The X Factor
Main article
Presenters	Judges
ITV1: Kate Thornton ITV2: Ben Shephard The X Factor logo This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... ITV1 is a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... Kate Thornton (born February 7, 1973 in Cheltenham) is a British journalist and television presenter. ... ITV2 is a free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... Ben Shephard (born 11 December 1974 in Essex, England) is a British television presenter. ...	Simon Cowell Sharon Osbourne Louis Walsh Simon Philip Cowell (born October 7, 1959 in Barnet, England) is an English artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for BMG, but is best known as a judge on the television programs Pop Idol, American Idol, and The X Factor, where he is notorious for his uncompromisingly harsh and occasionally... Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (born 9 October 1952) is an English music promoter and TV personality. ... Louis Walsh Louis Walsh (born Kiltimagh Co Mayo, Ireland, August 5, 1952) is a manager in the music industry. ...
Series 2 (2005) finalists
Winner: Shayne Ward For general information about the show, see the main X Factor article. ... Shayne Ward (born 15 October 1984 in Manchester) is a Irish/British pop singer who rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after becoming the winner of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor. ... Runner-up: Andy Abraham Andy Abraham is the runner up of the second series of The X Factor. ... Others: Addictiv Ladies, 4Tune, Phillip Magee, Chenai Zinyuku, Maria Lawson, Nicholas Dorsett, The Conway Sisters, Chico Slimani, Brenda Edwards, Journey South. Maria Lawson was a contestant on the highly popular show The X Factor. ... The Conway Sisters are a semi-professional singing group from Sligo, Ireland who have achieved a measure of fame through their appearances on The X Factor television programme. ... Yousseph Chico Slimani (born April 2, 1971) is a Welsh pop singer who rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after reaching the finals of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor. ... Journey South is a two man band from Middlesbrough made up of brothers, Carl and Andy Pemberton, who played pubs and clubs in Britain for over eight years before achieving third place in the British television talent show, The X Factor in 2005. ...
Series 1 (2004) finalists
Winner: Steve Brookstein The first series of UK talent show The X Factor was broadcast in 2004. ... Steve Desmond Brookstein is the winner of the 2004 The X Factor talent search. ... Runner-up: G4 G4 are a vocal troupe made famous by the X-Factor television programme. ... Others: 2 To Go, Tabby Callaghan, Cassie Compton, Roberta Howett, Verity Keays, Rowetta Satchell, Voices With Soul Tabby Callaghan (born Trevor John Callaghan April 22, 1981 in Sligo, Ireland) is a musician. ... Verity Keays, born in 1955, is a British female vocalist whose clearly enunciated vocal style is similar to that of Eva Cassidy. ... Rowetta Satchell (born circa 1966 in Manchester, England) is a British singer. ...

The X Factor is a British popular music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on ITV1 (with spinoff "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2). It is similar in format to Pop Idol and is produced by FremantleMedia's Thames TV and Simon Cowell's production company Syco. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality. ITV1 is a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... ITV2 is a free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... Pop Idol was a British television series shown on ITV1; the show was a talent contest to find the best new young singer or pop idol in the UK. The Idol series has spun off dozens of successes such as American Idol, Canadian Idol, Indian Idol, Australian Idol, Polish Idol... FremantleMedia (formerly All-American Television and Pearson Television) is a division of RTL Group which holds the rights to the Goodson/Todman game show library which includes such classic game shows as The Price is Right, Match Game, Ive Got a Secret, and Family Feud, as well as non... The classic Thames Television logo (1969 - 1989), featuring a geographically incorrect montage of London landmarks. ...

The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though looks, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. Some acts also accompany themselves on guitar or piano, though almost always over a backing track. The prize is the offer of a potentially lucrative recording deal (in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates).

The first series ran from September to December 2004, and a second series ran from August to December 2005. The judges are Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne, and the show is hosted by Kate Thornton. Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel. The first series of UK talent show The X Factor was broadcast in 2004. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... For general information about the show, see the main X Factor article. ... Simon Philip Cowell (born October 7, 1959 in Barnet, England) is an English artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for BMG, but is best known as a judge on the television programs Pop Idol, American Idol, and The X Factor, where he is notorious for his uncompromisingly harsh and occasionally... Louis Walsh Louis Walsh (born Kiltimagh Co Mayo, Ireland, August 5, 1952) is a manager in the music industry. ... Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (born 9 October 1952) is an English music promoter and TV personality. ... Kate Thornton (born February 7, 1973 in Cheltenham) is a British journalist and television presenter. ... Peter Dickson is a British radio presenter, television announcer and voice over artist who rose to prominence in the 1990s. ... Enn Reitel is an impressionist on Spitting Image. ...

