The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol

Pop Idol

Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...

. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. The programmes are produced by executive producer 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...

 and his company SYCOtv. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality. The prize is usually a recording contract, in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but also for other highly ranked contestants.

The format creator is Simon Cowell who used to also judge and mentor on the UK series. The UK version is responsible for the launch of the internationally successful singer Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis

Leona 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....

. As of October 2011, there have been 57 winners of The X Factor around the world, the most recent being Reece Mastin

Reece Mastin

Reece Mastin , is an English-born Australian recording artist who won the third season of The X Factor in 2011...

 from Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Television stations in many countries, but especially the Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

n ones, have expressed an interest in showing the UK version, but have not been able to acquire the rights. This is due to legal issues as the British version of the show is only available in the UK and Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The X Factor is currently in its eighth UK series

The X Factor (UK series 8)

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...

.

The similarities between The X Factor and Idol

Idol series

The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...

 prompted Idol creator Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...

, along with 19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...

, to file a lawsuit against Cowell, SYCOtv, and FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...

 in 2004. An out-of-court settlement was reached in 2005 allowing Fuller to gain an executive producer status, a 10% share in The X Factor format, and preventing an American version until 2010. Fuller later filed a lawsuit again in 2011 after SYCO, FremantleMedia, and Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

 failed to fulfill the settlement of crediting him as an executive producer of The X Factor USA.

Unlike Idol, where contestants are solely judged by the judges, on The X Factor each judge mentors the finalists in a particular category, aiding them with song selection and styling, while also participating together in judging the contestants of the other categories.

