What is The X Factor?

Gearing up for the launch of the X Factor when it comes to America? Yup, we're getting super excited too! Meanwhile, here's some more background on the X Factor as it looks in Britain. It's yet another one of Simon Cowell's huge TV/music successes, just like American Idol, Britain's Got Talent and American's Got Talent. Though Simon Cowell is not a producer of American Idol. He is a producer (his production company is SYCOTV) for "Got Talent" and X Factor and will co-produce the X Factor US when it launches in the States.

The X Factor is a talent / singing competition. It started in the UK and it's now into series 6. Audiences have been huge and it even won a Best Comedy Award in 2005 as Best Comedy Entertainment Programme. Of course Simon Cowell remarked "We're not a comedy programme, we're a serious factual drama"

In 2005 and 2006, The X Factor UK won a National Television Award for "Most Popular Entertainment Programme" and in 2007 won 'Most Popular Talent Show" (or was that "Most Popular Talent Show featuring Simon Cowell and just like American Idol but sorta different!)

X Factor Judges 

From series 1 to 3, the X Factor judges were Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne (wife of Ozzy Osbourne) and Louis Walsh (manager of Irish bands Boyzone and Westlife). Dannii Mingoue joined in Series 4.

For Series 5, Sharon Osbourne left and Cheryl Cole from Girls Aloud replaced her. Sharon Osbourne said she left because she didn't like working with Dannii Minogue.

What is the Xtra Factor? 

The Xtra Factor is a spin-off show that airs on the digital channel ITV2 on Saturday and Sunday nights right after the main X Factor TV show. It features behind the scenes footage.

There a different categories:

Over 25s, Groups, 16-24s Boys, 16-24s Girls. The judges are given a category to mentor and they choose three or four acts that go through to the live finals. The overall winner is decided by public vote


What do the X Factor winners win? 

The X Factor winners receive a recording contract, worth a million pounds supposedly with Syco (Simon Cowell's record company) in association with Sony Music Entertainment. Often that is a cash advance of around 100,000 pounds (close to 200,000 dollars).


The X Factor Live Tour 

There is also an X Factor live show that tours around the UK and Ireland after the TV series has ended. It features some of the finalists and some of the more memorable acts from the most recent series.

Hope you've enjoyed this quick primer on the X Factor...get studying because the X Factor US is coming to screens in 2011!