5	16 August 2008	13 December 2008	18

Specials

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
Battle of the Stars	29 May 2006	5 June 2006	8

External links

• The X Factor at itv.com
• The X Factor at stv.tv
• The X Factor at IMDb