The X Factor (U.S.)
Encyclopedia
The X Factor is an American television
music competition to find new singing
talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell
's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox
.
As part of the British
X Factor franchise
, the program's format has numerous differences from its rivals, including American Idol
, among others. The competition is open to both solo artists and groups and has no upper age limit. Each judge is assigned one of four categories—boys between 12 and 30, girls between 12 and 30, individuals over 30, or groups (some of which may be formed from rejected soloists after the audition process). Through the live shows, the judges act as mentors to their category, helping to decide song choices, styling and staging, while judging contestants from the other categories; they also compete to ensure that their act wins the competition, thus making them the winning judge. The winner stands to receive a $5 million recording contract and will also star in their own Pepsi
commercial, which will air at Super Bowl XLVI
on NBC
.
went on to become a huge success and rated number 1 for (as of present) seven consecutive seasons, in its home country of the UK
, the original Pop Idol
did not fare so well. After the massively successful first series
, the second series
suffered from low ratings. Many (including Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman
himself) considered series 2 winner Michelle McManus
an unworthy winner as she failed to achieve the same success as series 1 winner Will Young
. In 2004, Pop Idol was axed and ITV
announced a new talent show created by former Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell
, with no involvement from Idol creator Simon Fuller
— The X Factor
. Its ratings were average in the first couple of series, but by the sixth series
in 2009, ratings were hitting 10 million each week. Pop Idol had been completely forgotten in the UK in favour of The X Factor, whereas American Idol was responsible for the highest rated TV show in the U.S. — with The X Factor virtually non-existent.
Then, in April 2009, reports surfaced that Cowell was attempting to launch The X Factor in the U.S. after his American Idol
contract ended after the ninth season
. Under his then contract, Cowell was forbidden from launching The X Factor as a rival show to Idol. In September, Fox
, the broadcaster of American Idol, signed the deal to launch the U.S. version of The X Factor.
On January 11, 2010, News Corporation
(through Fox News in the U.S. and The Times
in the UK) reported that Cowell would leave American Idol after season 9 in order to bring The X Factor to the U.S. in September 2011. Cowell told the Television Critics Association
that he was leaving American Idol so that he can judge and act as executive producer of the U.S. version of The X Factor. Additionally, Cowell signed a long-term business deal with Sony Music Entertainment
, who already support Syco Music artists in the UK, and will now be involved with the artists on the U.S. version of the show as well as becoming involved in its production.
In November 2010, Fox began airing short commercials for the program which displayed the text "Coming to America Fall 2011". The New York Times
described the commercials as the network trying to set up The X Factor as a television event. In February 2011, during Super Bowl XLV
, Fox unveiled the official logo for the show in a promo starring Cowell. A second promo was shown during that night, featuring Katy Perry
, Justin Bieber
, The Black Eyed Peas
, Usher
, Lady Gaga
, the Pussycat Dolls
and Madonna
. This promo started speculation on who would be joining Cowell on the X Factor judging panel.
The X Factor premiered in the U.S. on and Canada on September 21, 2011. The following day, it premiered in the UK and a handful of other countries.
Contestant in "Boys" category
Contestant in "Girls" category
Contestant in "Over 30s"category
Contestant in "Groups" category
, George Michael
, Nicki Minaj
, Rihanna
, Katy Perry
, Elton John
, Mariah Carey
and Jessica Simpson
, though Cowell denied that Perry and John were. Eventually, Grammy Award
-winning record executive, songwriter
, and record producer
L.A. Reid, former UK X Factor
judge Cheryl Cole
, and Cowell's former American Idol
colleague Paula Abdul
were confirmed to join Cowell in the judging panel.
Cowell had previously indicated that the show may have two hosts. Numerous people were speculated to host the series, including High School Musical
star Corbin Bleu
and UK X Factor host Dermot O'Leary
. At one point, singer-songwriter Lady Gaga
was rumored to have a non-judging role on the show. Initially, Scherzinger was to act as co-host with Welsh presenter Steve Jones
.
On May 26, 2011, it was reported that Cole had been removed from the show and was set to be replaced by Scherzinger. Reports varied over whether she was fired because American audiences had trouble understanding her accent, because of a lack of chemistry between her and Abdul, or that she had stepped down herself due to homesickness. Cole's departure was officially confirmed on June 6 in a statement from Fox, which also confirmed Scherzinger as her replacement. Jones now serves as the sole presenter. On August 5, Cowell announced that the reason why Cole left was because he offered her the job in the UK version back and that he felt that she would be more comfortable there. He said if her departure had anything to do with her not getting along with Abdul then he would not be judging the show.
