Wawffactor was a Welsh

Welsh language

Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

 television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It was broadcast on S4C

S4C

S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...

 between 2003 and 2006 and was produced by Al Fresco.

It has now gained fame for contestant Duffy

Duffy (singer)

Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...

, now a major worldwide artist, who competed in the first series of the show, finishing second behind Lisa Pedrick.

Format

Contestants initially performed in front of a panel of four judges at one of several auditions held around the country. From these, ten people were chosen to progress to the studio heats where after performing each week, one contestant would be eliminated by decision of the judges until three remained. Then during the live final, one contestant would be elimanated by the judges after performing, and a public televote decided the winner. The prize was to record an album and music video.

Judges

The four judges for the initial series were former Catatonia

Catatonia

Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....

 guitarist Owen Powell, singer & television presenter Emma Walford, musician Peredur ap Gwynedd

Peredur ap Gwynedd

Peredur Wyn ap Gwynedd is a Welsh guitarist. He was born and raised in South Wales and currently resides in London. His brother, Rheinallt ap Gwynedd, was the bassist for the band Apollo 440 and his sister, Llinor ap Gwynedd, is an actress....

 and Radio 1 producer Aled Haydn Jones

Aled Haydn Jones

Aled Haydn Jones is a Welsh radio producer and radio presenter. Since 2004 he has worked on The Chris Moyles Show.-Personal history:...

. Emma Walford was replaced by BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

 DJ Bethan Elfyn

Bethan Elfyn

Bethan Elfyn is a Welsh radio and television presenter.Bethan was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, was brought up in Newtown, Powys, and now lives in Cardiff. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and has appeared as a panellist on Welsh language channel S4C's music talent show Waw Ffactor...

 for the second series, and Peredur ap Gwynedd was replaced by musician Huw Chiswell for the third series. The show was presented by Eleri Sion

Eleri Sion

Eleri Siôn is a Welsh radio and television presenter.Born and raised on a farm in Neuaddlwyd, Aberaeron, she was educated at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberaeron....

 and Welsh singer-songwriter Caryl Parry-Jones acted as a vocal coach to the contestants from the studio heats onwards.

History

The winner of the initial series was Lisa Pedrick, who beat Aimée Duffy

Duffy (singer)

Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...

 and Beth Williams in the final. Duffy would go on to release a UK #1 album and single in 2009, as well as a self-titled Welsh extended play

Aimée Duffy (Welsh EP)

Aimée Duffy is a Welsh-language EP by Welsh singer-songwriter Aimée Duffy , released in 2004 on Welsh record label Awen Records. Originally to be entitled Rock, Roll & Soul, the release came after the singer had come second in a Welsh televised talent show.-Background and release of EP:After...

 in 2004. The singer is now one of the world's biggest-selling singers, becoming the best selling artist of 2009 in the United Kingdom. She has enjoyed massive global chart success. The second series saw Rebecca Trehearn triumph over Francesca Hughes in the final. Lisa Haf Davies would have been the third finalist, but was forced to withdraw after contracting mumps

Mumps

Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...

. The third and final series was won by Einir Dafydd

Einir Dafydd

Einir Dafydd is a Welsh singer who won the third series of the television talent show Wawffactor and the 2007 Cân i Gymru competition.Dafydd started her career as the lead singer in the band Garej Dolwen, but first came to prominence after winning the Wawffactor competition televised on S4C in...

, who beat Aimee-Ffion Edwards

Aimee-Ffion Edwards

Aimee-Ffion Edwards born 1987, is a Welsh actress from Newport, South Wales. She is best known for appearing in the television series Skins as a character called "Sketch", who is introduced at the beginning of series 2 as the stalker of Maxxie Oliver....

 and Nathan Whiteley.

Winners

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Third finalist	Ref
2003/04	Lisa Pedrick	Aimée Duffy Duffy (singer) Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...	Beth Williams
2005	Rebecca Trehearn	Francesca Hughes	—[A]
2006	Einir Dafydd Einir Dafydd Einir Dafydd is a Welsh singer who won the third series of the television talent show Wawffactor and the 2007 Cân i Gymru competition.Dafydd started her career as the lead singer in the band Garej Dolwen, but first came to prominence after winning the Wawffactor competition televised on S4C in...	Aimee-Ffion Edwards Aimee-Ffion Edwards Aimee-Ffion Edwards born 1987, is a Welsh actress from Newport, South Wales. She is best known for appearing in the television series Skins as a character called "Sketch", who is introduced at the beginning of series 2 as the stalker of Maxxie Oliver....  and Nathan Whiteley

^ Lisa Haf Davies would have been third runner-up, however she withdrew due to contracting mumps