The X Factor (British TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The X Factor
Genre	Reality competition
Created by	Simon Cowell
Directed by	Phil Heyes
Creative director(s)	Brian Friedman Brian Burke Elizabeth Honan Jerry Reeve Mark Swanhart Ashley Evans Antony Ginandjar
Presented by	Kate Thornton Dermot O'Leary Caroline Flack Olly Murs
Judges	Louis Walsh Sharon Osbourne Simon Cowell Dannii Minogue Cheryl Gary Barlow Tulisa Kelly Rowland Nicole Scherzinger Mel B Nick Grimshaw Rita Ora Robbie Williams Ayda Field Louis Tomlinson
Voices of	Peter Dickson Redd Pepper
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	15
No. of episodes	445
Production
Executive producer(s)	Simon Cowell Richard Holloway Beth Hart Mark Sidaway Cheryl Caroline Davies Lee McNicholas Iona Mackenzie
Running time	60–150 minutes
Production company(s)	Syco Entertainment Thames (2012–2018) Talkback Thames (2004–2011)
Release
Original network	ITV
Picture format	HDTV 1080i (2010–2018)
Original release	4 September 2004 (2004-09-04) – 2 December 2018 (2018-12-02)
Chronology
Related shows	Franchise The Xtra Factor Xtra Bites

The X Factor was a popular British TV show where people competed to show off their singing talent. Simon Cowell, a famous music executive, created the show. It first aired on September 4, 2004, on ITV in the UK and Virgin Media One in Ireland.

The show ran for 15 series, with about 445 episodes in total. Most series were shown towards the end of the year, with the last episode airing in December 2018. Dermot O'Leary was the main host for many years. Before him, Kate Thornton hosted the first three series. Later, Caroline Flack and Olly Murs hosted the twelfth series together.

Every year, singers of all ages and backgrounds tried out for the show. They wanted to prove they had what it takes to be a music star. They sang in front of a panel of judges who were experts in the music world. Famous judges included Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, Dannii Minogue, Cheryl, Gary Barlow, Tulisa, Kelly Rowland, Nicole Scherzinger, Mel B, Rita Ora, and Robbie Williams.

If contestants passed the auditions, they went to "bootcamp." Here, the judges became mentors, each guiding a group of singers. They decided who would move on to the live shows. In the live shows, viewers voted for their favorite acts. The singers with the fewest votes were eliminated one by one. The winner of The X Factor usually received a recording contract and money to help start their music career.

The X Factor was very popular, especially in its early years. Many of its contestants became famous singers, like JLS, Little Mix, One Direction, and Ella Henderson. They even had songs that reached number one in the UK music charts!

The show also had a spin-off called The Xtra Factor on ITV2. This show went behind the scenes and talked about the performances. Later, an online show called Xtra Bites replaced it.

After 2011, fewer people watched The X Factor. Simon Cowell decided to pause the show in 2019. Instead, two shorter spin-off series were made: The X Factor: Celebrity and The X Factor: The Band. On July 28, 2021, ITV announced that there were no plans for the show to return.

The X Factor: How It Started

Simon Cowell, who created The X Factor and was a judge for many years.

The idea for The X Factor came from Simon Cowell in 2004. He was a judge on another music competition show called Pop Idol, which also aired on ITV.

Simon Cowell wasn't happy with how much control he and the other judges had on Pop Idol. He felt that sometimes the wrong person won. So, he decided to create a new show where he would own the rights. This way, he could have more say in how things worked.

In 2004, ITV agreed to broadcast The X Factor. There was a small legal issue because the creator of Pop Idol thought the shows were too similar. But The X Factor still went ahead and became a huge success.

How the Competition Works

Auditions: Showing Your Talent

Each year, the competition starts with auditions. These happen several months before the show airs, in different cities across the United Kingdom and sometimes in the Republic of Ireland. Singers perform to show off their musical talent.

First, contestants sing for the show's production team. This can be by applying online or at "open" auditions where anyone can try out. There's no age limit for older contestants, and groups can also participate. If they pass this stage, they sing for a senior production member. These first two rounds are not filmed.

The third stage is when contestants finally sing for the famous judges. To move forward, they need most of the judges to vote "yes." The judges usually give their opinions before they vote. For most series, these auditions happened in a closed room without music. In other series, they performed in front of a live audience, like a concert. The best, worst, and most unusual auditions are shown on TV.

Bootcamp and Judges' Houses: Getting Ready for the Big Stage

If contestants make it past auditions, they go to "bootcamp." Here, they get coaching to improve their performances. They are divided into categories:

• Boys (under 24)
• Girls (under 24)
• Over 25s (sometimes the age limit was higher, like 26, 28, or 29)
• Groups (two or more members)

Each judge is given one of these categories to mentor. They work with their singers and choose about six (or sometimes eight) acts to move on. Sometimes, judges might put solo singers who didn't make it into new groups.

Next, the chosen singers go to the "judges' houses." These are private homes (often rented for the show) where each judge picks their final acts for the live shows. This part of the show is filmed before the live episodes begin.

In later series, the bootcamp stage changed to a "Six-Chair Challenge." In this format, singers had to impress their judge enough to get one of six chairs. If all chairs were full, the judge could swap someone out for a new singer. This new format was not always popular with viewers.

Live Shows and the Grand Final

Louis Walsh, a judge on The X Factor for many years.

Sharon Osbourne, a judge in the early series and later.

Dermot O'Leary hosted the show for a long time.