The X Factor series

Region/country	Local title	Television network	Seasons/series and winners	Judges	Presenters
Albania Albania Albania Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...	X Factor Albania	TV Klan Website	Season 1, 2011: Current season		Alketa Vejsiu
Arab League Arab world Arab world The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...	The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah The X Factor is the Arabic version of the The X Factor. Its first Arabic series started on March 26, 2006. The 14-episode first series was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries. It was known to be in its debut, one of the most watched programs on TV and it is produced and supported by Rotana,... سير النجاح X	Rotana TV Rotana (television) Rotana is a series of free television channels broadcast terrestrially in Saudi Arabia and on satellite television for the Arab World and the Arab Diaspora. The channels are part of the Rotana Group a big pan-Arab entertainment group.-General:...	Series 1, 2006: Rajaa Kasabni Series 2, 2007: Muhammad El Majzoub Muhammad El Majzoub Muhammad El Majzoub is a Syrian singer who, in 2007, won the second series of The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah, , the Arab version of the The X Factor. He was just 16 at the time....	Khaled El Sheikh Khaled El Sheikh Khaled El Sheikh , or Khalid Al-Shaikh ,Born in Bahrain on 23 September 1958. Graduated from Secondary Education in Bahrain in 1975....  (2006–2007) Michel Elefteriades Michel Elefteriades Michel Elefteriades is a Greek-Lebanese politician, artist, producer and businessman. He is noted in the Arab world for his eclectic style, as well as his unorthodox beliefs and opinions, which have generated controversy and ignited passionate responses from his supporters and detractors alike.-...  (2006–2007) Nelly Nelly (entertainer) Nelly Artin Kalfayan better known as Nelly is an Egyptian actress, singer, comedienne, dancer, television personality, and all-around entertainer.-Family background:... (2006) Anoushka Anoushka Kartanios Garbis Slim , better known by her stage name Anoushka , is an Egyptian singer and actress.She was born to an Egyptian father and an Armenian mother... (2007)	Joelle Rahme
Argentina Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...	Factor X	El Trece Canal 13 (Argentina) El Trece is an Argentine television network and the flagship station of the same network, located in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.- Foundation :...	Season 1, 2012: Upcoming season
Armenia Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...	X-Factor X-Factor (Armenia) X-Factor is the Armenian version of The X Factor, a show originating in the UK. It is a televised music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions in the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora...   ԻՔՍ-ՖԱԿՏՈՐ	Shant TV Shant TV Shant TV is a private television broadcasting company in Armenia. Shant TV was founded by Arthur Yezekyan in Gyumri, the second largest city of Armenia, in 1994. In 2001 Shant TV moved to Yerevan, capital, and within 3 years gained high popularity and trust...   Website	Season 1, 2010-2011: Vrezh Kirakosyan Vrezh Kirakosyan Vrezh Kirakosyan is an Armenian singer who won the first series of the Armenian X-Factor series after getting top votes in the final broadcast live on the Armenian Shant TV station on 15 May 2011, against rival finalist and runner-up Srbuhi Sargsyan.Title holder Kirakosyan competed in the "over...	Egor Glumov Naira Gyurjinyan Garik Baboyan Gisane Palyan	Aram MP3
Australia Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	The X Factor	The X Factor Network Ten Network Ten Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...  (2005) Seven Network Seven Network The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...  (2010–present) The Xtra Factor Network Ten Network Ten Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...  (2005) 7Two 7Two 7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....  (2010)	Season 1, 2005 The X Factor (Australia season 1) The X Factor is an Australian television music competition to find new singing talent. The 2005 season premiered on 6 February and ended on 15 May 2005. The show was cancelled after the 2005 season due to poor ratings, but was revived in 2010 after Seven Network acquired the rights through meetings... : Random Random (band) Random is a 5-member Australian R&B group mate who, in 2005, won the first Australian series of the X Factor.-Members:The group consists of:* Xylocaine "XY" Latu, from Logan Central.... Season 2, 2010 The X Factor (Australia season 2) The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The 2010 season premiered on 30 August 2010 and was won by Altiyan Childs on 22 November 2010. Ronan Keating emerged as the winning mentor of the series... : Altiyan Childs Altiyan Childs Altiyan Juric , best known by his stage name Altiyan Childs, is an Australian singer-songwriter. He was the winner of the second season of The X Factor Australia in 2010. After X Factor ended, Childs subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia... Season 3, 2011 The X Factor (Australia season 3) The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a management contract and a Sony Music Australia recording contract. The 2011 season premiered on the Seven Network on 29 August 2011 and... : Reece Mastin Reece Mastin Reece Mastin , is an English-born Australian recording artist who won the third season of The X Factor in 2011...	Current Ronan Keating Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and... Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike... Guy Sebastian Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and... Mel B Former Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,... Kyle Sandilands Kyle Sandilands Kyle Dalton Sandilands is an Australian radio and TV personality. He is currently the host with Jacqueline Henderson, better known as Jackie O, on the weekday morning radio program The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Sydney radio station 2Day FM, The Kyle and Jackie O Hour of Power which airs on... Kate Ceberano Kate Ceberano Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film... Mark Holden Mark Holden Mark Holden is an Australian singer, television personality and barrister. He was one of a panel of three judges on the television series Australian Idol.-Acting career:... John Reid John Reid -Politics:* John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan , Former British Home Secretary and former Chairman of Celtic F.C.* John William Reid , U.S. Representative from Missouri...	Current Luke Jacobz Luke Jacobz Luke Jacobz on 14 February 1981, Sydney is an Australian actor and television presenter.-Career:'Jacobz' is a screen name, derived from adding a 'z' to the actor's middle name of Jacob... Former Daniel MacPherson Daniel MacPherson Daniel Donald MacPherson is an Australian actor and television presenter, best known for his roles as; Joel Samuels on Neighbours, PC Cameron Tait on British police drama The Bill, and Detective Senior Constable Simon Joyner in City Homicide... Natalie Garonzi Natalie Garonzi Natalie Garonzi is an Australian actress, writer, comedian and TV Presenter. She worked internationally as a model for many years and then began her television career on Nickelodeon Australia where she was hugely popular on Saturday Nick Television and Sarvo...  (The Xtra Factor) Chloe Maxwell Chloe Maxwell Chloe Maxwell is an Australian television presenter for The Matty Johns Show and model most famous for as "The Jeans West Girl" in a Jeans West campaign...  (The Xtra Factor)
