''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series aired on
ITV on 20 August 2011 and ended on 11 December 2011.
Dermot O'Leary
Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary Jr. (born 24 May 1973) is an English broadcaster who currently works for ITV and BBC Radio 2. His radio career began when he worked as a disc jockey at Essex Radio, but he is best known for being the presenter of ' ...
hosted the main show on ITV, while
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack (9 November 1979 – 15 February 2020) was an English television and radio presenter and actress. She won the twelfth series of BBC’s ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2014 and presented '' The X Factor'' and later ''Love Is ...
and
series 6 runner-up
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
co-presented the spin-off show ''
The Xtra Factor'' on
ITV2.
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
returned to the judging panel and was joined by
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That.
Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
,
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
and Tulisa. Barlow, Rowland, Tulisa joined the panel replacing judges,
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
,
Dannii Minogue and
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstar ...
.
Series 5 winner
Alexandra Burke served as a guest judge for week 4 of the live shows due to Rowland having a throat infection.
Little Mix, a British four-piece
girlgroup known earlier in the show as Rhythmix, was the first group to win the series. The group consisting of members
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Leigh-Anne Pinnock (born 4 October 1991) is an English singer, actress and songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of the girl group Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups ever. With Little Mix, she release ...
,
Jesy Nelson
Jessica Louise Nelson (born 14 June 1991) is an English singer who rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Little Mix from 2011 to 2020, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and ...
,
Jade Thirlwall
Jade Amelia Thirlwall (born 26 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and achi ...
, and
Perrie Edwards
Perrie Louise Edwards (born 10 July 1993) is an English singer. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of the British girl group Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums ...
, and
Jade Thirlwall
Jade Amelia Thirlwall (born 26 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and achi ...
, all auditioned as solo artists before being put together as a group by
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
. They went on to become the first girl group to make it past week seven of the live shows, the first girl group to reach the finals and the first girl group to win the show. The eighth series also won Most Popular Talent Show at the
17th National Television Awards on 25 January 2012.
Judges, presenters and other personnel
On 5 May 2011, it was announced that
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
and
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstar ...
would not return as judges for the eighth series to work on the
first season of ''
The X Factor USA
''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...
''. On 14 May 2011,
Dannii Minogue announced that she would not be returning either, due to a clash with ''
Australia's Got Talent'', another show for which she judges. Of her decision, Minogue said, "During discussions for me to return to ''The X Factor'' it became clear that unfortunately, this year, ''The X Factor'' audition dates in the UK clash with the live shows of ''Australia's Got Talent'' during June and July. For this reason I am unable to return".
After Cowell and Cole announced their departures, a number of celebrities were linked to the judging role including
Frankie Sandford
Francesca Bridge ( Sandford, born 14 January 1989) is an English singer, formerly a member of S Club Juniors and a member of girl group The Saturdays. She is signed to Fascination and Polydor labels. Bridge began her career when she auditioned ...
,
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded i ...
,
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
, and
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
. On 9 May 2011, five days before Minogue announced her departure, news broke that Cowell had offered a seat to
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That.
Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
of
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
, though his contract was not finalised. Following Minogue's announcement, it was reported that
Tulisa
Tula Paulinea Contostavlos (Greek: Τούλα Παυλίνα 'Τουλίσα' Κοντόσταυλου; born 13 July 1988) professionally known as Tulisa, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. As a part of the ...
from
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are an English hip hop trio from Camden Town, London, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the Wor ...
had been in talks with producers to take on a judging role to replace Cole.
It was also suggested that
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
, formerly of
Destiny's Child, was in discussions to take a seat on the judging panel for Minogue's replacement. Although Cole briefly served as a judge on the American panel, she was dropped from the American panel and Cowell gave her the option to return to the 2011 UK series judging panel. However, she later rejected his offer due to her unwillingness to judge the UK show without Cowell. On 30 May 2011, the judging line-up was confirmed as
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
, Barlow, Tulisa and Rowland.
Barlow said that he was "extremely excited" to work on the show, and hoped to find a global superstar. Tulisa hoped to "bring something fresh and new to the panel", promising to speak her mind. Rowland wanted an "opportunity to hear a few diamonds in the rough" and said she would be "sternly honest". In week 4 of the live finals on 29 and 30 October, Rowland was unable to attend due to a throat infection and was replaced for these shows by
Alexandra Burke, who won
series 5.