The singers who make it through bootcamp and judges' houses enter the live shows. This is where they perform live on TV in front of the judges and a studio audience. They live together in shared accommodation during this time.

Each week, contestants perform a song, often based on a theme. They might have dancers or musicians with them. After each performance, the judges give their feedback. But the most important part is the public vote! Viewers call a special phone number to vote for their favorite act.

In the elimination stages, the two acts with the fewest public votes have a "final showdown." They perform again, and the judges vote to decide who goes home. If the judges' vote is a tie, the show goes to "deadlock." This means the act with the fewest public votes is eliminated. Sometimes, there's a "double elimination" where more than one act leaves.

When only a few acts are left (usually three to five), there's no final showdown. The act with the lowest public vote is automatically eliminated.

In the grand final, the public vote decides the winner. The winner receives a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music and Sony Music. This includes money for recording and marketing their music. Other singers who do well might also get recording deals, but it's not guaranteed.

Judges and Presenters Over the Years

Who Judged and Hosted?

When The X Factor started in 2004, the judges were Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, and Louis Walsh. Kate Thornton was the first host.

In 2007, Dermot O'Leary became the new host. The judging panel also changed. Dannii Minogue joined as a new judge. Later, Cheryl replaced Sharon Osbourne. Sometimes, when a judge was away, famous guest judges like Katy Perry or Nicole Scherzinger would fill in.

Over the years, many famous musicians and TV personalities became judges. These included Gary Barlow, Tulisa, Kelly Rowland, Mel B, Nick Grimshaw, and Rita Ora. In the final series in 2018, the judges were Simon Cowell, Robbie Williams, Ayda Field, and Louis Tomlinson.

Series Winners and Viewers

• The winner and runner-up names also show the category they were in.
• The viewing figures are from BARB, a company that measures TV audiences.
• Some viewing figures for the 15th series are missing because not enough people watched those episodes to make them top shows. The actual average viewers might be lower than 6.19 million.

Spin-off Shows

The Xtra Factor (2004–2016)

The Xtra Factor was a show that went along with The X Factor. It showed behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. It aired on ITV2 in the UK and TV3 in Ireland, usually right after the main show. It ran from 2004 to 2016. In 2017, it was announced that The Xtra Factor would stop, and an online show would take its place.

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars (2006)

The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was a special version of the show where celebrities competed. It aired in May 2006 for eight nights. Nine famous people sang live for charity. The judges were Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, and Louis Walsh. The money raised from votes went to the celebrities' chosen charities. The winner was actress Lucy Benjamin, who was mentored by Louis Walsh.

Xtra Bites (2017–2019)

Xtra Bites was an online spin-off show that replaced The Xtra Factor. It started in 2017 and showed behind-the-scenes moments and interviews with contestants and judges. You could watch it on ITV Hub, the show's YouTube channel, and the X Factor page on the Just Eat website. It was presented by Becca Dudley, and later by Tinea Taylor and Vick Hope.

The X Factor: Celebrity (2019)

In 2019, another celebrity version called The X Factor: Celebrity aired. It was won by Megan McKenna, with Max and Harvey as the runners-up.

The X Factor: The Band (2019)

Also in 2019, Simon Cowell launched The X Factor: The Band. This show aimed to find the best new boy band or girl group. The girl group Real Like You won the competition.

Music from X Factor Contestants

The X Factor helped many singers release popular music. As of June 2015, contestants from the show had released 35 songs that reached number one in the UK charts. This includes 10 winners' songs and 4 charity songs.

For a while, it seemed like the winner of The X Factor would always have the Christmas number one song. But in 2009, a campaign on the internet helped Rage Against the Machine's song "Killing in the Name" become the Christmas number one instead of The X Factor winner Joe McElderry.

Early winners' first albums mostly had cover songs. But after Leona Lewis's album Spirit was a huge success with new songs, future winners' albums usually had more original music.

Charity Songs

From 2008 to 2011, The X Factor contestants released a special charity song each year. These songs raised money for good causes.

• In 2008, the finalists sang Mariah Carey's "Hero" to help Help for Heroes. It reached number one.
• In 2009, they sang Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" for Great Ormond Street Hospital. It also reached number one.
• In 2010, they covered David Bowie's ""Heroes"" again for Help for Heroes.
• In 2011, they sang Rose Royce's "Wishing on a Star" for Together for Short Lives. This song featured former contestants JLS and One Direction.

After 2011, the winner's song itself became the charity single.

The X Factor Merchandise

Over the years, The X Factor brand appeared on many different products:

• DVDs: You could buy DVDs of the best auditions from early series.
• Games: There were interactive DVD games, karaoke video games, and even a board game and card game.
• Books: Annual books were released each year, giving fans a look behind the scenes.
• Magazines: A weekly magazine called X Magazine came out during the seventh series.
• Other Products: The X Factor name was also on clothing, jewelry, perfume, makeup, and even food items like pizzas!

Why The Show Ended

The X Factor was a huge part of Saturday night TV in Britain for many years. However, after its most popular time in 2010, the number of viewers dropped a lot. The last series aired in 2018.

Simon Cowell decided to pause the show in 2019 to think about how to make it better. This break continued through 2020. Then, in July 2021, ITV officially announced that they had "no current plans" for more series. Many people felt that the show's format had become a bit old-fashioned and wasn't as exciting for TV audiences anymore.

See also

In Spanish: The X Factor (Reino Unido) para niños