The X Factor (British TV series)
| The X Factor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality television |
| Created by | Simon Cowell |
| Presented by | |
| Judges | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60–150 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 4 September 2004 – 2 December 2018 |
The X Factor is a British television programme, in which ordinary people who want to be singers compete for a recording contract and a cash prize. It is shown from August-December each year on Saturdays and Sundays on the channel ITV. It replaced Pop Idol by Simon Cowell in 2004.
Hosts
[change | change source]The show started being presented by Kate Thornton, but she left in Series 3 (2006.) Ben Shephard was hoping to present, but his offer was turned down. Instead, Dermot O'Leary took over in Series 4 (2007) and presented for 8 series, until his departure from the show in Series 10. Olly Murs and Caroline Flack became the first duo to host the show, but only lasted one season, mainly because they were very unpopular with the public. Dermot O'Leary returned to present the 13th series and has continued to present the show since.
Winners
[change | change source]| Year | Series | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Series 1 | Steve Brookstein | G4 |
| 2005 | Series 2 | Shayne Ward | Andy Abraham |
| 2006 | Series 3 | Leona Lewis | Ray Quinn |
| 2007 | Series 4 | Leon Jackson | Rhydian Roberts |
| 2008 | Series 5 | Alexandra Burke | JLS |
| 2009 | Series 6 | Joe McElderry | Olly Murs |
| 2010 | Series 7 | Matt Cardle | Rebecca Ferguson |
| 2011 | Series 8 | Little Mix | Marcus Collins |
| 2012 | Series 9 | James Arthur | Jahméne Douglas |
| 2013 | Series 10 | Sam Bailey | Nicholas McDonald |
| 2014 | Series 11 | Ben Haenow | Fleur East |
| 2015 | Series 12 | Louisa Johnson | Reggie n Bollie |
| 2016 | Series 13 | Matt Terry | Saara Aalto |
| 2017 | Series 14 | Rak-Su | Grace Davies |
| 2018 | Series 15 | Dalton Harris | Scarlett Lee |
Judges
[change | change source]| Year | Judges | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Louis Walsh | Sharon Osbourne | Simon Cowell | |
| 2005 | ||||
| 2006 | ||||
| 2007 | Dannii Minogue | |||
| 2008 | Cheryl | |||
| 2009 | ||||
| 2010 | ||||
| 2011 | Tulisa | Gary Barlow | Kelly Rowland | |
| 2012 | Nicole Scherzinger | |||
| 2013 | Sharon Osbourne | |||
| 2014 | Cheryl | Simon Cowell | Mel B | |
| 2015 | Nick Grimshaw | Rita Ora | ||
| 2016 | Louis Walsh | Sharon Osbourne | Nicole Scherzinger | |
| 2017 | ||||
| 2018 | Louis Tomlinson | Ayda Field | Robbie Williams | |
Spin-offs
[change | change source]Xtra Factor
[change | change source]
The Xtra Factor was the spin-off show of the X Factor UK. It is broadcast on British Television channel ITV2. The hosts of the spin-off are well known for hosting for short periods of time. The first Xtra Factor host was Ben Shephard, and he quit in Series 3, because his offer of being the main presenter (after Kate Thornton's departure) was turned down by the show's producers. Fearne Cotton then hosted for the fourth series. Holly Willoughby, Cotton's close friend, replaced her during the following two series, but was replaced by Blue Peter former presenter, Konnie Huq in 2010, however, Konnie lasted only one series. Olly Murs and Caroline Flack became the first duo to host the Xtra Factor in Series 8, and they presented together for two seasons. Olly then left in order to focus on his music career. He was replaced by Matt Richardson, but then Caroline and Matt announced their leave. Sarah-Jane Crawford hosted for only the 11th season. The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes teamed up with Melvin Odoom to present the Xtra Factor's twelfth season. Matt Edmondson and Rylan Clark-Neal presented the thirteenth and final series[1][2]
On 18 January 2017, it was announced that The Xtra Factor would be axed after 13 years and would be replaced by an online show instead.[3]
Celebrity version
[change | change source]In 2006, there was a celebrity version titled The X Factor: Battle of the Stars. It saw nine celebrity acts perform over the course of 8 episodes. The winner (Lucy Benjamin) received money for her chosen charity as a prize. The judges were Simon, Sharon and Louis. In 2019, there was a similar version returned titled The X Factor: Celebrity. The judges were Simon, Louis and Nicole.
| Year | Title | Winner | Episodes | Contestants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The X Factor: Battle of the Stars | Lucy Benjamin | 8 | 9 |
| 2019 | The X Factor: Celebrity | Megan McKenna | 15 |
| Year | Title | Judges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The X Factor: Battle of the Stars | Louis Walsh | Sharon Osbourne | Simon Cowell |
| 2019 | The X Factor: Celebrity | Nicole Scherzinger | ||
The X Factor: The Band
[change | change source]The X Factor: The Band was a one-time special edition of the show. It was a version with the aim of creating a new popular band. The show had four episodes. The girl group Real Like You won the live final. The show was judged by Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and former winner Leona Lewis.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Deen, Sarah (27 June 2016). "The Xtra Factor 2016 is going live with new host Matt Edmondson". Metro. DMG Media.
- ↑ Wightman, Catriona (1 July 2016). "The Xtra Factor: Rylan Clark-Neal officially joins Matt Edmondson as a co-host this year". Digital Spy. United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ↑ "The Xtra Factor to be taken off air and replaced with digital spin-off".