The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract with Syco Music in association with Sony Music Entertainment
, which would include cash payments totalling $5 million. A press release on behalf of the show on February 7, 2011 called the recording contract "the largest guaranteed prize in television history." Unlike the British version of the show, the costs of recording and marketing the winning artist will be paid for separately from the $5 million initial contract payment. The $5 million will be paid directly to the winner in five annual installments of $1 million. Cowell said in a conference call with reporters on February 7, 2011: "I think it should be a life-changing prize and just to be clear, this isn't a dressed-up $5 million, this is a guaranteed $5 million payable to the winner. The recording, marketing, and video costs are completely separate to that. It will be paid over five years at $1 million a year."
Cowell said in the same conference call that the specific music label within the Sony family with which the winner would actually sign would likely depend on which specialty label could provide the best support to the winner in light of the type of music that the winner chooses to perform.
There are five stages to The X Factor:
. A press release on behalf of the show called the recording contract "the largest guaranteed prize in television history." In comparison to the UK version of the show, where a portion of the £1 million ($1.6 million) prize is used to pay for the costs of recording and marketing the winning artist, these expenses will be paid for separately from the $5 million initial contract payment offered on the U.S. show, which will be paid in five annual installments of $1 million.
, Miami, Newark
, Seattle, Chicago
, and Dallas. It was reported that The X Factor had broken the auditions record in Los Angeles
on March 27. The last set of auditions took place in front of the judges and a live studio audience during May and June 2011.
An early preview of The X Factor aired during the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
on July 12, 2011. The second major preview came after the NFL double-header game on September 11. The show premiered on September 21, 2011 with the auditions from Los Angeles and Newark. The live finals started on October 25, 2011 with a 2.5 hour live show.
will be the official sponsor of The X Factor. The sponsorship includes an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. On June 9, Chevrolet
was announced as the second official sponsor of the show. Chevrolet's sponsorship will also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. Sony
was confirmed as the third official sponsor on July 26. Sony's sponsorship of The X Factor will also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. Verizon also sponsors The X Factor USA, they are the official wireless sponsor.
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
music competition to find new singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
.
As part of the British
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
X Factor franchise
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
, the program's format has numerous differences from its rivals, including American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, among others. The competition is open to both solo artists and groups and has no upper age limit. Each judge is assigned one of four categories—boys between 12 and 30, girls between 12 and 30, individuals over 30, or groups (some of which may be formed from rejected soloists after the audition process). Through the live shows, the judges act as mentors to their category, helping to decide song choices, styling and staging, while judging contestants from the other categories; they also compete to ensure that their act wins the competition, thus making them the winning judge. The winner stands to receive a $5 million recording contract and will also star in their own Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial, which will air at Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
History
Although American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
went on to become a huge success and rated number 1 for (as of present) seven consecutive seasons, in its home country of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the original Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
did not fare so well. After the massively successful first series
Pop Idol (series 1)
The first series of British reality television show Pop Idol was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom during the winter months of 2001 and 2002. The show was a singing competition open to people aged between 16 and 26 years old, with the winner receiving a £1million recording contract to release...
, the second series
Pop Idol (series 2)
The second series of British reality television show Pop Idol was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom during the autumn and winter months of 2003. The show was a singing competition for singers aged 16–26, with the winner receiving a £1 million recording contract to release their debut album...
suffered from low ratings. Many (including Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
himself) considered series 2 winner Michelle McManus
Michelle McManus
Michelle McManus is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress, radio DJ and television presenter, who rose to fame after winning the second series of the UK talent show Pop Idol....
an unworthy winner as she failed to achieve the same success as series 1 winner Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
. In 2004, Pop Idol was axed and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
announced a new talent show created by former Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, with no involvement from Idol creator Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
— The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. Its ratings were average in the first couple of series, but by the sixth series
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
in 2009, ratings were hitting 10 million each week. Pop Idol had been completely forgotten in the UK in favour of The X Factor, whereas American Idol was responsible for the highest rated TV show in the U.S. — with The X Factor virtually non-existent.
