The X Factor UK poster

The X Factor UK

★ 4.4 5K votes 2004–2018 15 seasons · 446 episodes Canceled ITV1
Reality competitionReal people competing under format rules.This show: 10/10Music sceneMusicians, bands and the industry behind them.This show: 8/10
Rate this series
Ratings per Episode
246810
Votes per Episode
08152330

The X Factor UK Episode Ratings Heatmap

AvgE1E2E3E4E5E6E7E8E9E10E11E12E13E14E15E16E17E18E19E20E21E22E23E24E25E26E27E28E29E30E31E32E33E34
S14.83.86.06.06.34.34.33.84.75.15.34.65.34.64.34.15.34.44.35.95.34.35.34.35.6
S25.05.14.84.94.75.55.55.95.45.15.14.75.05.04.84.64.54.64.84.64.84.44.84.64.84.64.84.74.85.45.8
S34.65.34.44.54.64.34.24.24.45.14.54.54.14.44.24.64.74.34.04.45.04.44.44.64.44.64.64.74.45.15.7
S44.03.93.93.44.03.93.63.94.13.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.63.93.93.93.93.93.93.94.65.6
S55.16.56.45.45.85.45.55.45.55.15.14.55.15.85.15.15.14.24.25.55.54.24.24.24.25.14.24.24.24.65.9
S65.66.25.85.75.75.15.55.45.85.16.05.16.07.57.05.15.15.15.15.15.25.15.85.16.35.15.65.15.85.65.8
S77.27.15.97.66.76.47.96.86.67.37.47.66.67.57.17.67.57.16.97.57.07.57.47.17.47.16.86.67.77.67.2
S86.36.65.96.36.85.86.36.46.67.16.46.37.36.15.95.95.96.36.17.45.96.45.96.77.45.95.76.45.95.36.66.1
S96.27.16.56.36.36.25.96.25.96.06.06.56.85.85.95.86.45.96.25.65.85.86.26.16.45.95.86.15.76.06.46.9
S106.27.26.86.26.46.26.66.35.95.85.85.85.95.95.35.05.15.15.66.56.46.56.46.46.46.16.56.86.56.46.46.67.1
S116.47.37.06.66.46.36.66.26.36.66.56.56.86.97.06.56.06.36.26.36.45.55.26.96.75.86.16.26.26.67.16.46.65.76.4
S126.46.96.25.96.76.06.06.26.86.47.66.57.05.56.27.06.86.46.86.27.06.77.06.06.86.06.85.45.7
S136.05.26.26.26.75.96.16.06.25.45.34.74.26.36.76.56.95.95.85.65.06.55.06.15.65.95.97.06.07.67.56.86.2
S146.26.16.76.26.26.45.96.26.26.46.26.26.86.76.56.46.55.26.16.26.15.86.15.25.26.25.86.56.8
S156.76.07.06.16.96.66.56.86.76.87.06.97.36.66.47.16.46.46.56.36.66.76.26.85.86.96.87.57.1

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About

"Manufactured drama in service of genuine musical discovery"

A singing competition where hopeful contestants perform for a panel of celebrity judges, advancing through auditions, bootcamp, and live shows toward a recording contract. The show leans hard into manufactured drama: sob-story backstories, judge bickering, and audience voting theatrics. Musical performances range from genuinely thrilling to cringeworthy, often within the same episode. It's built for casual, appointment viewing rather than binging, with filler segments padding out the actual talent. Whether it works depends entirely on your tolerance for reality-TV artifice wrapped around real vocal talent.

Watch it for

the occasional breakout performance that reminds you why singing competitions became a genre.

Maybe skip if

you find manufactured backstories and judge theatrics more tedious than entertaining.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

▶
Season 12004
4.83412424h
▶
Season 22005
5.03813030h
▶
Season 32006
4.64303030h
▶
Season 42007
4.04032828h
▶
Season 52008
5.14203030h
▶
Season 62009
5.64263030h
▶
Season 72010
7.25763030h
▶
Season 82011
6.34553131h
▶
Season 92012
6.25153131h
▶
Season 102013
6.24723232h
▶
Season 112014
6.45633434h
▶
Season 122015
6.43612828h
▶
Season 132016
6.05973232h 12m
▶
Season 142017
6.25202828h 7m
▶
Series 152018
6.75642827h 46m

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

Louis Walsh Self - Judge
Simon Cowell Self - Judge, Self
Dermot O'Leary Self - Presenter
Sharon Osbourne Self - Judge, Self - Guest Mentor, Self - Judges' Expert
Peter Dickson Self - Voice Over, Voice Over, Self
Cheryl Self - Judge, Self - Guest Mentor, Self
Nicole Scherzinger Self - Judge, Self - Guest, Self - Guest Judge
Dannii Minogue Self - Judge
Gary Barlow Self - Judge, Self - Special Guest, Self
Kate Thornton Self - Presenter

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