In February 2011,
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq (; born 17 July 1975) is a British television and radio presenter, screenwriter and children's author. She became the longest-serving female presenter of the British children's television programme ''Blue Peter'', prese ...
, who presented spin-off series ''
The Xtra Factor'' for
series 7, was told that her contract would not be renewed.
Matt Edmondson
Matthew Edmondson (born 27 December 1985) is a British television and Sony Award-nominated radio presenter, best known for his work with BBC Radio 1 and ITV2.
Edmondson currently presents the weekend afternoon show Fridays, Saturdays and Sund ...
, Sandford,
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...
, and
series 6 contestant
Stacey Solomon
Stacey Chanelle Clare Solomon-Swash (born 4 October 1989) is an English singer and television personality. She finished in third place on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009, and won the tenth series of '' I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Ou ...
were all rumoured to be in the running, but it was confirmed on 31 May 2011 that
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack (9 November 1979 – 15 February 2020) was an English television and radio presenter and actress. She won the twelfth series of BBC’s ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2014 and presented '' The X Factor'' and later ''Love Is ...
would co-present ''The Xtra Factor'' with
series 6 runner-up
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
.
Selection process
Applications and auditions
The first appeal for applicants for series 8 was broadcast during
series 7 on 11 December 2010. For the first time, contestants could upload a video to YouTube. Auditions in front of the judges for series 8 took place in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, London,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Liverpool,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
and
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
. It was the first time auditions had taken place in Liverpool, and the city replaced
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, where auditions were held in 2010.
The auditions started in Birmingham's
LG Arena on 1 and 2 June. They then took place in Glasgow's
SEC Centre
The SEC Centre (originally known as the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre until 2017) is Scotland's largest exhibition centre, locate ...
on 6 June and continued in Manchester's Event City on 12, 13 and 14 June. More auditions took place at Cardiff's
International Arena on 29 June, and at London's
O2 on 6, 7 and 8 July, and finished in Liverpool's
Echo Arena on 13 and 14 July. The Manchester auditions were postponed from 18 to 20 May.
London and Birmingham auditions were broadcast during the first episode on 20 August 2011. More of the London auditions, as well as the Liverpool and Manchester auditions, aired on 27 August 2011. On 3 September, the Glasgow auditions and more from London were shown. More auditions from Manchester, Birmingham and London were broadcast during the 10 September episode. More from London, plus the Manchester and Glasgow auditions were broadcast in the 11 September episode. The 17 September episode showed more auditions from Liverpool, Cardiff, London, Glasgow and Manchester. The final auditions aired on 18 September, and featured auditions from Liverpool, London and Cardiff.
Bootcamp
Bootcamp started on 18 August 2011. The first episode of bootcamp was broadcast on 24 September 2011. It showed 191 acts attending a pre-bootcamp party
at The Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon,
while the judges reviewed their auditions to see if there were some acts they wanted to cut before bootcamp started.
They cut 39 acts, leaving 152. The acts were split into 30 groups in which to perform at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...
, and each group was given one of six songs by the judges: "
You've Got the Love", "
Breakeven", "
Price Tag
A price tag is a label declaring the price of an item for sale. It may be a sticker or attached by twist tie or other means.
Some jurisdictions require items (possibly exceptions for bulk good and produce) to be individually marked with the pri ...
", "
Born This Way", "
Forget You
"Fuck You" (stylized as "Fuck You!" or "F**k You!"), known as "Forget You" or "FU" for the clean versions, is a song by American recording artist CeeLo Green. It was written as a collaboration among Green, Bruno Mars, the Smeezingtons, and Br ...
" or "
Firework
Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices in ...
".
The judges then went on to cut over 80 acts, but called back some soloists, who were asked if they were interested in forming groups. All agreed and were workshopped to see which singers would work well together.
They formed six groups.
The 61
remaining acts were then given the task of learning one song, 'making it their own' and performing it in front of a live audience,
the second time bootcamp was open to an audience (the first was in 2009). The judges then chose the final 32 acts, based on these performances. However, they chose only 31 acts, and the final group was made from four members of two groups previously put together by the judges.
Judges' houses
Judges' houses, the final part of the selection process, was filmed in September. Judges were given their categories in late August. Barlow mentored the Boys, Rowland the Girls, Walsh the Over 25s, and Tulisa the Groups.
