The X Factor (UK series 8)
Encyclopedia
The X Factor
is a British television music competition to find new singing
talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV
on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh
is the only judge from the previous series
to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell
, Dannii Minogue
and Cheryl Cole
, all left to join other shows. Walsh is joined by Gary Barlow
, Kelly Rowland
and Tulisa Contostavlos
. Dermot O'Leary
presents the show on ITV, while Caroline Flack
and series 6
runner-up Olly Murs
co-present spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2
.
On 4 August 2011, promotional pictures of the judges surfaced across the internet. The next day, an advertisement premiered on itv.com
. For the live finals, The X Factor received new graphics and theme music similar to those already introduced on The X Factor USA
. Voting by text message, which had been absent since 2007, has been reintroduced for this series in addition to the premium rate telephone vote.
and Cheryl Cole
would leave their positions on the judging panel to concentrate on The X Factor USA
. On 14 May 2011, Dannii Minogue
announced that she would not be appearing on the eighth series either, due to a clash with Australia's Got Talent
, another show for which she judges. Of her decision, Minogue said, "During discussions for me to return [to The X Factor] it became clear that unfortunately, this year, The X Factor audition dates in the UK clash with the live shows of Australia's Got Talent during June and July. For this reason I am unable to return".
After Cole and Cowell announced their leave, a number of celebrities were linked to the judging role, including Frankie Sandford
of The Saturdays
and Alesha Dixon
. Cowell confirmed on 9 May 2011 that Gary Barlow
of Take That
was in talks to become a judge, though his contract was not finalised. Following Minogue's announcement, it was reported that Tulisa Contostavlos
from N-Dubz
had been in talks with producers to take on a judging role. It was also suggested that Kelly Rowland
, formerly of Destiny's Child
, was in talks to take a seat on the judging panel, which was later confirmed. On 30 May 2011, the judging lineup was confirmed as Louis Walsh
, Barlow, Contostavlos and Rowland. Barlow said he was "extremely excited" to work on the show, and hoped to find a global superstar. Contostavlos hoped to "bring something fresh and new to the panel", promising to speak her mind. Rowland wanted an "opportunity to hear a few diamonds in the rough" and said she would be "sternly honest". In week 4 of the live finals on 29 and 30 October, Rowland was unable to attend due to illness and was replaced for these shows by Alexandra Burke
, who won series 5
.
In March 2011, Konnie Huq
, who presented spin-off series The Xtra Factor for series 7
, decided to leave because of work commitments. Matt Edmondson
, Frankie Sandford, Kimberley Walsh
, and series 6
contestant Stacey Solomon
were all rumoured to be in the running, but it was confirmed on 31 May 2011 that Caroline Flack
would co-present The Xtra Factor with series 6
runner-up Olly Murs
.
on 11 December 2010. For the first time, contestants could upload a video to YouTube
. Auditions in front of the judges for series 8 took place in Cardiff
, London
, Glasgow
, Liverpool
, Birmingham
and Manchester
. It is the first time auditions have taken place in Liverpool, and the city replaces Dublin, where auditions were held in 2010. A source from the show said, "There are only so many places we can go for auditions. We went to Dublin last year but we haven't been to Liverpool so we thought we should do it this year. Obviously this is a blow to the Irish contestants but it's only a short hop across the Irish Sea
to Liverpool".
The auditions started in Birmingham's LG Arena on 1 and 2 June. They then took place in Glasgow's Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
on 6 June and continued in Manchester's Event City on 12, 13 and 14 June. More auditions took place at Cardiff's International Arena
on 29 June, and at London's O2 Arena
on 6, 7 and 8 July, and finished in Liverpool's Echo Arena on 13 and 14 July. The Manchester auditions were postponed from 18–20 May.
London and Birmingham auditions were broadcast during the first episode on 20 August 2011. More of the London auditions, as well as the Liverpool auditions, aired on 27 August 2011. On 10 September, the Glasgow auditions and more from London were shown. More from London, plus the Manchester auditions were broadcast in the 11 September episode.
, and each group was given one of six songs by the judges: "You've Got the Love", "Breakeven
", "Price Tag
", "Born This Way
", "Forget You" or "Firework
". The judges then went on to cut over 80 acts, but called some soloists back, who were asked if they were interested in forming groups. All agreed and were workshopped to see which singers would work well together. They formed six groups. The 61 remaining acts were then given the task of learning one song, making it their own and performing it in front of a live audience, the second time bootcamp was open to an audience (the first was in 2009). The judges then chose the final 32 acts, based on these performances. However, they only chose 31 acts, and the final group was made from four members of two groups previously put together by the judges.
joined Barlow in Los Angeles
, Jennifer Hudson
assisted Rowland in Miami, Walsh was accompanied by Sinitta in Barcelona
, and Contostavlos received help from Jessie J
in Mykonos
. At judges' houses each act performed two songs for their mentor and his/her guest judge, although only one song was mentioned and shown on the main show, with the other song shown on The Xtra Factor instead.
Sian Phillips was originally selected for the judges' houses, but due to visa issues, she was unable to travel to Miami and was thus replaced by Sarah Watson in the Girls category.
The sixteen eliminated acts were:
Goldie Cheung, who was initially put through by Walsh, pulled out of the competition at the end of the judges' houses stage, stating that she did not want to be away from her family. She was replaced in the finals by Sami Brookes.
Key:
and Cee Lo Green, while Katy Perry
and The Wanted
performed on the second results show. On the third results show, Bruno Mars
, Professor Green
, Emeli Sandé
and Kelly Clarkson
performed. Series 7 contestant Cher Lloyd
and The X Factor USA
judge Nicole Scherzinger
performed on the fourth live result show. Series 5 runners up JLS
and Florence and the Machine
performed on the fifth live results show, while Lady Gaga
and series 7 contestants One Direction
performed on the sixth. The seventh live show will feature performances from Rihanna
and series 7 runner up Rebecca Ferguson
,. The eighth live results show included performances from former contestant and The Xtra Factor host Olly Murs
featuring The Muppets
, and Jessie J
. JLS
and One Direction
also appeared alongside the 16 finalists to perform this year's charity single, "Wishing on a Star". The semi-final live result show will feature performances from Justin Bieber
and Kelly Rowland
.
It was reported on 28 June 2011 that the final would take place on 10 and 11 December 2011 at Wembley Arena
instead of the usual Fountain Studios. ITV later confirmed this on 15 August.
On 26 October 2011, Rhythmix announced that they would change their name due to pressure from a children's music charity of the same name, after the programme tried to trademark "Rhythmix" in Europe. A spokesperson for The X Factor said, "At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of Syco and TalkbackTHAMES. The group's new name will be announced in due course". It was reported that the group decided to make the change, despite no legal reason to do so, to avoid any difficulties for the charity. The name was subsequently changed to Little Mix.
On 28 October 2011, Ashley J. Baptise decided to leave The Risk. In an interview on the official website, he said, "It's been a really tough decision but I have decided to leave The Risk. I don't believe my future lies in a boyband and it's not fair on [the other members] Charlie, Derry and Andy to remain in the band when I am not truly committed to it for the long term. "I believe The Risk can win The X Factor and I'm backing them all the way. I count them as my friends so I know we'll stay in touch." He was replaced by Ashford Campbell, who was a member of Nu Vibe, another manufactured boyband who had already previously been eliminated.
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was asked to leave the series after breaking a "golden rule" of the show. A spokesperson said, "Frankie is leaving the show today after breaking competition rules. He is going to take some time out before continuing his career as a singer. We wish him all the best for his future." It was later reported that Cocozza was asked to leave the series for boasting about his use of the drug cocaine
, when the rules of The X Factor strictly prohibit drug use. Barlow, his mentor, was said to be "hugely disappointed" by Cocozza's behaviour, but wished him the best for his future. It was announced that the four contestants eliminated by their mentors in week 1; 2 Shoes, Amelia Lily, James Michael and Jonjo Kerr; would be given the chance to face a public vote, with the winner of the vote being reinstated in the competition. Amelia Lily won the public vote with 48% of the overall total and replaced Cocozza in the competition.