Then, in April 2009, reports surfaced that Cowell was attempting to launch The X Factor in the U.S. after his American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contract ended after the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
. Under his then contract, Cowell was forbidden from launching The X Factor as a rival show to Idol. In September, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, the broadcaster of American Idol, signed the deal to launch the U.S. version of The X Factor.
On January 11, 2010, News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
(through Fox News in the U.S. and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
in the UK) reported that Cowell would leave American Idol after season 9 in order to bring The X Factor to the U.S. in September 2011. Cowell told the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
that he was leaving American Idol so that he can judge and act as executive producer of the U.S. version of The X Factor. Additionally, Cowell signed a long-term business deal with Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, who already support Syco Music artists in the UK, and will now be involved with the artists on the U.S. version of the show as well as becoming involved in its production.
In November 2010, Fox began airing short commercials for the program which displayed the text "Coming to America Fall 2011". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the commercials as the network trying to set up The X Factor as a television event. In February 2011, during Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
, Fox unveiled the official logo for the show in a promo starring Cowell. A second promo was shown during that night, featuring Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. This promo started speculation on who would be joining Cowell on the X Factor judging panel.
The X Factor premiered in the U.S. on and Canada on September 21, 2011. The following day, it premiered in the UK and a handful of other countries.
Season summary
To date, one season is planned for broadcast, as summarized below.Contestant in "Boys" category
Contestant in "Girls" category
Contestant in "Over 30s"category
Contestant in "Groups" category
| Season | Start | Finish | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Winning mentor | Host | Sponsor | Judges | Guest judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | September 21, 2011 | December 22, 2011 | Steve Jones Steve Jones (presenter) Stephen Ashton "Steve" Jones is a Welsh television presenter. Jones is primarily known in the UK as presenter of T4. Internationally, he is known as the host of The X Factor USA.-Early life:... |
Pepsi PepsiCo PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company... Sony Sony , commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues.... Verizon Verizon Wireless Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America.... Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
Simon Cowell Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol... Paula Abdul Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits... L.A. Reid Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls.... |
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls... (Los Angeles & Chicago auditions) |
Judges and hosts
At the time of announcing the U.S. version, Cowell was the only confirmed judge for the show. He later said that he was taking the choices of who to join him on the show very seriously, saying, "It's pointless hiring judges who don't know anything about the music business. I'll probably go and find someone who did what I did for a living. I was an A&R guy for 20 years." Many people were rumored to be in the running to join the judging panel, including Nicole ScherzingerNicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, though Cowell denied that Perry and John were. Eventually, Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning record executive, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
L.A. Reid, former UK X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
judge Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, and Cowell's former American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
colleague Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
were confirmed to join Cowell in the judging panel.
Cowell had previously indicated that the show may have two hosts. Numerous people were speculated to host the series, including High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
star Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
and UK X Factor host Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
. At one point, singer-songwriter Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
was rumored to have a non-judging role on the show. Initially, Scherzinger was to act as co-host with Welsh presenter Steve Jones
Steve Jones (presenter)
Stephen Ashton "Steve" Jones is a Welsh television presenter. Jones is primarily known in the UK as presenter of T4. Internationally, he is known as the host of The X Factor USA.-Early life:...
.
On May 26, 2011, it was reported that Cole had been removed from the show and was set to be replaced by Scherzinger. Reports varied over whether she was fired because American audiences had trouble understanding her accent, because of a lack of chemistry between her and Abdul, or that she had stepped down herself due to homesickness. Cole's departure was officially confirmed on June 6 in a statement from Fox, which also confirmed Scherzinger as her replacement. Jones now serves as the sole presenter. On August 5, Cowell announced that the reason why Cole left was because he offered her the job in the UK version back and that he felt that she would be more comfortable there. He said if her departure had anything to do with her not getting along with Abdul then he would not be judging the show.