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
joined Barlow in Los Angeles,
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
assisted Rowland in Miami, Walsh was accompanied by
Sinitta
Sinitta Malone (born 19 October 1963), known mononymously as Sinitta, is an American-born British singer, actress and television personality. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several ot ...
in Barcelona, and Tulisa received help from
Jessie J in
Mykonos
Mykonos (, ; el, Μύκονος ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants according to th ...
. At judges' houses each act performed two songs for their mentor and his/her guest judge, although only one song was mentioned and shown on the main show, with the other song shown on ''The Xtra Factor'' instead.
Sian Phillips was originally selected for the judges' houses, but due to visa issues, she was unable to travel to Miami and was thus replaced by Sarah Watson in the Girls category.
; Judges Houses Performances
*Act in bold advanced
Groups:
* The Keys: "
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her fourth studio album, '' 4'' (2011). It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was com ...
"
* The Estrelles: "
Love the Way You Lie"
* Girl v Boy: "
Use Somebody
"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album '' Only by the Night'' (2008), released on December 8, 2008.
The single received heavy airplay in Scandinavi ...
"
* The Lovettes:"
Forever Is Over"
* The Risk: "
No Air
"No Air" is a song by American singers Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Harvey Mason Jr., Steve Russell, Erik Griggs and Damon Thomas. It was released in the United States on February 11, 2008, and serv ...
"
* 2 Shoes: "
Tik Tok"
* Nu Vibe: "
Written in the Stars"
* Rythmix: "
Big Girls Don't Cry"
Girls:
* Amelia: "
E.T."
* Jade: "
I Can't Make You Love Me"
* Sophie: "
He Won't Go"
* Sarah: "
Knock You Down
"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer and songwriter Keri Hilson, recorded for her debut album, '' In a Perfect World...''. The song features guest vocals from Ne-Yo and Kanye West. All three artists co-wrote the song with its produc ...
"
* Melanie: "
Grenade"
* Holly: "
For the First Time"
* Misha: "
Fly"
* Janet: "
Beautiful
Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to:
Film and theater
* ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field
* ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...
"
Over 25s
* Johnny: "
Love Is a Losing Game"
* Sami: "
Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" is a song by American musician Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album, '' The Element of Freedom'' (2009). It is an answer song to the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single " Empire State of Mind" ...
"
* Terry: "
Handbags & Gladrags"
* Carolynne: "
Need You Now"
* Joseph: "
Just the Way You Are"
* Goldie: "
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her seventh studio album, '' Love?'' (2011). Featuring American rapper Pitbull, it was released by Island Records on February 8, 2011, as the lead single from the album. ...
"
* Jonjo: "
Don't You Remember?"
* Kitty: "
Beautiful Disaster"
Boys:
* Frankie: "
What's My Name?"
* John: "
Promise This
"Promise This" is a song by English recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album ''Messy Little Raindrops'' (2010). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascinati ...
"
* Joe: "
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...
"
* James: "
Skinny Love
"Skinny Love" is a song written by American musician and songwriter Justin Vernon. It was originally released by indie folk band Bon Iver, of which Vernon is a member, in 2007. A cover version by the British vocalist Birdy was released in 2011 ...
"
* Max: "
The Only Exception"
* Luke: "
Impossible"
* Marcus: "
One Big Family"
* Craig: "
Halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* ''Halo'' (franch ...
"
Goldie Cheung was initially put through to the finals by Walsh, but pulled out of the competition at the end of the judges' houses stage, stating that she did not want to be away from her family. Sami Brookes, who had initially not made it through, took her place in the live shows.
Acts
Key:
: – Winner
: – Runner-Up
: – Ejected
Live shows
The live shows began on 8 October. Each week, the contestants' performances took place on Saturday and the results were announced on Sunday. As with previous series, each live show had a different theme. The results show often featured a group performance by the remaining contestants and guest live performances.
The first live results show included live performances from series 7 winner
Matt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English pop singer. He was born in Southampton and grew up in Halstead, Essex. Cardle has been involved in music since his early teens and has been a member of two different bands; Darwyn and ...
and
Cee Lo Green,
while
Katy Perry and
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to ...
performed on the second results show. On the third results show,
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
,
Professor Green
Stephen Paul Manderson (born 27 November 1983), better known by his stage name Professor Green or simply Pro Green, is an English rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, television personality and mental health activist from London.
Growing up on ...
featuring
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian father ...
and
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
performed. Series 7 contestant
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, "Swagger Jagger", was re ...
and ''
The X Factor USA
''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...