There was no public vote in the first week and therefore no final showdown. Each judge was required to eliminate one of their own acts instead. Rowland was not present due to illness but voted via telephone link from Los Angeles. Barlow was not required to vote as there was already a majority. However, he stated that he would have voted against Sophie Habibis in week 4, Johnny Robinson in week 5 and Janet Devlin in week 8. Following Frankie Cocozza's ejection from the competition, one of the four acts who were eliminated in the first week of the competition by the judges (2 Shoes, Amelia Lily, James Michael, or Jonjo Kerr) returned to the competition following a public vote. The winner of the vote was announced as Amelia Lily with 48%.
Judges' decisions to eliminate:
Judges' votes to eliminate
Judges' votes to eliminate
Rowland did not appear on the judging panel for week 4 due to illness, so series 5
winner Alexandra Burke
took her place on the panel. However, Burke did not vote on the results show; instead, Rowland voted via telephone link from Los Angeles. Rhythmix's new name 'Little Mix' took effect from Week 4.
Judges' votes to eliminate
Judges' votes to eliminate
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was removed from the show for breaking one of the rules of the competition and did not perform. The four acts that did not face the public vote in week 1 and were eliminated by their mentors—Amelia Lily, James Michael, Jonjo Kerr, and 2 Shoes—faced the public vote. The act with the most votes replaced Cocozza. The winner of the vote was announced as Amelia Lily with 48% of the public vote. The show was also delayed by fifteen minutes due to technical difficulties, so footage from the audition stage was shown instead.
Judges' votes to eliminate
Judges' votes to eliminate
With the judges deadlocked, Craig Colton was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.
Starting in week 8, each act performed two songs with voting lines opening after the first round of performances.
Judges' votes to eliminate
", to be released on 20th November in aid of ACT and Children's Hospices UK, charities which Cowell said do "amazing work". It is the fourth time finalists have released a charity single. Series 5
contestants JLS
and Series 7
contestants One Direction
will also feature on the single.
's "That's My Goal
". For the first time since the first series, the winner's single will not be released the week of the coveted Christmas number-one chart battle. The Official Charts Company announced that this year's Christmas number-one will be announced on Christmas Day, meaning releases on 18 December will be new entries in the chart that week. The winner's single is scheduled to be released on 11 December, which means it will have to maintain significant sales numbers in its second week to achieve a Christmas number-one. It was announced on 17 November that N-Dubz
rapper Fazer would be producing the single.
would be The X Factor official fashion partner. On 2 October 2011, it was revealed that the 16 finalists would star in the retailer's 2011 Christmas advertisement. It is a one minute advertisement that premiered during week 5 of the live shows. The finalists recorded a cover of the song "When You Wish upon a Star
" to feature in the advert and modelled clothes from the company. The finalists will be paid for the advertisement. After his ejection from the competition, M&S announced that Frankie Cocozza's face would be edited out of the advert, as it wasn't possible to edit his voice from the advert. On November 17 2011, M&S posted the latest edit of the advert to their official YouTube
account, with Cocozza's vocals completely erased.
on BBC One
, the second-highest rated programme that night.
Despite an apparent drop in ratings from the previous series, it is still the second most watched series in the show's 8 year history.
. The rules of the series strictly prohibit drug use during the show and Cocozza's mentor, Barlow, said that he was "hugely disappointed" by Cocozza's behaviour, but wished him luck with his future.
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...
is a British television 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 eighth series began airing on 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...
on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
is the only judge from the previous series
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
to return, as the other three, 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...
, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
and 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...
, all left to join other shows. Walsh is joined by Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
, Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
and Tulisa Contostavlos
Tulisa Contostavlos
Tula Paulinea "Tulisa" Contostavlos is an English singer-songwriter and actress of Greek and Irish descent. She is best known for being a member of the Camden-based hip hop group N-Dubz, with her cousin Dappy and their friend Fazer...
. 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...
presents the show on ITV, while Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
and series 6
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...
runner-up Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
co-present spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 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...
.
On 4 August 2011, promotional pictures of the judges surfaced across the internet. The next day, an advertisement premiered on itv.com
Itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
. For the live finals, The X Factor received new graphics and theme music similar to those already introduced on The X Factor USA
The X Factor (U.S.)
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....
. Voting by text message, which had been absent since 2007, has been reintroduced for this series in addition to the premium rate telephone vote.
Judges and presenters
On 5 May 2011, it was announced that X Factor judges Simon CowellSimon 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...
and 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...
would leave their positions on the judging panel to concentrate on The X Factor USA
The X Factor (U.S.)
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....
. On 14 May 2011, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
announced that she would not be appearing on the eighth series either, due to a clash with Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show which premiered on 18 February 2007 on the Seven Network. The show was based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell...
, another show for which she judges. Of her decision, Minogue said, "During discussions for me to return [to The X Factor] it became clear that unfortunately, this year, The X Factor audition dates in the UK clash with the live shows of Australia's Got Talent during June and July. For this reason I am unable to return".
After Cole and Cowell announced their leave, a number of celebrities were linked to the judging role, including Frankie Sandford
Frankie Sandford
Francesca "Frankie" Sandford is an English pop and R&B singer-songwriter and currently a member of girl group The Saturdays; under the record label of Fascination Records and Polydor Records. The band have had huge success, releasing eleven singles of which ten have charted inside the top 10 on...
of The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
and Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
. Cowell confirmed on 9 May 2011 that Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
of Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
was in talks to become a judge, though his contract was not finalised. Following Minogue's announcement, it was reported that Tulisa Contostavlos
Tulisa Contostavlos
Tula Paulinea "Tulisa" Contostavlos is an English singer-songwriter and actress of Greek and Irish descent. She is best known for being a member of the Camden-based hip hop group N-Dubz, with her cousin Dappy and their friend Fazer...
from N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
had been in talks with producers to take on a judging role. It was also suggested that Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, formerly of Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, was in talks to take a seat on the judging panel, which was later confirmed. On 30 May 2011, the judging lineup was confirmed as Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
, Barlow, Contostavlos and Rowland. Barlow said he was "extremely excited" to work on the show, and hoped to find a global superstar. Contostavlos hoped to "bring something fresh and new to the panel", promising to speak her mind. Rowland wanted an "opportunity to hear a few diamonds in the rough" and said she would be "sternly honest". In week 4 of the live finals on 29 and 30 October, Rowland was unable to attend due to illness and was replaced for these shows by Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, who won series 5
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
.
In March 2011, Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq is a British television presenter, who is best known for being the longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter, having presented it from 1 December 1997 until 23 January 2008...
, who presented spin-off series The Xtra Factor for series 7
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
, decided to leave because of work commitments. Matt Edmondson
Matt Edmondson
Matt Edmondson is an English television and Sony Award-nominated radio presenter, specialising in music, entertainment and celebrity news.-Television career:...
, Frankie Sandford, Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
, and series 6
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...
contestant Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon is a British singer, television presenter, model and reality TV star. She rose to fame during her time on the sixth series of The X Factor, coming third overall on the show...
were all rumoured to be in the running, but it was confirmed on 31 May 2011 that Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
would co-present The Xtra Factor with series 6
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...
runner-up Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
.
Applications and auditions
The first appeal for applicants for series 8 was broadcast during series 7The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
on 11 December 2010. For the first time, contestants could upload a video to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Auditions in front of the judges for series 8 took place in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. It is the first time auditions have taken place in Liverpool, and the city replaces Dublin, where auditions were held in 2010. A source from the show said, "There are only so many places we can go for auditions. We went to Dublin last year but we haven't been to Liverpool so we thought we should do it this year. Obviously this is a blow to the Irish contestants but it's only a short hop across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to Liverpool".