Judges' categories and their finalists
Key:- – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
| Season | Simon Cowell Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol... |
Paula Abdul Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits... |
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls.... |
L.A. Reid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | Girls Melanie Amaro Rachel Crow Drew Simone Battle Tiah Tolliver |
Groups Lakoda Rayne The Stereo Hogzz InTENsity The Brewer Boys |
Over 30s Josh Krajcik Leroy Bell Stacy Francis Dexter Haygood |
Boys "Astro" Marcus Canty Chris Rene Phillip Lomax |
Format and prize
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. Each judge is assigned one of four categories—either girls between 12 and 29, boys between 12 and 29, individuals 30 and over, or groups (some of which may be formed from rejected soloists after the audition process). Through the live shows, the judges act as mentors to their category, helping to decide song choices, styling and staging, while judging contestants from other categories.The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract with Syco Music in association with Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, which would include cash payments totalling $5 million. A press release on behalf of the show on February 7, 2011 called the recording contract "the largest guaranteed prize in television history." Unlike the British version of the show, the costs of recording and marketing the winning artist will be paid for separately from the $5 million initial contract payment. The $5 million will be paid directly to the winner in five annual installments of $1 million. Cowell said in a conference call with reporters on February 7, 2011: "I think it should be a life-changing prize and just to be clear, this isn't a dressed-up $5 million, this is a guaranteed $5 million payable to the winner. The recording, marketing, and video costs are completely separate to that. It will be paid over five years at $1 million a year."
Cowell said in the same conference call that the specific music label within the Sony family with which the winner would actually sign would likely depend on which specialty label could provide the best support to the winner in light of the type of music that the winner chooses to perform.
There are five stages to The X Factor:
- Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges)
- Stage 2: Judges' auditions
- Stage 3: Bootcamp
- Stage 4: Judges' houses
- Stage 5: Live shows (finals)
Auditions
The show is open to solo artists and vocal groups aged 12 and above, with no upper age limit. The successful auditionees audition in front of the judges.Bootcamp
The contestants selected at auditions are further refined through a series of performances at "bootcamp", and then at "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progress to the live finals. At bootcamp the judges collaboratively choose 32 acts (eight from each category) for the next round, and only then are told by the show's producers which category they are to mentor.Judges' houses
The judges then disband for the "judges' houses" round, where they further reduce their acts on location at a residence (often collectively spanning the globe) with the help of a celebrity guest.Final 16
The final 16 perform live, to get a place in the Final 12. There will be no public vote in the first week, instead each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate. In season 1, Cowell had to eliminate two acts, because he included Melanie Amaro as a fifth contestant in his category, as he thought he had made "a huge mistake" at judges' houses by not choosing Amaro for the live shows. Therefore, season one had a top 17 instead of a top 16.Final 12
The finals consist of a series of two live shows, with the first featuring the contestants' performances and the second revealing the results of the public voting, culminating in either one or two acts being eliminated. Celebrity guest performers also feature regularly.Post The X Factor
The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract, stated to be worth $5 million, with Syco Music in association with Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. A press release on behalf of the show called the recording contract "the largest guaranteed prize in television history." In comparison to the UK version of the show, where a portion of the £1 million ($1.6 million) prize is used to pay for the costs of recording and marketing the winning artist, these expenses will be paid for separately from the $5 million initial contract payment offered on the U.S. show, which will be paid in five annual installments of $1 million.
Season 1 (2011)
Auditions in front of the producers for the first season took place in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Miami, Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, Seattle, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Dallas. It was reported that The X Factor had broken the auditions record in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on March 27. The last set of auditions took place in front of the judges and a live studio audience during May and June 2011.
An early preview of The X Factor aired during the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
on July 12, 2011. The second major preview came after the NFL double-header game on September 11. The show premiered on September 21, 2011 with the auditions from Los Angeles and Newark. The live finals started on October 25, 2011 with a 2.5 hour live show.
Season 2 (2012)
On November 2, 2011, it was announced that The X Factor has been renewed for a second season, which will begin airing in Fall 2012.International airings
Following the announcement of the show coming to America, several other broadcasters around the world expressed interest in acquiring the rights to show the American version of the show in their country.- In CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it is simultaneously broadcastSimultaneous substitutionSimultaneous substitution is a practice mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requiring Canadian cable, direct broadcast satellite and multichannel multipoint distribution service television distribution companies to substitute the signal of a foreign or...
with the Fox broadcast on CTVCTV television networkCTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
or CTV Two; whatever channel broadcasts The X Factor that particular night depends on other shows on their schedules for that night.
- In New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the show is broadcast 6 hours and 30 minutes after it is aired in the U.S, on TV3TV3 (New Zealand)TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
.
- In the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as part of Cowell's contract, it was agreed that ITV2ITV2ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
, the sister channel to the ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network (which airs the original British version of The X Factor), would have rights to air the U.S. version. The show is broadcast in the UK 18 hours after it is aired in the U.S. - it premiered on September 22, 2011 in the UK and airs on Thursday and Friday nights.