Belgium Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...	X Factor X Factor (Belgium) X Factor, the Belgian version of the British show The X Factor that was created by Simon Cowell. The new X Factor series was a postcursor to Idool 2003 / 2004 which features contestants & jury members from both seasons.-Series summary:...	VTM VTM The abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium...   Website	Season 1, 2005: Udo Mechels Udo Mechels Udo Mechels, born in Brussels on 10 May 1976, is a Belgian singer commonly known simply as Udo. He won the first season of the Belgian version of The X Factor in 2005.-Biography:... Season 2, 2008: Dirk De Smet Dirk De Smet Dirk De Smet is a Flemish singer and saxophonist. He took part in the second series of the Belgian X Factor musical competition, winning the title on the final held on 17 December 2008 with 53% of the popular vote against the other finlaist Tom Dice.He released the winning single on 18 December...	Kris Wauters Kris Wauters Kris Wauters is a Flemish artist, active with the band Clouseau combined with his brother Koen Wauters.... Jean Blaute (Season 1) Liliane Saint-Pierre Liliane Saint-Pierre Liliane Saint Pierre is a Belgian singer of Dutch language.Saint Pierre was born in Molenstede, Flemish Brabant. She started her career in the 1960s when she was 13 years old and her great hit was We gotta stop sung in Dutch. She has sung several songs in English and Dutch. At that time she sang...  (Season 1) Do (Season 2) Maurice Engelen (Season 2)	Koen Wauters Koen Wauters Koen Maria Gaston Wauters is a Flemish singer, active with the band Clouseau, television presenter, and occasionally actor and race car driver.-Biography:...  (Season 1) Hadise Hadise Hadise Açıkgöz , is a Belgian born Turkish singer of Circassian descent. Hadise's career began in 2004 with the release of her debut single "Sweat", which peaked at 19 on the Flanders chart. Hadise continued to release more successful singles, most notably the single "Milk Chocolate Girl"...  (Season 2)
Kingdom of Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...	X Factor X Factor (Bulgaria) X Factor is the Bulgarian version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....	NovaTv  Website	Season 1, 2011: Current season	Maria Ilieva Maria Ilieva Maria Ilieva is a Bulgarian singer and producer recognized by some as the most successful female vocal artist of the contemporary Bulgarian music scene. Judge on the upcoming first season of X factor Bulgaria.-Early life:...   Vasko Vasilev Vasko Vasilev Vasko Vasilev is a Bulgarian violin player. He was born on October 14, 1970 in Sofia, Bulgaria. At age eight, he already had his first public appearance and released his first record with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. At age 10 he began his studies on a government grant at the Central School...   Poli Genova Poli Genova Poli Genova is a singer that represented her nation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Germany. Genova performed her entry "Na inat" in the second semifinal.-Biography:...   Magomed Aliev - Maga	Deyan Slavchev - Deo
Chile Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...	Factor X Factor X (Chile) Factor X Chile is a television show, adapted from the original UK show as part of The X Factor franchise. The auditions were in January 2011. The first season of the Chilean version was premiered on television in March 3, 2011...	TVN Televisión Nacional de Chile TVN is Chile's state-owned television station. Its inaugural transmission took place on 1969. TVN is owned, but not funded, by the state, and it functions independently from it; a very particular case of public television in South America... TVN HD Televisión Nacional de Chile TVN is Chile's state-owned television station. Its inaugural transmission took place on 1969. TVN is owned, but not funded, by the state, and it functions independently from it; a very particular case of public television in South America... Website	Season 1, 2011 Factor X (Chile season 1) Factor X is a Chilean television music competition show, to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a recording contract with a record label. The first season of the show debuted in March 3, 2011, and will be aired on Thursday and Sunday. The auditions were in January 2011 and where... : Sergio Járlaz Sergio Járlaz Sergio Járlaz is a Chilean singer. On 9 May 2011, he won the first ever series of Chilean edition of The X Factor broadcasted on Chile's Televisión Nacional de Chile . He competed in "Over 25s" category and was mentored by judge Tito Beltrán. Stanley Weissohn became runner-up... Season 2, 2012: Upcoming season	Current Karen Doggenweiler Karen Doggenweiler Karen Sylvia Doggenweiler Lapuente is a popular Chilean journalist and TV presenter.Doggenweiler is the daughter of Félix Doggenweiler Heim, of Swiss-German descent and Silvia Lapuente, of Spanish-Aragonese descent. She is married to the Chilean politician Marco Enríquez-Ominami. The marriage... Tito Beltrán Tito Beltrán Ernesto Beltrán Aguilar better known as Tito Beltrán , is a Chilean-Swedish tenor. In October 2008, an appellate court in Sweden sentenced Beltrán to 2.5 years in prison for rape and sexual molestation of an underage child... Former Zeta Bosio Zeta Bosio Héctor Pedro Juan Bosio Bertolotti better known by his stage name Zeta Bosio, is an Argentine rock musician, record producer and DJ, better known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the influential Argentine rock band Soda Stereo... Nydia Caro Nydia Caro Nydia Caro is an American & Puerto Rican actress and singer. Born in New York City to parents from Rincón, Puerto Rico, she initiated her career in the arts at a very young age while living in New York...	Julián Elfenbein Julián Elfenbein Eduardo Julián Elfenbein Kaufmann better known as Julián Elfenbein is a Chilean journalist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.-Career:...
Mainland China China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...	The X Factor: Ji Qing Chang Xiang 激情唱响	Liaoning TV Liaoning Television LRTV or Liaoning Radio and Television is located in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. The television was launched on October 1, 1959. And it is one of the earliest launched televisions in China. LRTV now has 8 radio channels and 8 TV channels for the public, 18 LNVOD for the viewers in Liaoning Province... Website	Season 1, 2011: Li Shangshang	Angie Chai Chih-ping Aduo Chen Yufan	Da Zuo Shao Wenjie
Colombia Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...	El factor X El Factor X (Colombia) El factor X is the Colombian television music competition to find new singing talent. It is the based on the original British competition The X Factor, created by Simon Cowell. It is the first version produced in Latin America. The show started screening in September 2005 and ended in December...	RCN TV RCN TV RCN Televisión , is a Colombian private television network. It started as a production company in 1967...   Website	Series 1, 2005: Julio César Meza Julio César Meza Julio César Meza also known as Julio Meza is a Colombian singer. In 2005, he won the first ever Colombian edition of The X Factor entitled El factor X broadcasted on RCN TV... Series 2, 2006: Francisco Villarreal Francisco Villarreal Francisco Villarreal is a Colombian singer. In 2006, he won the second series of El factor X, the Colombian edition of The X Factor. He beat runner-up Mario Marcelino Macuacé and third-placed Angelo , who had been the favourite to win until the date of the final... Series 3, 2009: Siam Siam (duo) Siam is a Colombian duo from Cali, Colombia made up of Carlos and Caro. In 2009, they won the third series of El factor X, the Colombian edition of The X Factor...	Marbelle (Season 1-present) Juan Carlos Coronel (Season 1-present) José Gaviria (Season 1-present) Wilfrido Vargas Wilfrido Vargas Wilfrido Radamés Vargas Martínez was born in Altamira, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.He was surrounded by musical influences; namely, his father Ramón, an accordionist and guitarist, and his mother Bienvenida, a flute player and guitarist...  (El Factor Xs 2)	Andrea Serna Andrea Serna Andrea Serna is a famous Colombian model, TV presenter , reporter, TV show hostess, radio DJ and TV producer.She was born in Caldas, but she was raised in Santiago de Cali and currently lives in Bogotá with her husband, Colombian TV producer Frank Scheuermann...
	El Factor X: Batalla de Estrella		Season 1, 2006: Luz Amparo Alvarez
	El Factor Xs		Season 1, 2006: Andres Camilo Hurtado Season 2, 2007: Camilo Echeverry Correa Season 3, 2011: Current season