The auditions started in Birmingham's LG Arena on 1 and 2 June. They then took place in Glasgow's Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
on 6 June and continued in Manchester's Event City on 12, 13 and 14 June. More auditions took place at Cardiff's International Arena
Cardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
on 29 June, and at London's O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
on 6, 7 and 8 July, and finished in Liverpool's Echo Arena on 13 and 14 July. The Manchester auditions were postponed from 18–20 May.
London and Birmingham auditions were broadcast during the first episode on 20 August 2011. More of the London auditions, as well as the Liverpool auditions, aired on 27 August 2011. On 10 September, the Glasgow auditions and more from London were shown. More from London, plus the Manchester auditions were broadcast in the 11 September episode.
Bootcamp
Bootcamp started on 18 August 2011. The first episode of bootcamp was broadcast on 24 September 2011. It showed 187 acts attend a pre-bootcamp party at a hotel in Croydon, while the judges reviewed their auditions to see if there were some acts they wanted to cut before bootcamp started. They cut 35 acts, leaving 152. The acts were split into 30 groups in which to perform at Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, and each group was given one of six songs by the judges: "You've Got the Love", "Breakeven
Breakeven (song)
"Breakeven" is a song by Irish band The Script, taken from their eponymous debut album.-Music video:...
", "Price Tag
Price Tag
"Price Tag" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, featuring American rapper B.o.B. It was released on 28 January 2011 in the United Kingdom as the second single from Jessie J's debut studio album, Who You Are. "Price Tag" was written by Jessie J, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and B.o.B, and it...
", "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
", "Forget You" or "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...
". The judges then went on to cut over 80 acts, but called some soloists back, who were asked if they were interested in forming groups. All agreed and were workshopped to see which singers would work well together. They formed six groups. The 61 remaining acts were then given the task of learning one song, making it their own and performing it in front of a live audience, the second time bootcamp was open to an audience (the first was in 2009). The judges then chose the final 32 acts, based on these performances. However, they only chose 31 acts, and the final group was made from four members of two groups previously put together by the judges.
Judges' houses
Judges' houses, the final part of the selection process, was filmed in September. Judges were given their categories in late August. Barlow is mentoring the Boys, Rowland the Girls, Walsh the Over 25s, and Contostavlos the Groups. Robbie WilliamsRobbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
joined Barlow 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...
, Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
assisted Rowland in Miami, Walsh was accompanied by Sinitta in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and Contostavlos received help from Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
in Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
. At judges' houses each act performed two songs for their mentor and his/her guest judge, although only one song was mentioned and shown on the main show, with the other song shown on The Xtra Factor instead.
Sian Phillips was originally selected for the judges' houses, but due to visa issues, she was unable to travel to Miami and was thus replaced by Sarah Watson in the Girls category.
The sixteen eliminated acts were:
- Boys – Joe Cox, Luke Lucas, Max Vickers, John Wilding
- Girls – Melanie McCabe, Holly Repton, Jade Richards, Sarah Watson
- Over 25s – Sami Brookes, Joseph Gilligan, Carolynne Poole, Terry Winstanley
- Groups – Girl v Boy, The Estrelles, The Keys, The Lovettes
Goldie Cheung, who was initially put through by Walsh, pulled out of the competition at the end of the judges' houses stage, stating that she did not want to be away from her family. She was replaced in the finals by Sami Brookes.
Finalists
The final 16 finalists were confirmed as follows;Key:
- – Eliminated
- – Ejected
| Category (mentor) | Acts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys (Barlow) | Frankie Cocozza | Marcus Collins | Craig Colton | James Michael |
| Girls (Rowland) | Misha B | Janet Devlin | Sophie Habibis | Amelia Lily |
| Over 25s (Walsh) | Sami Brookes | Kitty Brucknell | Jonjo Kerr | Johnny Robinson |
| Groups (Contostavlos) | 2 Shoes | Little Mix | Nu Vibe | The Risk |
Live shows
The live shows began on 8 October. Each week, the contestants' performances take place on Saturday and the results on Sunday. As with previous series, each live show had a different theme. The results show often features a group performance by the remaining contestants and guest live performances. The first live results show included live performances from series 7 winner Matt CardleMatt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan "Matt" Cardle is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to fame after winning the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. He received a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music by winning, and his debut number one single "When We Collide" was released immediately...
and Cee Lo Green, while 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...
and The Wanted
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band based in London, England. The band consists of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes. Their debut single, "All Time Low", was released in July 2010 and reached number one in the United Kingdom for one week...
performed on the second results show. On the third results show, Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
, Professor Green
Professor Green
Professor Green , better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008...
, Emeli Sandé
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emeli Sandé , known by her stage name Emeli Sande, is a Scottish R&B and Soul recording artist and songwriter, from Aberdeen, Scotland...
and Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
performed. Series 7 contestant Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd is a British singer and rapper from Malvern, Worcestershire. Lloyd rose to fame in 2010 when she participated in reality TV series The X Factor, to which she finished in fourth place. Shortly afterwards, Lloyd was signed by Simon Cowell to Sony Records subsidary SyCo Music, releasing...
and The X Factor USA
The X Factor (U.S.)
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....
judge 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....
performed on the fourth live result show. Series 5 runners up JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
and Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
performed on the fifth live results show, while 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...
and series 7 contestants One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
performed on the sixth. The seventh live show will feature performances from 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...
and series 7 runner up Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Ferguson (singer)
Rebecca Ferguson is an English singer-songwriter born in Liverpool, who became notable as the runner-up of the seventh series of The X Factor to Matt Cardle in 2010. She released her debut single "Nothing Real but Love" on 20 November 2011...
,. The eighth live results show included performances from former contestant and The Xtra Factor host Olly Murs
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
featuring The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
, and Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
. JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
and One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
also appeared alongside the 16 finalists to perform this year's charity single, "Wishing on a Star". The semi-final live result show will feature performances from 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...
and Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
.
It was reported on 28 June 2011 that the final would take place on 10 and 11 December 2011 at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
instead of the usual Fountain Studios. ITV later confirmed this on 15 August.
On 26 October 2011, Rhythmix announced that they would change their name due to pressure from a children's music charity of the same name, after the programme tried to trademark "Rhythmix" in Europe. A spokesperson for The X Factor said, "At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of Syco and TalkbackTHAMES. The group's new name will be announced in due course". It was reported that the group decided to make the change, despite no legal reason to do so, to avoid any difficulties for the charity. The name was subsequently changed to Little Mix.
On 28 October 2011, Ashley J. Baptise decided to leave The Risk. In an interview on the official website, he said, "It's been a really tough decision but I have decided to leave The Risk. I don't believe my future lies in a boyband and it's not fair on [the other members] Charlie, Derry and Andy to remain in the band when I am not truly committed to it for the long term. "I believe The Risk can win The X Factor and I'm backing them all the way. I count them as my friends so I know we'll stay in touch." He was replaced by Ashford Campbell, who was a member of Nu Vibe, another manufactured boyband who had already previously been eliminated.
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was asked to leave the series after breaking a "golden rule" of the show. A spokesperson said, "Frankie is leaving the show today after breaking competition rules. He is going to take some time out before continuing his career as a singer. We wish him all the best for his future." It was later reported that Cocozza was asked to leave the series for boasting about his use of the drug cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, when the rules of The X Factor strictly prohibit drug use. Barlow, his mentor, was said to be "hugely disappointed" by Cocozza's behaviour, but wished him the best for his future. It was announced that the four contestants eliminated by their mentors in week 1; 2 Shoes, Amelia Lily, James Michael and Jonjo Kerr; would be given the chance to face a public vote, with the winner of the vote being reinstated in the competition. Amelia Lily won the public vote with 48% of the overall total and replaced Cocozza in the competition.