'' judge
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
performed on the fourth live result show. Series 5 runners up
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
Florence and the Machine performed on the fifth live results show, while
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and series 7 contestants
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
performed on the sixth. The seventh live show featured performances from
Rihanna and series 7 runner-up
Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. She began her acting career with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' (1999–2000) and went on to star in the slasher film ''Drowning Ghost'' (2004). She came to in ...
,.
The eighth live results show included performances from former contestant and ''
The Xtra Factor'' host
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
featuring
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
, and
Jessie J.
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
also appeared alongside the 16 finalists to perform this year's charity single, "
Wishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...
".
The semi-final live result show featured performances from
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
and ''The X Factor'' judge Rowland.
The live final featured performances from
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
,
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
,
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...
,
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
and
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
For the live finals, ''The X Factor'' received new graphics and theme music similar to those already introduced on ''
The X Factor USA
''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...
''. Voting by text message, which had been absent since 2007, was reintroduced for this series in addition to the premium rate telephone vote, but was not available during the final.
During the fourth week of the live shows, it was announced that Rowland was unable to travel back from Los Angeles due to a throat infection. During the week, it was announced that Burke would replace her as a judge on the show.
After Burke accepted the role as guest judge, she became the first
''X Factor'' contestant to return to the show as a judge.
It was reported on 28 June 2011 that the final would take place on 10 and 11 December 2011 at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...
instead of the usual
Fountain Studios
Fountain Studios was an independently owned television studio in Wembley Park, northwest London. The company was last part of the Avesco Group plc.
Several companies owned the site before it was bought by Fountain in 1993. Originally a film st ...
.
On 26 October 2011, Rhythmix announced that they would change their name due to pressure from a children's music charity of the same name, after the programme tried to trademark "Rhythmix" in Europe. It was reported that the group decided to make the change, despite no legal reason to do so, to avoid any difficulties for the charity. The name was subsequently changed to Little Mix.
On 28 October 2011, Ashley Baptiste decided to leave The Risk. In an interview on the official website, he explained "I don't believe my future lies in a boyband and it's not fair on
he other membersCharlie, Derry and Andy to remain in the band when I am not truly committed to it for the long term. I believe The Risk can win ''The X Factor'' and I'm backing them all the way. I count them as my friends so I know we'll stay in touch." He was replaced by Ashford Campbell, who was a member of
Nu Vibe, another manufactured boyband who had already previously been eliminated.
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was ejected from the competition, saying he "no longer
eserved hisplace in the show", having broken competition rules.
As a result, it was announced that the four contestants eliminated by their mentors in week 1; 2 Shoes, Amelia Lily, James Michael and Jonjo Kerr; would be given the chance to face a public vote, with the winner of the vote being reinstated in the competition. Amelia Lily won the public vote with 48% of the overall total and replaced Cocozza in the competition.
Results summary
;Colour key
Act in team Kelly
Act in team Gary
Act in team Tulisa
Act in team Louis
* There was no public vote in the first week and no final showdown. Each judge was required to eliminate one of their own acts.
* Rowland was not present due to illness but voted via telephone link from Los Angeles.
* Barlow was not required to vote as there was already a majority. However, he stated that he would have voted to eliminate Sophie Habibis in week 4, Johnny Robinson in week 5 and Janet Devlin in the quarter-final.
* Following Frankie Cocozza's ejection
from the competition, one of the four acts who were eliminated in the first week of the competition by the judges (2 Shoes, Amelia Lily, James Michael, or Jonjo Kerr) were given the chance to return to and replace Cocozza in the competition through a public vote.
The winner of the public vote was Amelia Lily with 48.8%.
* The voting percentages in the final for the Sunday Vote do not add up to 100%, owing to the freezing of votes. Amelia Lily received 8.9% of the final vote.
Live show details
Week 1 (8/9 October)
*Theme: Songs by British and American artists (billed as "Britain vs. America")
*Musical guests:
Matt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English pop singer. He was born in Southampton and grew up in Halstead, Essex. Cardle has been involved in music since his early teens and has been a member of two different bands; Darwyn and ...
("
Run for Your Life") and
Cee Lo Green ("
Satisfied/
Forget You
"Fuck You" (stylized as "Fuck You!" or "F**k You!"), known as "Forget You" or "FU" for the clean versions, is a song by American recording artist CeeLo Green. It was written as a collaboration among Green, Bruno Mars, the Smeezingtons, and Br ...