- In Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, the show airs on CNC3CNC3CNC3 Television ' is a privately owned television station serving Trinidad and Tobago. It is broadcasts over-the-air on channels 12 and 14 and is seen throughout the Flow cable system on channel 3. CNC3's studios are located at the Trinidad Guardian building located on 22-24 St...
.
- In the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, the show premiered on September 24, 2011 on Osn First.
- In JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the show premiered on October 1, 2011 on FOX bs238.
- In UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the show premiered on September 4, 2011 on STBSTB (Channel)STB is a Ukrainian commercial television network. Today, the coverage area of the network is 85% of Ukraine's territory. It is broadcast in all oblast centers and all Ukrainian cities with a population greater than 50,000...
.
- In IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, a group of local TV networks is airing the shows the same week it is aired in America; in Jakarta it airs on B Channel on Thursday and Friday, with repeats on Saturday and Sunday.
- In SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, the show premiered on September 23, 2011 on JOJ PlusJOJ PlusJOJ Plus is a Slovak television channel owned by J&T Media Enterprises.It is the sister channel TV JOJ.The channel was launched on October 5,2008 at 19:55.The channel breoadcasts content that was shown on TV JOJ.-Content:* My Sweet Little Village...
.
- In CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, the show premiered on September 30, 2011 on RIK 1.
- In DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the show premiered on October 1, 2011 on DR HDDR HDDR HD is a Danish high-definition television channel and Danmarks Radio's sixth licence-funded channel. The channel launched on 1 November 2009. All broadcasts on DR HD are in HD quality; no upscaled standard definition programmes are broadcasted. The channel broadcasts in 1280x720.-External links:*...
.
- In Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the show premiered on October 12, 2011 on Sony ChannelSony Entertainment Television (Latin America)Sony Entertainment Television, commonly shortened to Canal Sony , is a general entertainment channel co-based in Perú, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil and Miami, Florida, United States. It airs in 26 countries in Latin America, and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment...
.
- In GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the show premiered on October 1, 2011 on ANT1ANT1Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
.
- In Malaysia, the show premiered on September 23, 2011 on 8TV (Malaysia)8TV (Malaysia)8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad....
.
- In SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the show is broadcast direct off-satellite at the same time as the U.S. on MediaCorp Channel 5.
- In the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the show airs on Studio 23Studio 23Studio 23 is a Filipino television network owned by the ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV, which is carried on UHF channel 23...
premiered on September 22, 2011..
- In IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the show premiered on September 23, 2011 and is broadcast on Friday and Saturday on Hot 3.
- In EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
the show premiered on October 9, 2011 and is broadcast on every Sunday on TV3TV3 (Estonia)TV3 is a commercial television channel targeted at an Estonian language audience owned by Viasat . It was founded in 1996 after two recent television stations, EVTV and RTV joined....
.
- In FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, the show premiered on October 4, 2011 and is broadcast on Tuesday and Friday on SubSub (TV channel)Sub is a Finnish TV channel owned by Bonnier. The previous owner Alma Media sold Sub and its sister channels to Swedish Bonnier and Proventus in 2005.-Programs and audience:...
.
- In PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the show premiered on October 11, 2011 on Fox LifeFox LifeFox Life is a television network, launched by the Fox Broadcasting Company, which airs across Latin America, Europe and Japan . Its basic programming include numerous television series, sitcoms and movies, among others, which includes some original programming in certain regions...
and is broadcast every Tuesday.
- In IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
the show premiered on September 30th, 2011 on TV3 and is broadcast every Friday.
- In South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
the show is broadcast on Mnet.
- In HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, the show premieres on October 1, 2011 and is broadcast on every Sunday and Saturday on Cool TVCool TVCool TV is a Hungarian television channel, which migrated to Romania after being threatened with closure by Hungarian authorities. The channel was launched in 2004 in the Hungarian language, and in 2005 it also started broadcasting cool stuff....
.
Media sponsorship
On January 7, 2011, Fox, SYCOtv and FremantleMedia North America announced that PepsiPepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
will be the official sponsor of The X Factor. The sponsorship includes an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. On June 9, Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
was announced as the second official sponsor of the show. Chevrolet's sponsorship will also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
was confirmed as the third official sponsor on July 26. Sony's sponsorship of The X Factor will also include an extensive multi-platform on and off-air marketing partnership. Verizon also sponsors The X Factor USA, they are the official wireless sponsor.
External links
- The X Factor on HuluHuluHulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...