Results summary
Colour key| – | Contestant was eliminated by their mentor (no public vote or final showdown) |
| – | Contestant was in the bottom two/three and had to sing again in the final showdown |
| – | Contestant was in the bottom three but received the fewest votes and was immediately eliminated |
| – | Contestant received the most public votes |
| Contestant | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return vote | Elimination vote | Saturday | Sunday | |||||||||
| Misha B | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | ||||
| Marcus Collins | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | ||||
| Amelia Lily | Not saved | Eliminated (week 1) |
1st 48% |
Safe | 5th | Safe | ||||||
| Little Mix (formerly Rhythmix) |
Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | ||||
| Janet Devlin | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated (week 8) |
|||
| Craig Colton | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 6th | Eliminated (week 7) |
||||
| Kitty Brucknell | Saved | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom two | Eliminated (week 6) |
|||||
| Frankie Cocozza | Saved | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Safe | Ejected (week 6) |
||||||
| Johnny Robinson | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated (week 5) |
||||||
| The Risk | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | 9th | Eliminated (week 5) |
||||||
| Sophie Habibis | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated (week 4) |
|||||||
| Sami Brookes | Saved | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated (week 3) |
||||||||
| Nu Vibe | Saved | Bottom two | Eliminated (week 2) |
|||||||||
| 2 Shoes | Not saved | Eliminated (week 1) |
TBA | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| James Michael | Not saved | Eliminated (week 1) |
TBA | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Jonjo Kerr | Not saved | Eliminated (week 1) |
TBA | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Final showdown | None | Frankie Cocozza, Nu Vibe |
Sami Brookes, Kitty Brucknell |
Misha B, Sophie Habibis |
Kitty Brucknell, Johnny Robinson |
No final showdown or judges' vote: results are based on public votes alone | Misha B, Kitty Brucknell |
Craig Colton, Amelia Lily |
Misha B, Janet Devlin |
No final showdown or judges' vote: results are based on public votes alone | ||
| Judges voted to: | Save | Eliminate | Eliminate | |||||||||
| Walsh's vote | Sami Brookes, Kitty Brucknell, Johnny Robinson |
Nu Vibe | Sami Brookes | Sophie Habibis | Johnny Robinson | Misha B | Craig Colton | Janet Devlin | ||||
| Contostavlos' vote | Rhythmix, The Risk, Nu Vibe |
Frankie Cocozza | Kitty Brucknell | Sophie Habibis | Johnny Robinson | Kitty Brucknell | Amelia Lily | Janet Devlin | ||||
| Rowland's vote | Janet Devlin, Misha B, Sophie Habibis |
Nu Vibe | Sami Brookes | Sophie Habibis | Johnny Robinson | Kitty Brucknell | Craig Colton | None (refused) | ||||
| Barlow's vote | Marcus Collins, Craig Colton, Frankie Cocozza |
Nu Vibe | Sami Brookes | N/A | N/A | Kitty Brucknell | Amelia Lily | N/A | ||||
| Eliminated | Jonjo Kerr | Nu Vibe 3 of 4 votes Majority |
Sami Brookes 3 of 4 votes Majority |
Sophie Habibis 3 of 3 votes Majority |
The Risk Public vote |
Amelia Lily 48% to return |
Kitty Brucknell 3 of 4 votes Majority |
Craig Colton 2 of 4 votes Deadlock |
Janet Devlin 2 of 2 votes Majority |
|||
| James Michael | ||||||||||||
| 2 Shoes | 3 of 3 votes Majority |
|||||||||||
| Amelia Lily | ||||||||||||
| Reference(s) | ||||||||||||
Week 1 (8/9 October)
- Theme: Songs by British and American artists (billed as "Britain vs. America")
- Celebrity performers: Matt CardleMatt CardleMatthew Sheridan "Matt" Cardle is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to fame after winning the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. He received a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music by winning, and his debut number one single "When We Collide" was released immediately...
("Run for Your LifeRun for Your Life (Matt Cardle song)"Run for Your Life" is a song by British singer-songwriter Matt Cardle from his upcoming debut studio album, Letters. It was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2011...
") and Cee Lo Green ("SatisfiedThe Lady Killer (album)The Lady Killer is the third studio album by American recording artist Cee Lo Green, released November 5, 2010, on Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T...
/Forget You")
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia Lily | 1 | "Billie Jean Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and... " |
Eliminated |
| Johnny Robinson | 2 | "Believe Believe (Cher song) "Believe" is a song by American recording artist Cher. It was released on November 24, 1998 as the lead single from her twenty-third studio album of the same name. It was written by Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell and produced by Mark... " |
Safe |
| Rhythmix | 3 | "Super Bass Super Bass "Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian-American recording artist and songwriter Nicki Minaj, from her debut album, Pink Friday. The song impacted radio as the album's seventh single on April 5, 2011 and was released on May 13, 2011. Written by Minaj, along with Daniel Johnson and Ester Dean, the... " |
Safe |
| Frankie Cocozza | 4 | "The A Team The A Team (song) "The A Team" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2011, serving as the lead single from his debut album +. The track debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, with sales of 57,607 copies.The song was written... " |
Safe |
| Sophie Habibis | 5 | "Teenage Dream Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song) "Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by... " |
Safe |
| Jonjo Kerr | 6 | "You Really Got Me You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks... " |
Eliminated |
| 2 Shoes | 7 | "Something Kinda Ooooh Something Kinda Ooooh "Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania... " |
Eliminated |
| James Michael | 8 | "Ticket to Ride Ticket to Ride "Ticket to Ride" is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album, Help!. It was recorded 15 February 1965 and released two months later. -Composition:... " |
Eliminated |
| Misha B | 9 | "Rolling in the Deep Rolling in the Deep "Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, 21. The song was written by Paul Epworth and Adele, who described it as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune". It was first released on 29 November 2010 as the lead single of the album.The song has... " |
Safe |
| Nu Vibe | 10 | "Beautiful People Beautiful People (Chris Brown song) "Beautiful People" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown featuring Italian DJ Benny Benassi. It was written by Brown, with Jean Baptiste, Marco Benassi and Allessandro Benassi, with the latter two also handling its production. The song was released as the third single from Brown's... " |
Safe |
| Marcus Collins | 11 | "Moves Like Jagger Moves Like Jagger "Moves Like Jagger" was written and produced by, Benjamin Levin and Shellback, while additional writing was done by Adam Levine and Ammar Malik. When asked about the song, Levine said, "It was one of those songs that was definitely a risk; it's a bold statement. We've never really released a song... " |
Safe |
| Sami Brookes | 12 | "Free Free (Ultra Naté song) "Free" is a song by American recording artist Ultra Naté and was a hit single around the world, peaking at number 4 in the UK. It was the first single released from her album Situation: Critical.-Track listing:# "Free" – 3:41... " |
Safe |
| The Risk | 13 | "She Said She Said (Plan B song) "She Said" is the second single from English rapper Plan B's second album The Defamation of Strickland Banks - a concept album whose songs tell the fictitious tale of a sharp-suited English soul singer who finds fame with bitter-sweet love songs, but then loses everything when he ends up in prison... " |
Safe |
| Craig Colton | 14 | "Jar of Hearts Jar of Hearts "Jar of Hearts" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The song was released onto iTunes July 27, 2010, a week after its debut on So You Think You Can Dance... " |
Safe |
| Kitty Brucknell | 15 | "Who Wants to Live Forever Who Wants to Live Forever "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the English rock band Queen. The song is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, released in June 1986, and was written by guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy... " |
Safe |
| Janet Devlin | 16 | "Fix You Fix You "Fix You" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all four members of the band for their third album, X&Y. The track is built around an organ, that is accompanied by slow tempo drums, and a vocals. It was released on 5 September 2005 as the second single from X&Y and... " |
Safe |
- There was no public vote in the first week. Instead, each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate.
