The X Factor

Host

Kate Thornton (2004-6)

Dermot O'Leary (2007-)

Co-hosts

Judges: Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh (all series), Sharon Osbourne (2004-7), Paula Abdul (guest, 2006), Brian Friedman (auditions, 2007), Dannii Minogue (2007-), Cheryl Cole (2008-)

ITV2 coverage (The Xtra Factor): Ben Shephard (2004-6), Fearne Cotton (2007), Holly Willoughby (2008-)

Announcer: Peter Dickson

Broadcast

Syco Productions and TalkbackThames for ITV1/2, 4 September 2004 to present

Synopsis

Phone-vote based talent show, very similar to Pop Idol, only without an upper age limit, and allowing bands and solo acts to audition.

In fact, the mechanics of the show are slightly more complicated. After the Hilarious Auditions shows, and the Boot Camp phase which whittles the chosen few down to a more manageable number, each of the judges is assigned one set of acts (Boys, Girls, Over-25s, or Groups) to mentor. After jetting their small group of remaining hopefuls to some of the worlds most glamorous locations, they choose the acts which will progress to the studio-based elimination phase. Every week during this phase, each act sings a song (two in the later stages), and the viewers vote for their favourite. But! The lowest-scorer isn't necessarily eliminated. The two worst achievers instead must sing again in the second show, and the judges decide who stays and who goes.

All these changes to the Pop Idol format have seemingly been made for the express purpose (aside from the unsuccessful attempt to avoid court cases - see below) to bring the judges into the spotlight as much as possible, essentially overshadowing the contestants themselves. This is evidenced by the fact that the first series' winner - Steve something - has apparently sunk without trace, whereas Cowell, Walsh and Co. live in solid gold houses and eat nothing but caviar and unicorn steaks.

Steve... something

This ramps up the tension, BUT shock horror - the judges are biased (and we didn't get that one from The Sun). Because they obviously want to keep their own acts in, this frequently results in very bad decisions (poor performers such as the Conway Sisters and Chico stayed in for far too long).

The X Factor, then, is nothing much other than a butchered version of its predecessor: the host's not as good, the rules make little sense (especially near the end when they change them again, eliminating the judges' say and making the contestants just sing again in the second show), and with pointless pantomime between the judging panel getting in the way of any actual talent that the show might theoretically uncover.

Over the years, several changes have been made to the format. The 2007 series was perhaps the series that saw the most changes, with the addition of a fourth judge in singer and Australia's Got Talent judge Dannii Minogue, the lower age barrier coming down to 14 years old, and the original Under-25 category being split into male and female solo singers. These changes coincided with judge Louis Walsh briefly leaving the format - he would be back half-way through the auditions, and some suggested this was just a stunt for the press. Presenter Kate Thornton also left the show after the 2006 series; her exit was more permanent.

The 2008 series saw a major change with original judge Sharon Osbourne being replaced by Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole, while the 2009 series saw the programme take a leaf out of Britain's Got Talent's book, with the initial auditions and the Boot Camp stage both being conducted in front of an audience in convention centres, rather than a closed room with just the judges. The 2009 series also saw the lower age barrier raised back up to 16 years old.

A celebrity version - The X Factor: Battle of the Stars - aired in May and June 2006, as a Big Brother spoiler. Those taking part:

Solo performers: Lucy Benjamin, Gillian McKeith, Michelle Marsh, Chris Moyles, Nikki Sanderson, Matt Stevens

Groups: Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee; James Hewitt and Rebecca Loos; The Chefs - Aldo Zilli, Paul Rankin, Ross Burden and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Winners

Series 1: Steve Brookstein, as mentored by Simon Cowell.
Series 2: Shayne Ward, as mentored by Louis Walsh.
Series 3: Leona Lewis, as mentored by Simon Cowell.
Series 4: Leon Jackson, as mentored by Dannii Minogue.
Series 5: Alexandra Burke, as mentored by Cheryl Cole.

Battle of the Stars: Lucy Benjamin, as mentored by Louis Walsh.

Key moments

In October 2007, Walsh let slip on Graham Norton's chat show that the houses that the contestants fly to before the studio knock-out stage do not in fact belong to the judges. A spokesman for the show claimed that viewers were not misled because at no point were the properties referred to as the judges' "homes". A spokesman called Pinocchio, presumably.

Inventor

Technically Simon Cowell, but Simon Fuller of 19 Management took him to court over it for its similarities to Pop Idol. The case was settled out of court.