The McDonald Brothers X Factor

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, defines the X Factor as a British popular music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on ITV1, with spinoff "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2. It replaced Pop Idol in 2004 and is produced by FremantleMedia's talkbackTHAMES and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.

The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. Some acts also accompany themselves on guitar or piano, though almost always over a backing track. The single most important attribute that the judges are seeking, however, is the ability to appeal to a mass market of pop fans. The prize is a £1,000,000 (sterling) recording contract (in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but the other highly ranked contestants).

After its second series the successful Pop Idol was put on indefinite hiatus, largely because Simon Cowell wished to launch a show that he owned the television rights to. The X-Factor launched in August 2004 and ran to December 2004. It was hugely popular and a second series ran from August to December 2005. The third series is currently airing on ITV; it started on 19 August 2006 and will conclude on 16 December 2006. The judges are Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, and the show is hosted by Kate Thornton. Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel. As of August 2006, The X Factor is being sponsored by mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.

Read the full X Factor article here