Judges' decisions to eliminate:
- Walsh: Jonjo Kerr – said he was the weakest performer in his category
- Barlow: James Michael – thought the other three boys had more star quality than Michael
- Contostavlos: 2 Shoes – the decision came down to 2 Shoes and Nu Vibe, and Contostavlos decided that Nu Vibe had more potential to improve
- Rowland: Amelia Lily – the decision came down to Amelia Lily and Sophie Habibis, and while Rowland felt that Lily had more of a star quality, she decided that Habibis had given the better performance
Week 2 (15/16 October)
- Theme: "Love and heartbreakLove songA love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
" - Celebrity performers: Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty 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...
("The One That Got AwayThe One That Got Away (Katy Perry song)"The One That Got Away" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin. The latter two produced the song for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream . The song is a mid-tempo pop ballad about a lost love...
") and The WantedThe WantedThe Wanted are a British-Irish boy band based in London, England. The band consists of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes. Their debut single, "All Time Low", was released in July 2010 and reached number one in the United Kingdom for one week...
("LightningLightning (song)"Lightning" is a song by British boy band The Wanted from their upcoming second studio album, Battleground. It will be released as the album's third single on 16 October 2011. The song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, and it was produced by Steve Mac, the same team responsible...
") - Group performance: "HelloHello (Martin Solveig song)"Hello" is a song performed by French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig, taken from his fifth studio album Smash . It features vocals from Canadian electro-pop act Dragonette. The song was released as the album's second single on September 6, 2010 by Mercury Records. It was also...
"Contestants' performances on the second live show Act Order Song Result Nu Vibe 1 "With or Without You With or Without You"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
"Bottom two Sami Brookes 2 "I Will Always Love You I Will Always Love You"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
"Safe Craig Colton 3 "Best Thing I Never Had Best Thing I Never Had"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
"Safe Janet Devlin 4 "Can't Help Falling in Love Can't Help Falling in Love"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
"Safe Frankie Cocozza 5 "The Scientist The Scientist (song)"The Scientist" is the second single from British alternative rock band Coldplay's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The song was written collaboratively by all the band members for the album. It is built around a piano ballad, with its lyrics telling the story about a man's desire to love...
"Bottom two Johnny Robinson 6 "Can't Get You Out of My Head Can't Get You out of My Head"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
"Safe Marcus Collins 7 "Russian Roulette Russian Roulette (song)"Russian Roulette" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album Rated R . The song premiered on radio stations on October 20, 2009 and was released as the album's lead single on October 26, 2009 through Def Jam Recordings. It was written and produced by...
"Safe Rhythmix 8 "I'm Like a Bird I'm like a Bird"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
"Safe Misha B 9 "Would I Lie to You?" Safe The Risk 10 "Just the Way You Are Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
"Safe Sophie Habibis 11 "Wherever You Will Go Wherever You Will Go"Wherever You Will Go" is a song by The Calling released on the first single of their debut album Camino Palmero. It remains their most renowned and their most successful hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Adult Top 40 for 23 weeks, setting a record for that chart behind...
"Safe Kitty Brucknell 12 "It's Oh So Quiet It's Oh So Quiet"It's Oh, So Quiet" is a song by American singer Betty Hutton, released in 1951 as the B-side to the single "Murder, He Says". It is a cover of the German song "Und Jetzt ist es Still", performed by Horst Winter in 1948, written by Austrian composer Hans Lang and Erich Meder...
"Safe Final showdown details Nu Vibe 1 "Promise This Promise This"Promise This" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album Messy Little Raindrops. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascination Records...
"Eliminated Frankie Cocozza 2 "Red Red (Daniel Merriweather song)"Red" is the second single by Daniel Merriweather from his second album Love & War, which was released on June 1, 2009. The single was released on May 18, 2009. It was produced by Mark Ronson, like the rest of the songs on his album...
"Safe
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Barlow: Nu Vibe – gave no reason, though effectively backed his own act, Frankie Cocozza
- Rowland: Nu Vibe – gave no reason
- Contostavlos: Frankie Cocozza – gave no reason, though effectively backed her own act, Nu Vibe
- Walsh: Nu Vibe – backed the act he believed had more potential
Week 3 (22/23 October)
- Theme: RockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
- Celebrity performers: Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
("Mr. Know It AllMr. Know It All"Mr. Know It All" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. The break-up themed song was written by Brian Kennedy, Ester Dean, Brett James, and Dante Jones. It was described as the most different among the singles released by Clarkson...
"), Professor GreenProfessor GreenProfessor Green , better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008...
/Emeli SandéEmeli SandéAdele Emeli Sandé , known by her stage name Emeli Sande, is a Scottish R&B and Soul recording artist and songwriter, from Aberdeen, Scotland...
("Read All About It") and Bruno MarsBruno MarsPeter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
("Runaway BabyRunaway Baby"Runaway Baby" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars which appears on his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans . It was written by Mars and Brody Brown and produced by The Smeezingtons. The song peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart on October 30, 2011...
")
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Collins | 1 | "Are You Gonna Go My Way? Are You Gonna Go My Way (song) "Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single to be released by Lenny Kravitz from the album of the same name. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross... " |
Safe |
| Janet Devlin | 2 | "Sweet Child o' Mine Sweet Child O' Mine "Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S... " |
Safe |
| Sami Brookes | 3 | "If I Could Turn Back Time If I Could Turn Back Time "If I Could Turn Back Time" is a song written by Diane Warren and was released on June 1, 1989 as the second North American and first European single release from American singer/actress Cher's twentieth album Heart of Stone by Geffen Records.... " |
Bottom two |
| Rhythmix | 4 | "Tik Tok TiK ToK "Tik Tok" is the debut single by American recording artist Kesha. The song was produced by Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke and co-written by Blanco, Dr. Luke and Kesha. It was released on August 7, 2009 as the lead single from Kesha's debut studio album, Animal... "/"Push It Push It (Salt-N-Pepa song) "Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA... " |
Safe |
| Sophie Habibis | 5 | "Livin' on a Prayer Livin' on a Prayer "Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band... " |
Safe |
| Craig Colton | 6 | "Stop Crying Your Heart Out Stop Crying Your Heart Out "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was released as the second single from their fifth studio album, Heathen Chemistry, on 17 June 2002... " |
Safe |
| Kitty Brucknell | 7 | "Live And Let Die Live and Let Die (song) "Live and Let Die" is the main theme song of the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and was performed by Paul McCartney & Wings for the movie soundtrack and appears on the soundtrack album. The song was one of Wings' most successful singles, and the most successful Bond theme to that point... " |
Bottom two |
| Frankie Cocozza | 8 | "Rocks Rocks (song) "Rocks" is a song by UK group Primal Scream. It is taken from the group's fourth album, Give Out But Don't Give Up. The song was released as a single in 1994 and reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, acting as a double A-side with another of the band's songs, "Funky Jam"... " |
Safe |
| The Risk | 9 | "Crazy Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song) "Crazy" is the debut single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere... " |
Safe |
| Johnny Robinson | 10 | "I Believe in a Thing Called Love I Believe in a Thing Called Love "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a 2003 single by the English rock band The Darkness. This was released as a single twice, the first time in August 2002 with "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling." In September 2003, it was released as the third single off Permission to... " |
Safe |
| Misha B | 11 | "Purple Rain Purple Rain (song) "Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,... " |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | |||
| Sami Brookes | 1 | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman " A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her... " |
Eliminated |
| Kitty Brucknell | 2 | "The Edge of Glory The Edge of Glory "The Edge of Glory" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released digitally on May 9, 2011, and was added to the United States mainstream radio playlists on May 17, 2011... " |
Safe |
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Barlow: Sami Brookes – said that both acts were very good, but felt that Brucknell was "more exciting" and Brookes was "dated"
- Rowland: Sami Brookes – gave no reason
- Contostavlos: Kitty Brucknell – thought Brookes had a better connection with the viewing audience
- Walsh: Sami Brookes – refused to take the vote to deadlock and chose to go with his heart
Week 4 (29/30 October)
- Theme: HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
- Celebrity performers: Cher LloydCher LloydCher Lloyd is a British singer and rapper from Malvern, Worcestershire. Lloyd rose to fame in 2010 when she participated in reality TV series The X Factor, to which she finished in fourth place. Shortly afterwards, Lloyd was signed by Simon Cowell to Sony Records subsidary SyCo Music, releasing...