")
*Best bits songs: "
Use Somebody
"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album '' Only by the Night'' (2008), released on December 8, 2008.
The single received heavy airplay in Scandinavi ...
" (Jonjo Kerr),"
Fix You
"Fix You" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all four members of the band for their third studio album, '' X&Y'' (2005). It was released on 5 September 2005 as the second single from ''X&Y'' and reached number 4 on the ...
" (James Michael),"
I’ll Stand by You" (2 Shoes) & "
The Silence" (Amelia Lily)
*There was no public vote in the first week. Instead, each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate.
;Judges' decisions to eliminate
* Walsh: Jonjo Kerr – said he was the weakest performer in his category.
* Barlow: James Michael – thought the other three boys gave better performances than Michael.
* Tulisa: 2 Shoes – the decision came down to 2 Shoes and Nu Vibe, and Tulisa decided that Nu Vibe had more potential to improve.
* Rowland: Amelia Lily – the decision came down to Amelia Lily and Sophie Habibis; while Rowland felt that Lily had more of a star quality, she conceded that Habibis had given the better performance.
Week 2 (15/16 October)
*Theme: "
Love and heartbreak"
*Group performance: "
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich ...
"
*Musical guests:
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to ...
("
Lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...
") and
Katy Perry ("
The One That Got Away")
*Best bits song: "
Gold Forever
"Gold Forever" is a dance-pop song by British-Irish boy band The Wanted. It was produced by Steve Mac, who also co-wrote the song with Wayne Hector and Claude Kelly. It is the band's fourth overall single, and was released as the lead single ...
"
;Judges' votes to eliminate
* Barlow: Nu Vibe – gave no reason, though effectively backed his own act, Frankie Cocozza.
* Rowland: Nu Vibe – gave no reason.
* Tulisa: Frankie Cocozza – gave no reason, though effectively backed her own act, Nu Vibe.
* Walsh: Nu Vibe – backed the act he believed could improve the most despite criticizing both performances on Saturday.
Week 3 (22/23 October)
*Theme: Rock
*Musical guests:
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
("
Mr. Know It All"),
Professor Green
Stephen Paul Manderson (born 27 November 1983), better known by his stage name Professor Green or simply Pro Green, is an English rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, television personality and mental health activist from London.
Growing up on ...
featuring
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian father ...
("
Read All About It") and
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
("
Runaway Baby")
*Best bits song: "
One Moment in Time
"One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. It was released by Arista ...
"
;Judges' votes to eliminate
* Barlow: Sami Brookes – said that both acts were "unbelievable" in the final showdown, but felt that Brucknell was "more exciting" and Brookes was "a little bit dated", despite saying Brookes' voice is "undeniable".
* Rowland: Sami Brookes – gave no reason but later revealed on ''The Xtra Factor'' that Brucknell's entertainment was essential for the competition.
* Tulisa: Kitty Brucknell – thought Brookes had a better connection with her.
* Walsh: Sami Brookes – declined to send the result to deadlock and chose to go with his heart; later emphasizing on ''The Xtra Factor'' Brucknell's clear passion and commitment to being in the show and a recording artist.
However, voting statistics revealed that Brookes received more votes than Brucknell which meant that if Walsh sent the result to deadlock, Brookes would have been saved.
Week 4 (29/30 October)
*Theme: Halloween
*Group performance: "
Bright Lights Bigger City
"Bright Lights Bigger City" is the fourth single from American singer CeeLo Green's third studio album, '' The Lady Killer''. The song was produced by Ben H. Allen, co-produced by Graham Marsh, and written by Cee Lo, Tony Reyes, and Allen. The s ...
"
*Musical guests:
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, "Swagger Jagger", was re ...
("
With Ur Love
"With Ur Love" is a song by English singer Cher Lloyd featuring vocals from American singer Mike Posner. The single was released on 4 October 2011, and was written by Shellback, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and Posner and was produced by Shellba ...
") and
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
("
Try with Me
"Try with Me" is a song recorded by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from the re-release of her debut studio album, ''Killer Love'' (2011). The song was produced by Soulshock, Carsten "Soulshack" Schack, and written by Schack, Sean Hurl ...