Czech Republic Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....	X Factor X Factor (Czech Republic) The X Factor is a television music talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for the massively successful Pop Idol .-Series summary: "Under 25 boys" or "Under 25s" category...	TV Nova  Website	Season 1, 2008: Jiří Zonyga Jiří Zonyga Jiří Zonyga is a Czech singer. On 1 June 2008, he Jiří Zonyga won the first ever Czech edition of The X Factor broadcasted on Czech TV Nova that ran for 11 weeks of live shows from 23 March to 1 June 2008, winning over other finalist Ondřej Ruml...	Gábina Osvaldová Ondřej Soukup Ondrej Soukup Ondřej Soukup is a Czech music composer. He has written soundtracks for twenty feature films, including Jan Svěrák's Kolya, an Academy Award winner for best foreign film in 1997, and Dark Blue World, for which Soukup received his second Czech Lion award for best soundtrack in 2001.Ondřej was also... Petr Janda	Leoš Mareš
Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....    Slovakia Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...	X Faktor	TV Prima TV Prima TV Prima is a Czech private television station. Its channel is broadcast from Prague. Its current owner is FTV Prima, spol. s r. o., general manager Marek Singer....   TV JOJ TV JOJ -About TV JOJ:It was launched on 2 March 2002 as a successor of the TV Global, which was broadcasting since March 2000. TV Joj was built by former head of Czech Republic channel TV Nova, Vladimír Železný, when he was at war with TV Nova’s U.S. investor Central European Media Enterprises...	Season 1, 2012: Upcoming season	TBD	TBD
Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...	X Factor X Factor (Denmark) X Factor is the Danish version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom and is created by talent show judge and record and TV producer Simon Cowell.-Series summary: "Under 25 boys" or "Under 25s" category "Under 25 girls" category...	DR Danmarks Radio DR – officially rendered into English as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – is Denmark's national broadcasting corporation. Founded in 1925 as a public-service organization, it is today Denmark's oldest and largest electronic media enterprise...   Website	Season 1, 2008: Martin Hoberg Hedegaard Martin Hoberg Hedegaard Martin Hoberg Hedegaard , also known simply as Martin, is a Danish singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first Danish series of the The X Factor. To date, he is the youngest winner of the competition anywhere in the world, taking the title at the age of fifteen... Season 2, 2009: Linda Andrews Linda Andrews Linda Andrews , is a Faroese singer who won the second season of the Danish version of The X Factor, and became the first Faroese winner of it.-Early life:... Season 3, 2010: Thomas Ring Petersen Thomas Ring Petersen Thomas Ring Petersen , also known Thomas Ring or simply as Thomas, is a Danish singer who rose to fame as the winner of the third Danish series of The X Factor.... Season 4, 2011: Sarah Skaalum Jørgensen Sarah Skaalum Jørgensen Sarah Skaalum Jørgensen better known as Sarah is a Danish singer who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth Danish series of The X Factor. She won the title on 25 March 2011 with Annelouise as runner-up and Babou third. She competed in the 15–24 years category with Cutfather as mentor... Season 5, 2012: Upcoming season	Remee Remee Remee is a Danish producer, composer and song writer.-Career:Throughout his career Remee has written more than 60 hits around the world and has sold over 25 million records...  (Seasons 1-3) Lina Rafn Lina Rafn Lina Rafn Sørensen , known professionally as Lina Rafn is a Danish female singer, songwriter and producer and is currently active in the band Infernal...  (Seasons 1-2) Thomas Blachman Thomas Blachman Thomas Blachman is a Danish jazz musician, composer and five times Danish Music Awards-winner.In his home country he is best known as a judge in the Danish version of the TV show "X Factor".- External links :...  (Seasons 1-2 & 4) Carsten "Soulshock" Schack Soulshock Carsten Schack and better known by his stage name Soulshock is a Danish record producer and songwriter-Beginnings:...   (Season 3) Pernille Rosendahl Pernille Rosendahl Pernille Rosendahl is a Danish singer, who besides her solo career was lead singer of the Danish band Swan Lee and now is lead vocalist for the Danish rock band The Storm....   (Seasons 3-4) Cutfather Cutfather Mich Hedin Hansen better known by his stage name Cutfather is a Danish music producer and songwriter.-Career:He is perhaps best known for his remix of "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison , and the song "Superstar" released internationally by Jamelia in 2003.He has worked with Danish producer...  (Season 4)	Lise Rønne (Seasons 1-2 & 4) Signe Muusmann (Season 3)
Finland Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...	X Factor X Factor (Finland) X Factor is the Finnish version of X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions...	MTV3 MTV3 MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...   Website	Season 1, 2010: Elias Hämäläinen Elias Hämäläinen Elias Hämäläinen is a Finnish musician who won the first series of the Finnish X Factor on 16 May 2010. He received a 3-album recording contract with Sony Music...	Linda Brava Linda Brava Linda Magdalena Cullberg Lampenius, better known by her maiden name Linda Lampenius and international stage name Linda Brava, is a Finnish classical concert violinist and recording artist.-Background:... Renne Korppila Gugi Kokljuschkin	X Factor Heikki Paasonen Xtra Factor Jukka Rossi
Early Modern France France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...    Wallonia	X Factor X Factor (France) X Factor is a French television music talent show to find new singing talent after public auditions, intermediate tests, and live shows.The first series was broadcast on Mondays, from September to December 2009, on W9 and RTL-TVI ....	France W9 (2009) M6 (2011) Website series 1 Website series 2 Belgium RTL TVI (2009–2011) Website series 1 Website series 2	Season 1, 2009: Sébastien Agius Sébastien Agius Sébastien Agius or just Sébastien or Seva is a French singer and songwriter, and winner of the first ever French X Factor series in 2009.-Career:... Season 2, 2011: Matthew Raymond-Barker Matthew Raymond-Barker Matthew Raymond-Barker is an English singer who in 2011 took part in the second season of the French X Factor winning the series on 28 June 2011...	Current Henry Padovani Henry Padovani Henry Padovani is a French musician from Corsica, who is noted for having been the original guitarist for The Police... Olivier Schultheis Olivier Schultheis Olivier Schultheis is a musician, a lyricist, a composer and a conductor. He won the top prize of Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris for his absolute pitch technique.... Véronic DiCaire Véronic DiCaire Véronic DiCaire is a Canadian Franco-Ontarian singer and imitator.- Biography :She started her career in group Sens Unique, and then had a role in Montreal, Quebec version of the musical Grease... Christophe Willem Christophe Willem Christophe Willem , born on 3 August 1983 in Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d'Oise, is a French singer and the winner of the fourth edition of Nouvelle Star in 2006.-Early life:... Series 1 Marc Cerrone Julie Zenatti Julie Zenatti Julie Zenatti, born 5 February 1981, is a French singer celebrity. She first played the role of Fleur-de-Lys and later Esmeralda on stage for the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. Zenatti was involved with Notre-Dame de Paris co-star Patrick Fiori from 2002–2006 and the pair were engaged for 2 years... Alain Lanty Alain Lanty Alain Lanty is a French singer, composer and pianist.He has composed songs for a great number of French artists including Renaud, Florent Pagny, Marc Lavoine, Dani, Régine, Maurane, Hélène Ségara, Jean-Luc Lahaye....	Current X Factor Sandrine Corman Sandrine Corman Sandrine Corman was Miss Belgium 1997 and represented her country at Miss World 1997 and Miss Universe 1998.... F@n Factor Jérôme Anthony Jérôme Anthony Jérôme Finkelstein better known as Jérôme Anthony is a French television presenter. Born in Nancy, France on 11 November 1968, he has presented many entertainment and reality shows on RTL9, TF1, France 2, Disney Channel, W9 and M6... Former X Factor Alexandre Devoise