("With Ur LoveWith Ur Love"With Ur Love" is song by British singer Cher Lloyd, taken from her debut studio album Sticks + Stones. It was released on 28 October 2011 as the second single taken from the album. The song features guest vocals by American singer Mike Posner. It was written by Cher Lloyd, Savan Kotecha,...
") and Nicole ScherzingerNicole ScherzingerNicole 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....
("Try with MeTry with Me"Try with Me" is a song by American recording artist Nicole Scherzinger, taken from the European re-release of her debut studio album, Killer Love . The song was released on October 30, 2011 in the United Kingdom...
") - Group performance: "Bright Lights Bigger CityBright Lights Bigger City"Bright Lights Bigger City" is the third single from American soul singer Cee Lo Green's third studio album, The Lady Killer. The song was produced by Ben H. Allen III and Graham Marsh, and written by Cee Lo, Tony Reyes and Ben H. Allen III. The single was released on March 27, 2011, and has so...
"
Rowland did not appear on the judging panel for week 4 due to illness, so series 5
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
winner Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
took her place on the panel. However, Burke did not vote on the results show; instead, Rowland voted via telephone link from Los Angeles. Rhythmix's new name 'Little Mix' took effect from Week 4.
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Risk | 1 | "Thriller Thriller (song) "Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records... " |
Safe |
| Johnny Robinson | 2 | "That Ole Devil Called Love" | Safe |
| Sophie Habibis | 3 | "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) "Bang Bang " is the second single by singer-actress Cher from her second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér. The song was written by Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
Bottom two |
| Marcus Collins | 4 | "Superstition Superstition (song) "Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul... "/"Need You Tonight Need You Tonight "Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album released worldwide. It is the only INXS single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
Safe |
| Misha B | 5 | "Tainted Love Tainted Love "Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and... " |
Bottom two |
| Janet Devlin | 6 | "Every Breath You Take Every Breath You Take "Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers . The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the... " |
Safe |
| Frankie Cocozza | 7 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" | Safe |
| Kitty Brucknell | 8 | "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) -Personnel:*Annie Lennox – vocals, keyboards, synthesisers, flute*David A. Stewart – guitar, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, backing vocals-Additional personnel:*Robert Crash - Guitar/ E-Drums/ Synth/ Robotic vocals... " |
Safe |
| Little Mix | 9 | "E.T. E.T. (song) "E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream . The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo. "E.T." was... " |
Safe |
| Craig Colton | 10 | "Set Fire to the Rain Set Fire to the Rain "Set Fire to the Rain" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele from her second studio album 21. Written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith and produced by Smith, the power ballad was released as the second single from the album in Europe. It was released as the third single in the United Kingdom on... " |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | |||
| Sophie Habibis | 1 | "Shelter Shelter (The xx song) A cover of "Shelter" by English musician Birdy was released on 3 June 2011 as a digital download. The song was chosen as "Record of The Week" by UK radio DJ Fearne Cotton... " |
Eliminated |
| Misha B | 2 | "Use Somebody Use Somebody "Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night , released on December 8, 2008.... " |
Safe |
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Walsh: Sophie Habibis – said that Misha B was a better performer
- Contostavlos: Sophie Habibis – said she related more to Misha B as an artist
- Rowland: Sophie Habibis – felt that Misha B wanted it more
- Barlow was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but confirmed he would have eliminated Habibis
Week 5 (5/6 November)
- Theme: Dancefloor fillers
- Celebrity performers : JLSJLS- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
("Take a Chance on Me"Take a Chance on Me (JLS song)"Take a Chance on Me" is song by English boy band JLS from their third studio album, Jukebox. It was released as the album's second single on 4 November 2011. The pop ballad was written by Emile Ghantous, Frankie Bautista, Nasri Atweh and Nick Turpin, and it was produced by Chris Braide...
) and Florence and the MachineFlorence and the MachineFlorence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
("Shake It OutShake It Out"Shake It Out" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine released as the first official single from their second studio album Ceremonials . It was written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, while production was handled by Epworth. The song was digitally released in Australia on...
") - Group performance: "Price TagPrice Tag"Price Tag" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, featuring American rapper B.o.B. It was released on 28 January 2011 in the United Kingdom as the second single from Jessie J's debut studio album, Who You Are. "Price Tag" was written by Jessie J, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and B.o.B, and it...
" - Two acts were eliminated from the series fifth results show. The three acts with the fewest public votes were announced as the bottom three and then the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated. The remaining two acts then performed in the final showdown and faced the judges' votes.
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Robinson | 1 | "Hung Up Hung Up "Hung Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was written and produced in collaboration with Stuart Price, and released as the first single from her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was... " / "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round " is a song by British band Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The song was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking seventeen weeks to get there... " |
Bottom three |
| Janet Devlin | 2 | "I Want You Back I Want You Back "I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents... " |
Safe |
| Craig Colton | 3 | "Heaven Heaven (Bryan Adams song) "Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984... " |
Safe |
| The Risk | 4 | "A Night to Remember" | Eliminated |
| Marcus Collins | 5 | "Reet Petite Reet Petite "Reet Petite " is a song made popular by Jackie Wilson... " |
Safe |
| Kitty Brucknell | 6 | "Like a Prayer Like a Prayer (song) "Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single... " |
Bottom three |
| Frankie Cocozza | 7 | "I Gotta Feeling I Gotta Feeling "I Gotta Feeling" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D., produced by the French DJ David Guetta. The song was released on May 21, 2009 and debuted at number two on the Canadian and Billboard Hot 100 on the week of June 27, 2009, behind the group's "Boom Boom... " |
Safe |
| Misha B | 8 | "Proud Mary" | Safe |
| Little Mix | 9 | "Don't Stop the Music Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song) "Don't Stop the Music" is a dance-pop song performed by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany and Spain and the fourth single in the rest of the world... " |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | |||
| Johnny Robinson | 1 | "Unchained Melody Unchained Melody "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages.... " |
Eliminated |
| Kitty Brucknell | 2 | "Beautiful Disaster" | Safe |
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Walsh: Johnny Robinson – said that Brucknell was more likely to succeed in the music industry
- Constostavlos: Johnny Robinson – agreed with Walsh
- Rowland: Johnny Robinson – also agreed with Walsh, and added that she felt Brucknell had more of an "excitement factor"
- Barlow was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but confirmed he would have eliminated Robinson
Week 6 (12/13 November)
- Theme: Songs by Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani 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...
or QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
(billed as "Lady Gaga vs. Queen") - Celebrity performers: One DirectionOne DirectionOne Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
("Gotta Be YouGotta Be You (One Direction song)"Gotta Be You" is a song by British-Irish boy band One Direction from their debut studio album, Up All Night. It was released as the album's second single on 11 November 2011...
") and Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani 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...
("Marry the NightMarry the Night"Marry the Night" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the fifth single from her second studio album, Born This Way . The song was written and produced by Lady Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and was recorded on the tour bus during The Monster Ball Tour with Garibay...
") - Group performance: "Walking on SunshineWalking on Sunshine (song)"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
"
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was removed from the show for breaking one of the rules of the competition and did not perform. The four acts that did not face the public vote in week 1 and were eliminated by their mentors—Amelia Lily, James Michael, Jonjo Kerr, and 2 Shoes—faced the public vote. The act with the most votes replaced Cocozza. The winner of the vote was announced as Amelia Lily with 48% of the public vote. The show was also delayed by fifteen minutes due to technical difficulties, so footage from the audition stage was shown instead.