The X Factor is billed as the UK's biggest ever talent search, as it was the first such contest to have no upper age limit (although the minimum limit is 16), and to allow both solo singers and groups to compete. Usually those who audition are between the ages of 16 and 60. Over 50,000 auditioned for series 1, and around 75,000 for series 2. Viewing figures of around ten million are claimed for series 2. Over three million public votes were cast in the series 2 semi-final, and six million in the first part of the final.

At the British Comedy Awards 2005, The X factor beat Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to take the award for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme (rather bizarrely, since it is not intended as comedy). The award was presented by Ricky Gervais. Date: December 14, 2005 Location: London Studios, London Host: Jonathan Ross Broadcaster: ITV1 // Television and film Winners first; nominees indented Best Comedy Entertainment Programme The X Factor (ITV1) Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway (Granada Television, ITV1) Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC One) Best Comedy Film Festival Sideways... Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is a chat show presented by the aforementioned Jonathan Ross. ... Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway is a television programme shown in the UK on Saturday evenings. ... Ricky Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. ...

General format

There are four stages to The X Factor competition:

• Stage 1: Auditions
• Stage 2: Boot camp
• Stage 3: Visits to judges' homes
• Stage 4: Live shows (finals)

The competition is split into three categories: vocal groups (including duos), solo singers aged 16–24, and solo singers aged 25 and over. There is, however, only one final winner.

In the initial weeks of the show, public auditions are held at various locations across the UK. Each act enters the audition room (often after waiting for hours), and delivers a stand-up unaccompanied performance of their chosen song to the three judges. If at least two of the three judges say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage.

Only a small selection of auditions are broadcast – usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre. Much like Pop Idol, many acts face harsh criticism from the judges, especially from the controversial Simon Cowell.

After all auditions are complete, each of the three judges is allocated a category to mentor. The contestants who survived stage one are then further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp" and at the judges' homes, until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve in series 2).

The finals consist of a series of two live shows each Saturday evening, with one act eliminated each week. In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the first show in front of an auditorium audience and the three judges. Acts usually choose a cover of a pop standard or contemporary hit, and sing over a pre-recorded backing track, occasionally with additional live backing singers or dancers.

After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance, vocal ability and the like. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the general public vote on which act they want to keep. In the results show, screened an hour or so later, the two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. Both these acts perform their song again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. Ties should not be possible, but in the event that a judge refuses to cast a vote the act who came last in the public vote is sent home. The actual number of votes cast for each act is not revealed, nor even the order (this is presumably to maintain interest in the event that there might be a clear winner from an early stage).

Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1) or five (series 2), 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) or three (series 2) acts remain. These acts go on to appear in the grand final which decides the overall winner by public vote.

The X Factor beyond the UK

Viewers in the Republic of Ireland have been able to vote in both series of The X Factor UK via SMS and telephone. However, Irish viewers have been given the chance to watch it on Irish terrestrial TV, via the Irish TV station, TV3. Last year, viewers in Ireland could only watch it via the Northern Ireland channel, UTV but were still given the chance to vote. There have been Irish acts in both years' finals: Tabby in series 1, and The Conway Sisters and Phillip in series 2. Depending on context, the initials SMS may have several meanings: Short message service – text messaging on mobile phones / cell phones. ... TV3 Ireland is the sole commercial television channel in the Republic of Ireland. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)2 Northern Irelands location within the UK Main language English Other recognised languages Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain MP Area  - Total Ranked... UTV Ident. ...

The X Factor (Australia) began screening in February 2005 on Network Ten. The judges are Mark Holden (Australian Idol judge), Kate Ceberano (singer), and John Reid (a Scottish events manager). Daniel MacPherson (from the soap opera Neighbours and British police drama The Bill) is the show's host. The X Factor The Australian version of The X Factor was a 2005 Network Ten television show of similar format to Pop Idol, which is based on the UK television show The X Factor. ... Network Ten is one of Australias three commercial television networks. ... Mark Holden is an Australian singer and television personality, who is one of three judges on Australian Idol and The X Factor. ... Australian Idol is the Australian version of the British TV hit show Pop Idol. ... Kate Ceberano Kate Ceberano (born November 17, 1966) is an award winning Australian pop vocalist and entertainer. ... LeAnn Rimes singing in concert A singer is a type of musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... John Reid is a Scottish manager and music industry figure currently living and working in Australia. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Daniel MacPherson (born 25 April 1980, in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian actor and television presenter. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... This article is about the soap opera Neighbours. ... The Bill is a long-running British television police procedural shown on ITV1. ...