")
*Best bits song: "
I Will Be"
Rowland did not appear on the judging panel for week 4 due to illness, so
series 5 winner
Alexandra Burke took her place on the panel. However, Burke did not vote on the results show; instead, Rowland voted via telephone link from Los Angeles. Rhythmix's new name 'Little Mix' took effect from Week 4.
Ashley Baptiste from The Risk quit the group and Ashford Campbell who was originally in Nu Vibe (eliminated Week 2) joined The Risk.
;Judges' votes to eliminate
*Walsh: Sophie Habibis – said that Misha B was a better performer.
*Tulisa: Sophie Habibis – said she related more to Misha B as an artist.
*Rowland: Sophie Habibis – felt that Misha B wanted to stay in the competition more than Habibis. Although Rowland was absent, she voted via telephone from
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
*Barlow was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but confirmed he would have eliminated Habibis.
However, voting statistics revealed that Habibis received more votes than Misha B which meant that if the result went to deadlock, Habibis would have been saved.
Week 5 (5/6 November)
*Theme: Club classics
*Group performance: "
Price Tag
A price tag is a label declaring the price of an item for sale. It may be a sticker or attached by twist tie or other means.
Some jurisdictions require items (possibly exceptions for bulk good and produce) to be individually marked with the pri ...
"
*Musical guests :
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
(
"Take a Chance on Me") and
Florence and the Machine ("
Shake It Out
"Shake It Out" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released as the first official single from their second studio album, ''Ceremonials'' (2011). It was written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, while production was ...
")
*Best bits songs: "
Safe" (The Risk) & "
Love Is a Losing Game" (Johnny Robinson)
*Two acts were eliminated from the series fifth results show. The three acts with the fewest public votes were announced as the bottom three and then the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated. The remaining two acts then performed in the final showdown for the judges' votes.
;Judges' votes to eliminate
*Walsh: Johnny Robinson – said that Brucknell was more likely to succeed in the music industry.
*Tulisa: Johnny Robinson – agreed with Walsh.
*Rowland: Johnny Robinson – also agreed with Walsh, and added that she felt Brucknell would "provide" the show with who she wanted to be as an artist.
*Barlow was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but confirmed he would have eliminated Robinson.
However, voting statistics revealed that Robinson received more votes than Brucknell which meant that if the result went to deadlock, Robinson would have been saved.
Week 6 (12/13 November)
*Theme: Songs by
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
or
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
(billed as "Lady Gaga vs. Queen")
*Group performance: "
Walking on Sunshine"
*Musical guests:
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
("
Gotta Be You")
and
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
("
Marry the Night
"Marry the Night" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga for her second studio album, '' Born This Way'' (2011). The track was initially released for promotion on '' FarmVille'', six days before the release of ''Born This ...
")
*Best bits song: "
Perfect"
On 8 November 2011, Frankie Cocozza was ejected from the competition.
The four acts that did not face the public vote in week 1 and were eliminated by their mentors—Amelia Lily, James Michael, Jonjo Kerr, and 2 Shoes—faced the public vote and the act with the most votes would replace Cocozza.
The winner of the vote was announced as Amelia Lily with 48.8% of the public vote.
;Judges' votes to eliminate
*Walsh: Misha B – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, Kitty Brucknell.
*Tulisa: Kitty Brucknell – said that after the show she would buy Misha B's album.
*Rowland: Kitty Brucknell – backed her own act, Misha B, who she felt had more potential in the competition.
*Barlow: Kitty Brucknell – said that Misha B had more potential and he thought that Brucknell was not connecting with the audience since this was her third time in the bottom two despite praising both final showdown performances and stating how Misha B and Brucknell were the most committed contestants and wanted to stay in the competition the most of all the remaining acts.
However, voting statistics revealed that Brucknell received more votes than Misha B which meant that if the result went to deadlock, Brucknell would have been saved.
Week 7 (19/20 November)
*Theme: Songs from films (billed as "movie week")
*Group performance: "
When You're Gone" (with
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
)
*Musical guests:
Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. She began her acting career with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' (1999–2000) and went on to star in the slasher film ''Drowning Ghost'' (2004). She came to in ...
("
Nothing's Real but Love") and
Rihanna ("
We Found Love
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...
")
* Best Bits song: "
Patience
(or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when face ...
"
;Judges' votes to eliminate
*Barlow: Amelia Lily – backed his own act, Craig Colton, and said that Lily had "shouted her way" through the final showdown.
*Rowland: Craig Colton – backed her own act, Amelia Lily, who she said properly sang her survival song.