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitty Brucknell | 1 | "Don't Stop Me Now Don't Stop Me Now "Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by English rock group Queen, featured on their 1978 album Jazz. Written by vocalist Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August/September 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes , France, and is the twelfth track on the album.Musically, the song is based around... " |
Bottom two |
| Craig Colton | 2 | "Paparazzi Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song) "Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love... " |
Safe |
| Little Mix | 3 | "Telephone Telephone (song) "Telephone" is a song written and performed by Lady Gaga. It was released from her third extended play and second major release The Fame Monster . The song, featuring American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, was written by Gaga and Rodney Jerkins... / Radio Ga Ga Radio Ga Ga "Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works... " |
Safe |
| Janet Devlin | 4 | "Somebody to Love Somebody to Love (Queen song) "Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits... " |
Safe |
| Marcus Collins | 5 | "Another One Bites the Dust Another One Bites the Dust "Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and... " |
Safe |
| Misha B | 6 | "Born This Way Born This Way (song) "Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour... " |
Bottom two |
| Amelia Lily | 7 | "The Show Must Go On The Show Must Go On (Queen song) "The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written primarily by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his... " |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | |||
| Kitty Brucknell | 1 | "Over the Rainbow Over the Rainbow "Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie... " |
Eliminated |
| Misha B | 2 | "Who You Are Who You Are (Jessie J song) "Who You Are" is a song by English R&B and soul recording artist Jessie J taken as the fifth single from her debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Cornish, Toby Gad and Shelly Peiken, while the production was handled by Gad... " |
Safe |
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Walsh: Misha B – backed his own act, Kitty Brucknell
- Constostavlos: Kitty Brucknell – said that she related better to Misha B as an artist
- Rowland: Kitty Brucknell – backed her own act, Misha B, who she felt had more potential in the competition
- Barlow: Kitty Brucknell – felt that Misha B had more potential, and that Brucknell was not connecting with the audience
Week 7 (19/20 November)
- Theme: Songs from films (billed as "movie week")
- Celebrity performers: Rebecca FergusonRebecca Ferguson (singer)Rebecca Ferguson is an English singer-songwriter born in Liverpool, who became notable as the runner-up of the seventh series of The X Factor to Matt Cardle in 2010. She released her debut single "Nothing Real but Love" on 20 November 2011...
("Nothing's Real But LoveNothing's Real But Love"Nothing's Real but Love" is the debut single by English singer Rebecca Ferguson, from her debut studio album Heaven. It was originally meant to be released in the UK on 27 November 2011, but was brought forward a week to 20 November in order to coincide with her first official performance of the...
") and RihannaRihannaRobyn 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...
("We Found LoveWe Found Love"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk . The song features Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris. "We Found Love" was released as the lead single from the album and premiered on September 22, 2011, in the United Kingdom on the...
") - Group performance: "When You're Gone" (with Bryan AdamsBryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
)
| Act | Order | Song | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Colton | 1 | "Licence to Kill Licence to Kill (soundtrack) The soundtrack to Licence to Kill, the 16th James Bond film of the same name, was released by MCA Records in 1989.Because the usual James Bond composer John Barry was not available at the time due to the fact he was undergoing throat surgery, the soundtrack's more upbeat and suspenseful score was... " |
Licence to Kill Licence to Kill Licence to Kill, released in 1989, is the sixteenth entry in the Eon Productions James Bond series and the first one not to use the title of an Ian Fleming novel. It marks Timothy Dalton's second and final performance in his brief tenure in the lead role of James Bond... |
Bottom two |
| Janet Devlin | 2 | "Kiss Me Kiss Me "Kiss Me" is a song recorded by Sixpence None the Richer and released on the 1997 album Sixpence None the Richer. It reached number two on the U.S... " |
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film, directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on a short cartoon book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.-Plot:... |
Safe |
| Amelia Lily | 3 | "Think" | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film) # Will Young - "Your Love Is King"# Jamelia - "Stop"# Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"# Joss Stone - "Super Duper Love Pt. 1"# Mary J... |
Bottom two |
| Misha B | 4 | "I Have Nothing I Have Nothing "I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston and released as the third single from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album on February 20, 1993 by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson, and produced by Foster... " |
The Bodyguard The Bodyguard The Bodyguard is a 1992 American romantic-thriller film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the film in the 1970s,... |
Safe |
| Little Mix | 5 | "Don't Let Go (Love) Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go " is a 1996 Grammy-nominated single by En Vogue from the Set It Off soundtrack, also appearing on the group's third album, EV3. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over 1,000,000 units. The song was the last single by En Vogue to feature former band member Dawn... " |
Set It Off Set It Off Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery... |
Safe |
| Marcus Collins | 6 | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher " Higher and Higher" is a hit R&B song originally performed by Jackie Wilson in 1967. The song was notably recorded by Rita Coolidge in 1977.-Overview:... " |
Ghostbusters II Ghostbusters II Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities... |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | ||||
| Craig Colton | 1 | "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" | Eliminated | |
| Amelia Lily | 2 | "You and I" | Safe | |
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Barlow: Amelia Lily – backed his own act, Craig Colton, and said that Amelia Lily had "shouted her way" through the final showdown
- Rowland: Craig Colton – backed her own act, Amelia Lily
- Constostavlos: Amelia Lily – said that Colton's performances were more emotionally moving
- Walsh: Craig Colton – said that Amelia Lily had more potential and was a "ready-made pop star"
With the judges deadlocked, Craig Colton was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.
Week 8 (26/27 November)
- Themes: Guilty pleasures; musical heroes
- Celebrity performers: Olly MursOlly MursOliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
featuring The MuppetsThe MuppetsThe Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
("Dance with Me TonightDance with Me Tonight"Dance with Me Tonight" is a song by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs, taken from his second studio album In Case You Didn't Know. It was released as the album's second single on 20 November 2011 and was written by Olly Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson.-Critical reception:Robert Copsey of...
") and Jessie JJessie JJessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
("Who You AreWho You Are (Jessie J song)"Who You Are" is a song by English R&B and soul recording artist Jessie J taken as the fifth single from her debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Cornish, Toby Gad and Shelly Peiken, while the production was handled by Gad...
") - Group performance: "Wishing on a Star" (performed by all finalists, except Frankie Cocozza, along with JLSJLS- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
and One DirectionOne DirectionOne Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
as their charity single)
Starting in week 8, each act performed two songs with voting lines opening after the first round of performances.
| Act | Order | First song | Order | Second song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Mix | 1 | "Baby Baby (Justin Bieber song) "Baby" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It was released as the lead single from the latter half of Bieber's debut album, My World 2.0. The track was written by Bieber with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, both of whom worked with Bieber on "One Time",... " / "Where Did Our Love Go Where Did Our Love Go "Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Where Did Our Love Go" was the first single by the Supremes to go to the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart... " |
6 | "Beautiful Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) "Beautiful" is a song written by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped... " |
Safe |
| Janet Devlin | 2 | "MMMBop MMMBop "MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally... " |
7 | "Under the Bridge Under the Bridge "Under the Bridge" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on March 10, 1992 as the second single from the group's fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics to express a feeling of loneliness and despondency, and to reflect on... " |
Bottom two |
| Misha B | 3 | "Girls Just Want to Have Fun Girls Just Want to Have Fun Girls Just Want to Have Fun may refer to:In music:* "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", the first major single released by singer Cyndi Lauper on She's So UnusualIn film:... " |
8 | "Killing Me Softly with His Song Killing Me Softly with His Song "Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S... " |
Bottom two |
| Marcus Collins | 4 | "I'm Your Man" | 9 | "Lately" | Safe |
| Amelia Lily | 5 | "China In Your Hand China in Your Hand "China in Your Hand" is a song by British band T'Pau, released from their album Bridge of Spies. A re-recorded version was released as a single in October 1987, spending five weeks at number 1 in the UK and is arguably the song for which the group is best known in their native Britain, though... " |
10 | "Since U Been Gone Since U Been Gone "Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe... " |
Safe |
| Final showdown details | |||||
| Janet Devlin | 1 | "Chasing Cars Chasing Cars "Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single.... " |
Eliminated | ||
| Misha B | 2 | "Out Here On My Own Fame (soundtrack) Fame is the original soundtrack of the 1980 Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning film Fame starring Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Paul McCrane and Laura Dean. The original score was composed by Michael Gore.... " |
Safe | ||
Judges' votes to eliminate
- Walsh: Janet Devlin – based on the performances across both of this week's shows
- Constostavlos: Janet Devlin – based on the performances across both of this week's shows, and thought Misha B had more long-term potential
- Rowland refused to vote, saying she could not pick between her two acts. O'Leary warned her that this would cause Janet Devlin to be eliminated as it would go to a majority vote and Devlin already had two votes, but Rowland still declined to cast a vote.