Germany Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	X Factor X Factor (Germany) X Factor is the German version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....	VOX  Kick-off on RTL RTL Television Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...   Website	Season 1, 2010 X Factor (Germany season 1) The first Season of X Factor was started in 2010. The auditions were held in April 2010. The first show started on 20 August 2010. The Judges are Sarah Connor , George Glueck and Till Brönner .There are four phases:1. Auditions2. Bootcamp... : Edita Abdieski Edita Abdieski Edita Abdieski is a Swiss pop singer. She rose to fame during the debut series of the German X Factor show, which she won in November 2010.-Early life:... Season 2, 2011 X Factor (Germany season 2) The second Season of X Factor will start on the 30th August 2011. The auditions were held in April/May 2011. The Show will broadcast every Tuesday and Sunday. The Judges are Sarah Connor, Das Bo and Till Brönner .There are four phases:1. Auditions2. Bootcamp... : Current season	Sarah Connor (Season 1-2) Till Brönner Till Brönner Till Brönner is a German jazz musician, trumpet player, singer, composer, arranger and producer. He has a unique jazz approach influenced by bebop and fusion jazz, but also modern pop music, movie soundtracks , country music and even German pop songs...  (Season 1-2) George Glueck George Glueck George Glueck is a music producer and artist manager. He is also a judge in German X Factor in its first season.George Glueck grew up in New York City...  (Season 1) Das Bo (Season 2)	Jochen SchroppMirjam Weichselbraun (Backstage)
Greece Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....  Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...	The X Factor The X Factor (Greece) The X Factor is the Greek version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....	ANT1 ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...   ANT1 Cyprus ANT1 Cyprus ANT1 Cyprus is a free to air terrestrial TV channel established in 1993. The channel is partly owned by ANT1 Greece. It is a general entertainment channel screening international, Greek and some locally produced programs. It transmits on channels 48, 35, 60, 41, 63, 65, 23, 26, 67, 24, 56, 37,... Website	Season 1, 2008-2009 The X Factor (Greece series 1) The first series of the music talent show The X Factor Greece began airing on ANT1 on 04 October 2008 and was won by Loukas Giorkas of Larnaca, Cyprus on 30 January 2009. The show was presented by Sakis Rouvas. It was also broadcast abroad via ANT1's international stations.-Auditions:Public... : Loukas Giorkas Loukas Giorkas Loukas Giorkas , is a Cypriot singer and the winner of the first season of the Greek version of the television talent series The X Factor. In September 2009 he released his first EP album, Mazi, which attained gold status. He studies Biology at the University of Patras... Season 2, 2009-2010 The X Factor (Greece series 2) The second series of the music talent show The X Factor Greece began airing on ANT1 on 2 October 2009, and was won by Stavros Michalakakos of Limassol , Cyprus on 12 February 2010. The show was presented for a second year by Sakis Rouvas... : Stavros Michalakakos Stavros Michalakakos Stavros Michalakakos is a Greek-Cypriot singer. On 12 February 2010 he won the second season of the Greek version of the television singing competition The X Factor. He was awarded a recording contract and a car... Season 3, 2010-2011 The X Factor (Greece series 3) The X Factor Greece is an Greek television reality music competition, based on the original series in the UK, to find new singing talent. The winner of which receives a recording contract with Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Greece is Haris Antoniou. The third series began airing on ANT1 on 1... : Haris Antoniou Haris Antoniou Harry Antoniou is a Greek-Cypriot singer and musician. On February 11, 2011 he won the third season of the Greek version of the television singing competition The X Factor after singing Joe Cocker’s "You Are So Beautiful to Me"...	Current Giorgos Theofanous Katerina Gagaki Nikos Mouratidis Former George Levendis George Levendis George Levendis , is a television and record executive and the current Head of International for Syco TV, a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment....	Current Sakis Rouvas Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...  (live shows) Giorgos Lianos (audition shows) Maria Sinatsaki (audition shows) Former Despina Kampouri (audition shows)
Hungary Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...	X-Faktor X-Faktor X-Faktor is the Hungarian version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....	RTL Klub RTL Klub RTL Klub is a television station owned by RTL Group and broadcast in Hungary. It was one of Hungary's first commercial TV channels and was only two days after the main rival TV2 to begin broadcasting.-About RTL Klub:...   Website After X Cool TV Cool TV Cool TV is a Hungarian television channel, which migrated to Romania after being threatened with closure by Hungarian authorities. The channel was launched in 2004 in the Hungarian language, and in 2005 it also started broadcasting cool stuff....   Website	Season 1, 2010 X-Faktor (series 1) The show's inaugural Hungarian season is currently on air. It is broadcast on the commercial RTL Klub television station.-Auditions:The auditions started in the summer of 2010, with more than 5,000 candidates for the first series in Hungary.... : Csaba Vastag Csaba Vastag Csaba Vastag is a Hungarian musician, who won the first ever series of the Hungarian X-Faktor broadcast on the RTL Klub Hungarian television station on 19 December 2010.-Early years:... Season 2, 2011 X-Faktor (series 2) The show's second Hungarian season is currently on air. It is broadcast on the privately owned RTL Klub television station.-Bootcamp:Bootcamp was in Thalia Theatre where 150 singers competed. In the first round the contestants sang a song of their choice. The judges immediately told the... : Current season	Current Feró Nagy Feró Nagy Nagy Ferenc is a Hungarian rock singer and musician, nicknamed "Feró". Although not a professional on any instruments, he can play the guitar, the harmonica, the saxophone and the piano.... Péter Geszti Ildikó Keresztes Ifj. Miklós Malek	X Faktor Nóra Ördög Sebestyén Balázs Sebestyén Balázs Sebestyén Balázs is a Hungarian television presenter and winner of multiple "Story Ötcsillag" prizes.- Shows :Sebestyén Balázs began his career as presenter of a music request program...  (2010) After X Attila Müller
Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...	X Factor	Stöð 2 Stöð 2 Stöð 2 is an Icelandic television channel, owned and operated by 365. Founded in 1986, It was the first privately owned television station in Iceland following the lifting of the state monopoly on television broadcasting...   Website	Series 1, 2006: Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen Jógvan Hansen is a Faroese singer and guitar player who won the first ever Icelandic version of The X Factor in 2007 with 70% of the popular vote...	Einar Bárðarson Elínborg Halldórsdóttir Elínborg Halldórsdóttir Elínborg Halldórsdóttir was an Icelandic rock musician, and painter.She was a member of the band Q4U.She was also judge in the first ever series of the Icelandic version of The X Factor in 2006-2007, on Stöð 2.-External links:... Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson Paul Oscar Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson , known internationally as Páll Óskar and Paul Oscar, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey. He had a musical childhood, singing at private functions, with choirs and for media advertisements, but was affected by bullying in school and tension between his...	Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir
India India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...	X Factor X Factor (India) X Factor India is the Indian version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring singers of all genres drawn from public auditions from all across India. The show in its inaugural year was broadcasted on Sony Entertainment...	Sony Entertainment TV Sony Entertainment Television Asia For the version in India, see Sony Entertainment Television .Not to be confused with Sony Entertainment Television , the SET version in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Fiji....   Website	Season 1, 2011: Geet Sagar Geet Sagar Geet Sagar is an Indian singer who won the inaugural season of the Indian X Factor. He was mentored by judge Shreya Ghoshal in the Over-25 category. He won cash prize of Rs50 lakh, a car and opportunity to sing in a Karan Johar film.Before applying to the X Factor, Sagar was an event manager...	Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films... Shreya Ghoshal Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...	Aditya Narayan
Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...	X Factor X Factor Indonesia The X Factor Indonesia is a reality television singing competition scheduled to premiere in March 2013. Part of the The X Factor franchise, the program will be produced by RCTI....	RCTI RCTI RCTI is Indonesia's first privately owned television network and is based in West Jakarta. RCTI broadcasts Indonesian Idol as well as sinetron , films, news and current affairs, reality shows and religious programs...   Website	Season 1, 2013: Upcoming season	TBA	TBA
Italy Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	X Factor X Factor (Italy) X Factor is a successful TV show airing on prime time in Italy. The singing competition is the Italian version of The X Factor franchise...	Rai 2 (2008-2010) Rai 4 (2009-2010) Website Sky Uno (2011) Website	Season 1, 2008: Aram Quartet Aram Quartet Aram Quartet is an Italian musical group that won the title after taking part in the first Italian edition of the talent show X Factor. The band split in 2010.The group was composed of:* Antonio Ancora b. April 11, 1981 in Galatina... Season 2, 2008-2009: Matteo Becucci Matteo Becucci Matteo Becucci is an Italian pop singer and musician, best known for winning the second series of the Italian X Factor television series in 2009.-Biography:... Season 3, 2009: Marco Mengoni Marco Mengoni Marco Mengoni is an Italian singer. He rose to fame in 2009, after winning the third season of Italian talent show The X Factor. The following year he ranked third in the 60th Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Credimi ancora". As of January 2011, he has sold a total of 220,000 copies in Italy... Season 4, 2010: Nathalie Nathalie (singer) Nathalie , is an Italian singer and songwriter. She became famous after winning the fourth series of the Italian version of The X Factor in 2010, with her debut single "In punta di piedi" .- Early life :Born to a Sicilian father of Tunisian origin and Belgian mother, Giannitrapani was born in Rome,... Season 5, 2011: Current season	Current Morgan Morgan (singer) Marco Castoldi better known by his stage name Morgan is an Italian singer, musician and multi-instrumentalist...  (Series 1 - 3, 5) Simona Ventura Simona Ventura Simona Ventura is an Italian television presenter.-The Beginnings:Ventura started in TV on "Domani Sposi" with Giancarlo Magalli on Rai Uno....  (Series 1 - 2, 5) Arisa Arisa Arisa is an Italian singer born in Genoa, Italy on August 20, 1982. A week after her birth her family moved back to their original hometown, Pignola, a village a few kilometres far from Potenza...  (Series 5) Elio Elio Stefano Belisari , best known as Elio, is an Italian singer and musician, the founder of the Italian rock band Elio e le Storie Tese. He performs as the lead vocalist and plays the transverse flute , and sometimes the electric guitar and the electric bass...  (Series 4 - 5) Former Mara Maionchi Mara Maionchi Mara Maionchi is an Italian record producer and a TV personality.-Biography:Mara began her career in 1967, as secretary in the Ariston Records press office, working with Ornella Vanoni and Mino Reitano...  (Series 1 - 4) Claudia Mori Claudia Mori Claudia Mori , is an Italian actress, singer, television producer, and wife of the singer Adriano Celentano.-1960s:...  (Series 3) Anna Tatangelo Anna Tatangelo Anna Tatangelo is an Italian pop singer, and a judge of X Factor Italy. At the age of 15, she became the youngest person to win the Newcomer's Award at the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival singing contest. She has a romantic relationship with singer Gigi D'Alessio.-Biography:Anna Tatangelo was...  (Series 4) Enrico Ruggeri Enrico Ruggeri Enrico Ruggeri is an Italian rock singer-songwriter.-Biography:A native of Milan, Ruggeri made his debut in the 1970s with the punk band Decibel...  (Series 4)	X Factor Francesco Facchinetti (Seasons 1 - 4) Alessandro Cattelan Alessandro Cattelan Alessandro Cattelan is an Italian television personality known for presenting TRL Italy, the Italian version of Total Request Live broadcast by MTV Italia, and Le Iene, broadcast by Mediaset’s Italia 1.-External links:*... (Season 5) Xtra Factor Francesco Facchinetti (Season 4) Alessandra Barzaghi (Season 4) Max Novaresi (Season 5) Brenda Lodigiani (Season 5)
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...	X Factor X Factor (Kazakhstan) X Factor is a television music talent show in Kazakhstan contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is the Kazakh version of the international The X Factor series and is broadcast on the Perviy Kanal Evraziya channel in Kazakhstan....	Perviy Kanal Evraziya Perviy Kanal Evraziya Perviy Kanal Evraziya is a local Kazakh television station that has been in operation since October 1997. It is one of many privately owned television stations in Kazakhstan closely monitored for any bad press about the Kazakh government that could have a detrimental effect.-Information:There are...   Website	Season 1, 2011 X Factor (Kazakhstan series 1) The X Factor is the first season of the singing competition based on the . Auditions were held in 12 kazakh cities and started on October 2, 2010.... : Dariya Gabdull Season 2, 2012: Upcoming season	Nagima Eskalieva Nagima Eskalieva Nagima Eskalieva is a Kazakhstani singer and awarded national artist of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.-Career:... Alexander Shevchenko Sultana Karazhigitova	Adil Liyan
Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...	X Factor	TV3 TV3 Lithuania TV3 is a television channel owned by Modern Times Group and targeted at a Lithuanian-speaking audience. It was founded on May 7, 1992 and launched on April 11, 1993 as "Tele-3" before being renamed "TV3" in 1996....	Season 1, 2012: Upcoming season	TBA	TBA
Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...	X Factor X Factor (Netherlands) X Factor is a Dutch television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is shown Friday evenings on the RTL4 Network in the Netherlands. The first series of the show aired from October 2006 through to February 2007, while the second series of the show...	RTL 4 RTL 4 RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8...   Website	Season 1, 2007: Sharon Kips Sharon Kips Sharon Kips is the winner of the first edition of X Factor , 24 February 2007. She was constantly praised highly throughout the show, with high compliments from three of Holland's music experts Henk Temming, Marianne van Wijnkoop and Henkjan Smits... Season 2, 2009: Lisa Hordijk Lisa Hordijk Lisa Lois is a Dutch singer who rose to prominence after winning the second season of talent show X Factor. In 2009, she changed her stage name to Lisa Lois and released her debut album Smoke.-Early life:Lois was born in Wageningen, Netherlands... Season 3, 2010: Jaap van Reesema Jaap van Reesema Jaap Siewertsz van Reesema better known by his first name only Jaap, is a Dutch singer who won the 3rd series of the Dutch X Factor in 2010.-Early years:... Season 4, 2011: Rochelle Perts Rochelle Perts Rochelle Perts is a Dutch singer who rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of talent show X Factor on 10 June 2011.-Singles:-External links:*... Season 5, 2012: Upcoming season	Current Eric van Tijn Eric van Tijn Eric Job van Tijn is a Dutch music producer and judge on the Dutch versions of the music competitions Idols and X Factor.... Stacey Rookhuizen Angela Groothuizen Angela Groothuizen Angela Groothuizen is a Dutch singer, artist and television personality.-Biography:Groothuizen rose to fame as a member of the Dutch Dance/Pop girl group Dolly Dots, which achieved popularity inside and outside the Netherlands, and scored hits between 1979 and 1988... Gordon Heuckeroth Gordon Heuckeroth Cornelis Willem Heuckeroth is a Dutch performer and radio and television personality, better known by his nickname Gordon... Former Henkjan Smits Marianne van Wijnkoop Henk Temming	Wendy van Dijk Martijn Krabbe