*Tulisa: Amelia Lily – said that Colton sang better in the sing off.
*Walsh: Craig Colton – said Lily was "a worldwide ready-made pop star" and had more potential.
With both acts receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Craig Colton was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.
Week 8: Quarter-Final (26/27 November)
*Themes: Guilty pleasures; musical heroes
*Group performance: "
Wishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...
" (all finalists except Frankie Cocozza, along with
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
)
*Musical guests:
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
and
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
("
Dance with Me Tonight
"Dance with Me Tonight" is a single by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs, taken from his second studio album, ''In Case You Didn't Know''. It was released as the album's second single on 18 November 2011 and was written by Murs, Claude Kelly ...
") and
Jessie J ("
Who You Are")
* Best bits song: "
Your Song
"Your Song" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single.
"Your Song" was first released by American rock band Three Dog Night in M ...
"
Starting in the quarter-final, each act performed two songs with voting lines opening after the first round of performances.
;Judges' votes to eliminate
*Walsh: Janet Devlin – based on the performances across the quarter-final.
*Tulisa: Janet Devlin – based on the performances across the quarter-final, and thought Misha B had more long-term potential.
*Rowland abstained from voting as both her acts were in the bottom two, O'Leary warned Rowland this would mean Devlin would be eliminated by default as Walsh and Tulisa voted against her, but Rowland still declined to vote.
*Barlow was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but confirmed he would have voted to eliminate Devlin.
However, voting statistics revealed that Devlin received more votes than Misha B which meant that if the result went to deadlock, Devlin would have advanced to the semi-final and Misha B would have been eliminated.
Week 9: Semi-Final (3/4 December)
*Themes:
Motown; "songs to get you to the final" (no theme)
*Group performance: "
Hold On
Hold On may refer to:
Music Albums and EPs
* ''Hold On!'' (album), by Herman's Hermits, 1966
* ''Hold On'' (Trapeze album), or the title song, 1978
* ''Hold On'' (High Inergy album), 1980
* ''Hold On'' (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album), 1987
* ...
"
*Musical guests:
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
("
Mistletoe") and
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
("
When Love Takes Over
"When Love Takes Over" is a song by French record producer David Guetta with vocals by American singer Kelly Rowland, from Guetta's fourth studio album, '' One Love''. It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 April 2009 by Virgin R ...
" / "
Down for Whatever" / "
Commander")
* Best bits song: "
Set Fire to the Rain
"Set Fire to the Rain" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, '' 21'' (2011). The song was written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith while the production was handled by the latter. It became Adele's third ...
"
The semi-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the act with the fewest public votes, Misha B, was automatically eliminated. After her elimination, Misha B reprised her week 6 final showdown performance of "
Who You Are" as her exit song.
Week 10: Final (10/11 December)
The final was held at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...
and lasted for over four hours, split over Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December 2011.
10 December
*Themes: No theme; mentor duets
*Group performance: "
Greatest Day"
*Musical guests:
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
("
She Makes Me Wanna" / "
What Makes You Beautiful
"What Makes You Beautiful" is the debut single by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It served as their debut single and lead single from their debut studio album, '' Up All Night'' (2011). Written by Savan Kotecha and producer Rami Yacoub, ...
"),
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
("
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a pop song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 seasonal compilation album, ''A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector''. The song was written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Phil S ...
") and
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...
("
Hurt")
* Best bits song: "
Chances"
If Amelia Lily had made the final two, her favourite performance would have been, "
The Show Must Go On
"The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer phra ...
" from week six, and would have sung "
All I Want For Christmas Is You" for her Christmas song, as well as performing "
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
".
11 December
*Themes: Favourite performance ("song of the series"); Christmas songs; winner's single
*Group performance: "
We Found Love
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...
" / "
Party Rock Anthem
"Party Rock Anthem" is a song by American music duo LMFAO, featuring British singer Lauren Bennett and American music producer GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album '' Sorry for Party Rocking'' in 2011.
The sin ...
" / "
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her seventh studio album, '' Love?'' (2011). Featuring American rapper Pitbull, it was released by Island Records on February 8, 2011, as the lead single from the album. ...
" / "
Moves Like Jagger
"Moves like Jagger" is a song by American band Maroon 5 featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 21, 2011, as the fourth and final single from the re-release of the group's third studio album '' Hands All Over'' (2 ...