- Barlow was not required to vote, but said he would have eliminated Janet Devlin.
Week 9: Semi final (3/4 December)
- Themes: Motown; "The Song to Get You To The Final"
- Celebrity performers: Justin BieberJustin BieberJustin 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...
"(MistletoeMistletoe (Justin Bieber song)"Mistletoe" is the first single by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber from his second studio album, Under the Mistletoe . The track was written and produced by the duo Nasri and Adam Messinger . It was released on 17 October, 2011...
) and Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
"(Down for WhateverDown for Whatever"Down for Whatever" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland featuring production collective The WAV.s, taken from Rowland's third studio album Here I Am . The Eurodance driven up-tempo song is the album's third international single and sixth overall single, released from October 26,...
) - Group performance: TBA
Week 10: Final (10/11 December)
The final will last four hours, split over Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December 2011. It will feature the winner's single. It will be held at Wembley Arena.- Celebrity performers: Leona LewisLeona LewisLeona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, Michael BubleMichael BubléMichael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
Charity single
It was announced on 12 October 2011, that the 16 finalists would record a cover version of "Wishing on a StarWishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a 1978 hit single by Rose Royce for Whitfield Records.-Background:Included on their second album, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, "Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the...
", to be released on 20th November in aid of ACT and Children's Hospices UK, charities which Cowell said do "amazing work". It is the fourth time finalists have released a charity single. Series 5
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
contestants JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
and Series 7
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
contestants One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
will also feature on the single.
Winner's single
It was announced that Gary Barlow will be writing the first single for the eventual winner of the competition, which will be released the week before Christmas. It will become the second original winner's song, the first being Shayne WardShayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
's "That's My Goal
That's My Goal
"That's My Goal" is a song, released in 2005 as the first single by Shayne Ward, the winner of the second series of X Factor. The song was first heard in the final of the aforementioned series, where it was performed by both Ward and X Factor runner up, Andy Abraham. The single was rush-released on...
". For the first time since the first series, the winner's single will not be released the week of the coveted Christmas number-one chart battle. The Official Charts Company announced that this year's Christmas number-one will be announced on Christmas Day, meaning releases on 18 December will be new entries in the chart that week. The winner's single is scheduled to be released on 11 December, which means it will have to maintain significant sales numbers in its second week to achieve a Christmas number-one. It was announced on 17 November that N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
rapper Fazer would be producing the single.
Marks & Spencer deal
In September 2011, it was announced that Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
would be The X Factor official fashion partner. On 2 October 2011, it was revealed that the 16 finalists would star in the retailer's 2011 Christmas advertisement. It is a one minute advertisement that premiered during week 5 of the live shows. The finalists recorded a cover of the song "When You Wish upon a Star
When You Wish upon a Star
"When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the...
" to feature in the advert and modelled clothes from the company. The finalists will be paid for the advertisement. After his ejection from the competition, M&S announced that Frankie Cocozza's face would be edited out of the advert, as it wasn't possible to edit his voice from the advert. On November 17 2011, M&S posted the latest edit of the advert to their official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account, with Cocozza's vocals completely erased.
Ratings
Initial viewing figures for the first episode were placed at 11.3 million for ITV1, however, the peak audience was 12.6 million, a match for the highest viewing figures for a The X Factor series opener, and almost 5 million more than Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, the second-highest rated programme that night.
Despite an apparent drop in ratings from the previous series, it is still the second most watched series in the show's 8 year history.
| Episode | Date | Official ITV1 rating (millions) |
Weekly rank | Share (%) | Official ITV1 HD rating (millions) |
Total ITV viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditions 1 | 20 August | 11.05 | 1 | 45.7 | 1.129 | 12.179 |
| Auditions 2 | 27 August | 10.63 | 1 | TBA | 1.015 | 11.645 |
| Auditions 3 | 3 September | 10.96 | 1 | 43.4 | 1.003 | 11.963 |
| Auditions 4 | 10 September | 10.98 | 1 | 45.7 | 1.058 | 12.038 |
| Auditions 5 | 11 September | 10.52 | 2 | 39.6 | 1.101 | 11.621 |
| Auditions 6 | 17 September | 11.16 | 2 | 43.3 | 1.172 | 12.332 |
| Auditions 7 | 18 September | 11.23 | 1 | 45.8 | 1.173 | 12.403 |
| Bootcamp 1 | 24 September | 10.64 | 2 | 43 | 1.050 | 11.690 |
| Bootcamp 2 | 25 September | 11.11 | 1 | 38.7 | 1.061 | 12.171 |
| Judges' houses 1 | 1 October | 10.13 | 2 | 43.8 | 1.106 | 11.236 |
| Judges' houses 2 | 2 October | 11.74 | 1 | 45.1 | 1.175 | 12.915 |
| Live show 1 | 8 October | 10.89 | 2 | 40.3 | 1.160 | 12.050 |
| Live results 1 | 9 October | 11.34 | 1 | 41.1 | 1.265 | 12.605 |
| Live show 2 | 15 October | 9.90 | 3 | 39.1 | 1.238 | 11.138 |
| Live results 2 | 16 October | 10.84 | 1 | 40.5 | 1.257 | 12.097 |
| Live show 3 | 22 October | 9.73 | 3 | 38 | 1.326 | 11.056 |
| Live results 3 | 23 October | 10.68 | 1 | 39.8 | 1.213 | 11.893 |
| Live show 4 | 29 October | 9.74 | 3 | 38.8 | 1.318 | 11.058 |
| Live results 4 | 30 October | 11.44 | 1 | 42 | 1.311 | 12.751 |
| Live show 5 | 5 November | 9.63 | 3 | 40.3 | TBA | TBA |
| Live results 5 | 6 November | 11.58 | 1 | 41.8 | TBA | TBA |
| Live show 6 | 12 November | 11.23 | 2 | 40.9 | 1.049 | 12.279 |
| Live results 6 | 13 November | 11.85 | 1 | 41.9 | 1.402 | 13.252 |
| Live show 7 | 19 November | 10.48 | 2 | 39 | 1.219 | 11.699 |
| Live results 7 | 20 November | 11.27 | 1 | 39.1 | 1.297 | 12.567 |
| Live show 8 | 26 November | TBA | TBA | 38.4 | TBA | TBA |
| Live results 8 | 27 November | 11.98 | TBA | 41.8 | TBA | TBA |
| Live show 9 | 3 December | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Live reults 9 | 4 December | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Live final | 10 December | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Live final results | 11 December | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Controversy
On 8 November, Frankie Cocozza was asked to leave the competition for boasting about using cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. The rules of the series strictly prohibit drug use during the show and Cocozza's mentor, Barlow, said that he was "hugely disappointed" by Cocozza's behaviour, but wished him luck with his future.