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	The X Factor The X Factor (New Zealand) The X Factor is the upcoming New Zealand version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions.The show is due to debut in 2012....	TV3 TV3 (New Zealand) TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...	Season 1, 2012: Upcoming season	TBD	TBD
Norway Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...	X Factor X Factor (Norway) X Factor is a Norwegian television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on Friday evenings on the TV 2 Network in Norway.- Series 1 :...	TV 2 TV 2 (Norway) TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway....   Website	Season 1, 2009: Chand Torsvik Chand Torsvik Chand Torsvik born in India on October 12, 1982 is Norwegian singer who won the first ever Norwegian version of The X Factor that aired from September through to December 2009 on TV 2 Norwegian television station...   Season 2, 2010: Hans Bollandsås Hans Bollandsås Hans Bollandsås also known as just Hans is a Norwegian blues musician who won the Norwegian X Factor in 2010....	Current Jan Fredrik Karlsen Jan Fredrik Karlsen Jan Fredrik Karlsen is a Norwegian artist manager and television personality.Karlsen has worked in the Norwegian music industry since his late teens working for popular Norwegian comedians/singer/songwriters Herodes Falsk and Tom Mathisen...  (Season 1-2) Elisabeth Andreassen Elisabeth Andreassen Elisabeth Gunilla Andreassen - also known as just "Bettan" - is a Swedish-Norwegian singer who has finished both first and second in the Eurovision Song Contest....  (Season 2) Marion Ravn (Season 2) Klaus Sonstad (Season 2) Former Mira Craig Mira Craig Mira Scherdin Craig is a Norwegian-American R&B artist. Her father is an African American from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America.Craig is a DIY musician who writes and produces all her songs and music videos....  (Season 1) Peter Peters (Season 1)	Current X Factor Ravi Ravi (Ivar Johansen) Ivar Christian Johansen is a Norwegian popular musician under the pseudonym Ravi . He writes songs with Anders Løvlie under the name Ravi og DJ Løv.... Guri Solberg Guri Solberg Guri Solberg is television host at the Norwegian TV station TV 2She was host of Absolutt Underholdning in 2004-2005, Skal vi danse? three times in 2006, 2007 and 2008 , and award ceremonies Amanda Award in 2008 and Gullfisken in 2007 and 2008.Solberg is a journalist educated at Volda University... Xtra Factor Peter Moi Brubresko, Katarina Flatland Former X Factor Charlotte Thorstvedt (Season 1)
Philippines Philippines The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...	The X Factor Philippines The X Factor Philippines The X Factor Philippines is a Philippine television music competition, adapted from the original UK show as part of The X Factor franchise, to find new singing talent in the Philippines.For some time, ABS-CBN shows the X Factor logo after some shows...	ABS-CBN ABS-CBN ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...	Season 1, 2012: Upcoming season	TBA	TBA
Poland Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...	X Factor X Factor (Poland) X Factor is a Polish talent show based on a british show The X Factor and broadcast on TVN. The first series premiered on 6 March 2011. On 27 November 2010 during the final of the third series of Poland's Got Talent Marcin Prokop confirmed that the auditions would be held in January 2011...	TVN TVN (Poland) TVN is a major Polish commercial television network. The broadcaster was co-founded by Polish businessmen Mariusz Walter and Jan Wejchert. The network launched on October 3, 1997. TVN belongs to the TVN S.A...   Website	Season 1, 2011 X Factor (Poland series 1) The first series of X Factor premiered on 6 March 2011 at 20:00 on TVN. The auditions for the first series were held in January and February. Jarosław Kuźniar hosts the show and the judges are Czesław Mozil, Maja Sablewska and Kuba Wojewódzki. The series was won by Gienek Loska who was mentored by... : Gienek Loska Gienek Loska Henadzi Loska better known as Gienek Loska is a Polish singer-songwriter and guitarist born in Belaazyorsk in Belarus who rose to fame after winning the first series of X Factor in 2011... Season 2, 2012 X Factor (Poland series 2) The second series of Polish television music competition X Factor will start on TVN in March and end in June 2012. The auditions are set to start in December 2011. It was announced that this series would feature a new judge, increasing the number of which to four... : Upcoming season	Czesław Mozil  Maja Sablewska Maja Sablewska Maja Sablewska is a Polish music manager. Since 2011 she is also known for her role as a judge on TV show X Factor.-Early life and the music manager career:...   Kuba Wojewódzki Kuba Wojewódzki Jakub Władysław Wojewódzki known as Kuba Wojewódzki is a Polish journalist, TV personality, drummer, and comedian.-Career:Wojewódzki was a judge on the Polish Idol. He also was the Polish representative on the World Idol on 25 December 2003....	Jarosław Kuźniar Jarosław Kuźniar Jarosław Kuźniar is a Polish television and radio presenter. Currently connected with TVN and TVN24. Since 2011 he is the host of TV show X Factor.-Biography:He finished I Lyceum in Dzierżoniów...
Kingdom of Romania Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...	X Factor X Factor (Romania) X Factor is a new Romanian television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions based on The X Factor series. It will be broadcast on the Antena 1 channel in Romania. The auditions are under way since May 2011...	Antena 1  Website	Season 1, 2011: Current season	Mihai Morar Paula Seling Paula Seling Paula Seling is a Romanian singer, composer, and radio DJ.She represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu, with the song "Playing with Fire". They finished third in the final.-Early life:... Adrian Sînă Akcent Akcent is a Romanian dance-pop act.- Biography :Adrian Claudiu Sînă started the group in 1999. At the time, it consisted of him and his female counterpart, Ramona Barta....	Răzvan Simion Dani Oțil
Russia Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	Sekret Uspekha Sekret Uspekha Sekret Uspekha was a Russian popular music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on RTR. It was similar in format to Narodniy Artist, and was the Russian version of the British show The X Factor, created by Simon Cowell. The Секрет Успеха of the title refers to the secret and undefinable... Секрет Успеха	RTR  Website	Season 1, 2005: Vladimir Sapovskiy Season 2, 2007: Nikolai Timohin	Season 1 Valeriy Meladze Katerina Von Gechmen-Valdek Aleksandr Revzin Valeriya Valeriya Valeriya is a stage name of Alla Yurievna Perfilova , a Russian singer.-Early years:Valeriya was born on the April 17, 1968 in a small town Atkarsk in middle Russia in a family of classical musicians. She studied piano at the only musical school in the town where her father Yuri Ivanovich was a... Season 2 Valery Garkalin Tigran Keosayan Tigran Keosayan Tigran Edmundovich Keosayan is a Russian-Armenian film director, actor and writer. He is a winner of International Film Festival Prize's including "TEFI", "Kinotavr" and "Window to Europe-2001"....	Season 1 Aleksey Chumakov Elena Vorobey Season 2 Tutti Larsen
	Faktor A Faktor A Faktor A is the Russian version of the The X Factor television talent show franchise. It is broadcasts on Russia 1 television station. The show is named Faktor A , with the letter "A" chosen in honor of Alla Pugacheva, head of the jury... Фактор А	Russia 1  Website	Season 1, 2011: Sergei Savin Sergei Savin Sergei Savin is a Russian singer who on June 11, 2011 won the Russian reality television singing competition Faktor A based on the The X Factor series with the other finalist Erkin Holmatov coming as runner-up. Savin competed in the category "Over 25s" and was coached by judge Boris...	Lolita Milyavskaya Lolita Milyavskaya Lolita Markovna Milyavskaya ; born 14 November 1963, Mukachevo, Transcarpathian Region, Ukrainian SSR), is a Russian singer, actress, TV and film director, better known under the pseudonym stage Lolita.-External links:... Roman Emelyanov Roman Emelyanov Roman Emelyanov is a Russian radio and television personality.In 1995–1996, Emelyanov worked as an "Autoradio" musical program narrator and in 1998–1999 broadcasting radio musical program narrator, art-director of "7 up the 7 Hills"... Boris Krasnov Alla Pugacheva Alla Pugacheva Alla Borisovna Pugacheva or Pugachova , born 15 April 1949), is а Soviet and Russian musical performer. Her career started in 1965 and continues to this day...  (chairperson)	Philipp Kirkorov Philipp Kirkorov Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov is a Bulgarian-born Russian singer and producer living and working in Moscow.-Biography:Philipp Kirkorov was born on April 30, 1967 in Varna, Bulgaria. His father is Bulgarian singer of Armenian and Belarusian ethnicity Bedros Kirkorov. His mother, Victoria, is... Vladimir Zelenski