" / "
The Edge of Glory
"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her second studio album, '' Born This Way'' (2011). The song was released on May 9, 2011, as the album's third single. Initially released as one of two promotional singles for ''Bor ...
" (all contestants except Frankie Cocozza who was replaced by Goldie Cheung and David Wilder)
*Musical guests:
Westlife
Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...
("
What About Now") and
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
("
Charlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip '' Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American a ...
" and "
Paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in parad ...
")
* Best bits songs: "
Rule the World" (Marcus Collins) & "
I’ll Stand by You" (Little Mix)
Charity single
It was announced on 12 October 2011, that the 16 finalists would record a cover version of "
Wishing on a Star
"Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...
", released on 20 November in aid of
Together for Short Lives, a charity which Cowell said do "amazing work". It is the fourth time finalists have released a charity single.
Series 5 contestants
JLS
JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
and
series 7 contestants
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
also feature on the single.
Winner's single
The winner's single was
Damien Rice
Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success ...
's "
Cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
". For the first time since
series 1
The IBM Series/1 is a 16-bit minicomputer, introduced in 1976, that in many respects competed with other minicomputers of the time, such as the PDP-11 from Digital Equipment Corporation and similar offerings from Data General and HP. The Seri ...
, the winner's single was not released in the week of the coveted
Christmas number one
In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...
chart battle.
The Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
announced that the 2011 Christmas number-one would be announced on Christmas Day, meaning releases on 18 December would be new entries in the chart that week. Little Mix's winner's single was released on 14 December, which meant it would have to maintain significant sales numbers in its second week to achieve the Christmas number one. It was announced on 17 November that
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are an English hip hop trio from Camden Town, London, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the Wor ...
rapper
Fazer
Fazer () is one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry. The company was founded by Karl Fazer in 1891, as a "French-Russian confectionery" in central Helsinki. Today, it employs over ten thousand people across Finland, Sweden, R ...
would be producing the single.
Marks and Spencer deal
In September 2011, it was announced that
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
would be ''The X Factor'' official fashion partner. On 2 October 2011, it was revealed that the 16 finalists would star in the retailer's 2011 Christmas advertisement. It is a one-minute advertisement that premiered during week 5 of the live shows. The finalists recorded a cover of the song "
When You Wish upon a Star" to feature in the advert and modelled clothes from the company. The finalists will be paid for the advertisement. After his ejection from the competition, M&S announced that Frankie Cocozza's face would be edited out of the advert, as it wasn't possible to edit his voice from the advert. On 17 November 2011, M&S posted the latest edit of the advert to their official YouTube account, with Cocozza's vocals completely erased.
Reception
Ratings
Initial viewing figures for the first episode were placed at 11.3 million for ITV1, however, the peak audience was 12.6 million, a match for the highest viewing figures for an ''X Factor'' series opener, and almost 5 million more than ''
Doctor Who'' on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, the second-highest rated programme that night.
Despite a drop in ratings from the
previous series, it was the third most watched series in the show's eight-year history
The ITV+1 rating for the Live Results show that was broadcast on 23 October 2011 is unavailable as it is outside the Top 10 ratings recorded on the BARB website. It had fewer than 0.20 million viewers.
The ITV+1 rating for the Live Results show that was broadcast on 13 November 2011 is unavailable as it is outside the Top 10 ratings recorded on the BARB website. It had fewer than 0.19 million viewers.
Controversies
Allegation of bullying
Misha B was involved in a controversy during the third live show when Tulisa accused her of making "mean comments" and Walsh accused her of being a "bully" backstage. Both later apologised. The other two judges, Barlow and Rowland, and several contestants defended Misha B during and after the show. Barlow later said he believed the wrongful allegations had ended her chances of winning the competition.
Frankie Cocozza's ejection
On 8 November, Frankie Cocozza was ejected from the competition.
He released a statement saying "I'd like to apologise to Gary, my fellow contestants and everyone who has voted for me, but, as of today, I will no longer be in The X Factor. My life during the show has gone out of control and my behaviour off stage has overstepped the rules of the competition."
''The Sun'' newspaper claimed Cocozza had been overheard boasting about using
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
.
Cocozza's behaviour earlier in the series has led to two
Ofcom investigations – he swore during a live show and was also shown drinking heavily with some friends.
References
External links
''The X Factor''
{{DEFAULTSORT:X Factor British series 8
08
2011 in British music
2011 British television seasons
United Kingdom 08