The first Latin American version (El Factor X), which was made in Colombia, started screening in September 2005 and ended in December. The judges were Marbelle, singer Juan Carlos Coronel, and José Gaviria, a producer who has worked with stars like Santana. The winner was Julio César Meza Leones from solo-singers-aged-25-and-over category; the runner-up were Enygma (Ricardo García, Manuel Peña, Germán ‘Tito’ Núñez and Iván Peña) from vocal groups category and the third place was for the controversial reggeaton-singer Farina Pao Paucar Franco from the solo-singers-aged-16–24 category, famous for her quote Yo soy Farina (From Spanish: I am Farina) (http://www.yosoyfarina.com). The second series started in February 2006, and auditions were held the month before. The show has been hosted by the prestigious colombian TV host and top model Andrea Serna, produced by Teleset and broadcasted on RCN TV. Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Santana during concert in Barcelona 2003 Carlos Santana (born July 20, 1947) is a famous Mexican rock and roll guitarist, originally from Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: test page If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Andrea Serna in the cover of Aló Magazine Andrea Serna is a famous colombian model, TV presenter (RCN News), reporter, TV show hostess, radio DJ and TV producer. ... RCN Televisión is a Colombian national television network. ...

Секрет Успеха, the first Russian series premiered on RTR in late 2005, whilst a pan-Arabian version will air under the name The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah (The X Factor, The Essence of Success) from March 26th 2006. Секрет Успеха is a British popular music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on RTR . ... RTR can mean several things: 1. ...

Controversy

The series was controversial from the beginning. Tabloid reports claimed that the show was fixed, after it emerged that Louis Walsh had allegedly cheated and tried to help a band that he used to manage get through to the final stages of the show. 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. Newspaper sizes in August 2005. ...

Simon Fuller, the creator of Pop Idol, claimed that the format was a rip-off of 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 [1]. A High Court hearing began in London, England in November 2005 but was quickly adjourned. An out-of-court settlement was reached at the end of the month, with both parties publicly saying nice things. [2] Simon Fuller is a British record and television producer who is best known as the manager of the Spice Girls and as one of the creators of Pop Idol and its spin-offs including American Idol and World Idol. ... Pop Idol was a British television series shown on ITV1; the show was a talent contest to find the best new young singer or pop idol in the UK. The Idol series has spun off dozens of successes such as American Idol, Canadian Idol, Indian Idol, Australian Idol, Polish Idol...

Sharon and Louis were rapped in October 2005 for tactical voting, due to an alleged pact against Simon Cowell carried forward from the first series. Louis was alleged to have told Chenai in the second live show of the second series that she was safe, because "Sharon owed him one" from the previous show. Later in the same series Louis was heavily criticised for casting the deciding vote to keep Irish group The Conway Sisters in the show at the expense of the popular Maria Lawson, especially after it was revealed that he had known the Conways personally prior to the show. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in October 28: Richard Smalley 26: Emil Kyulev 24: José Azcona del Hoyo 24: Rosa Parks 23: Stella Obasanjo 22: Liam Lawlor 22: Shirley Horn 20: Endon Mahmood 17: Ba Jin 10: Milton Obote 7: Charles... The first series of UK talent show The X Factor was broadcast in 2004. ... For general information about the show, see the main X Factor article. ... The Conway Sisters are a semi-professional singing group from Sligo, Ireland who have achieved a measure of fame through their appearances on The X Factor television programme. ... Maria Lawson was a contestant on the highly popular show The X Factor. ...

There is a suspicion that some of the controversy surrounding the show, such as the bickering between the judges, is deliberately orchestrated to attract publicity.

External links

• Farina Pao's official site ( X-FACTOR COLOMBIA )
• The X Factor official site
• X Factor Coverage At Unreality TV
• X Factor Blog
• LJ community
• Latin American Official Site
• FremantleMedia – The X Factor
• The X Factor Watch
• X Factor Chat, news and reviews - NOT OFFICIAL SITE!
• G4