Spain Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	Factor X Factor X (Spain) Factor X is the Spanish version of the British television music competition The X Factor, created by Simon Cowell. The show, which airs on Cuatro, follows series 2-3 of the British format, with three categories, mentored by one judge each, whom choose the acts to represent the category in the live...	Cuatro  Website	Season 1, 2007: María Villalón María Villalón María Villalón , is a Spanish singer and most notably the winner of the first series of Spanish version of The X Factor in 2007.-Biography:... Season 2, 2008: Vocal Tempo Vocal Tempo Vocal Tempo is a Cuban vocal group that won in 2008 the second series of Factor X, the Spanish version of The X Factor. The music contest was broadcast on the Spanish Cuatro television station....	Miqui Puig Eva Perales Eva Perales Eva Perales is a Spanish TV personality. She is a music manager and headhunter, and also organises many live festivals and musical events, both in Spain and overseas. She is currently a judge on Factor X, the Spanish version of The X Factor. She is currently a judge of the upcoming program... Jorge Flo	Núria Roca
Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...	The X Factor The X Factor (Ukraine) The X Factor is the Ukrainian version of The X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show for aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....	STB STB (Channel) STB is a Ukrainian commercial television network. Today, the coverage area of the network is 85% of Ukraine's territory. It is broadcast in all oblast centers and all Ukrainian cities with a population greater than 50,000... Website Website	Season 1, 2010-2011: Alexey Kuznetsov Season 2, 2011: Current season	Igor Kondratyuk Sergei Sosedov Yolka Seryoga Seryoga Sergey Vasilyevich Parkhomenko is a popular Russian-Belarusian rapper and the owner of "KingRing" record label.-Career:Born in Gomel, Belarus, Seryoga grew up in a tough neighborhood. His music became a unique combination of Russian folk music with modern beats and original lyrics appealing to...	Oksana Marchenko
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... Also shown in Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...  and In series 3, 4 and 7, auditions were held in Dublin, and viewers in Ireland were allowed to vote on contestants.	The X Factor The X Factor (UK) The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...	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... , ITV1 HD, TV3 (Republic of Ireland)	Series 1, 2004: Steve Brookstein Steve Brookstein Steve Brookstein is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor... Series 2, 2005: Shayne Ward Shayne 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... Series 3, 2006: Leona Lewis Leona Lewis Leona 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.... Series 4, 2007 The X Factor (UK series 4) The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007. The first show aired on 18 August 2007 and the series was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007, with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Dannii Minogue emerging as the winning mentor... : Leon Jackson Leon Jackson Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008... Series 5, 2008 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... : 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... Series 6, 2009 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... : Joe McElderry Joe McElderry Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two... Series 7, 2010 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... : Matt Cardle Matt 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... Series 8, 2011 The X Factor (UK series 8) 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... : Current series	Current 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... 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... Louis Walsh Louis Walsh Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:... Former 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... Sharon Osbourne Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne.... Dannii Minogue Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model... 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...	Current 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... 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....  (The Xtra Factor) 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...  (The Xtra Factor) Former Kate Thornton Kate Thornton Kate Thornton is an English journalist and television presenter. Early in her career, she was notable for her articles at the Daily Mirror and for her role as editor of Smash Hits magazine... Ben Shephard Ben Shephard Benjamin Peter "Ben" Shephard, also known as "Sheps" is an English television presenter who currently works for Sky Sports, as well as ITV.-Personal life:...  (The Xtra Factor) Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...  (The Xtra Factor) Holly Willoughby Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...  (The Xtra Factor) 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...  (The Xtra Factor)
	The X Factor: Battle of the Stars The X Factor: Battle of the Stars The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was a UK celebrity special edition of The X Factor, which screened on ITV, started on 29 May 2006 and lasting for eight consecutive nights...		Series 1, 2006: Lucy Benjamin Lucy Benjamin -Career:Born Lucy Jane Baker in Reading, Berkshire, England, she took the stage name of Benjamin after her brother. Benjamin trained at the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead. Her first acting role was as a child actor in Doctor Who in 1983 playing a young version of the character Nyssa...
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	The X Factor USA	Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...	Season 1, 2011: Current season Season 2, 2012: Upcoming season	Current Simon Cowell Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol... Paula Abdul Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits... LA Reid Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls.... Cole was originally to be a judge for the first season. A few weeks later, she lost her judging status. Nicole Scherzinger was originally to set on her co-host role, but she replaced Cole for her judging role. Former 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...	Current Steve Jones Steve Jones (presenter) Stephen Ashton "Steve" Jones is a Welsh television presenter. Jones is primarily known in the UK as presenter of T4. Internationally, he is known as the host of The X Factor USA.-Early life:... 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....

Disputes and controversies

Over the years many controversies have taken place. Right at the start, Pop Idol

Pop Idol

Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...

 creator Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...

 claimed that The X Factor had copied the format of his own show; through his company 19 TV he filed a lawsuit against The X Factor producers FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...

, 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...

, and Cowell's company Syco

Syco

Syco Entertainment, often known as simply Syco , is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment focused on the production and exploitation of music, television, film and digital content...

. The parties involved reached settlement out of court.

See also

• List of reality television show franchises
• List of television show franchises