The X Factor
Olly Murs looks back: ‘Our house was like Witham’s Got Talent, without the talent’
The singer and presenter on staying true to his Essex roots, X Factor fame and losing his friend Caroline Flack
Harriet Gibsone
03, Dec, 2022 @12:00 PM
How Emily Wilson turned her teenage X Factor humiliation into comedy gold
A brutal take-down on the TV talent show led Emily Wilson into therapy. A decade later, she has turned her grim experience into award-winning standup
Michael Segalov
27, Nov, 2022 @3:00 PM
Rylan Clark looks back: ‘I wanted people to notice me. After being bullied it was an act of defiance’
TV presenter Rylan Clark looks back at his X Factor audition and the time a school bully wanted a selfie
Harriet Gibsone
15, Oct, 2022 @11:00 AM
Emily Wilson review – a portrait of the artist as an X Factor wannabe
Wilson relives her tumultuous turn as a teenage talent show contestant armed with laughter and song, topped with a touching tribute to her plucky younger self
Brian Logan
20, Aug, 2022 @7:00 PM
Dermot O’Leary looks back: ‘I don’t remember having a bowl on my head for a haircut’
The TV presenter recreates an old photo and recalls his Irish household – and breaking into TV
Harriet Gibsone
16, Jul, 2022 @11:00 AM
Kim Kardashian for president! How my obsession with reality TV got out of control
From Wife Swap to Big Brother to Towie, Sirin Kale has been a proud and passionate reality TV addict since her tweens. But as she delved deeper for her new podcast, she came face to face with its dark side
Sirin Kale
13, May, 2022 @12:00 PM
‘I thought, what would Prince do?’ How we made Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
‘It came out a year after I won The X Factor. I was worried people might have forgotten me, but the song became so huge I still can’t explain it’
Interviews by Dave Simpson
14, Feb, 2022 @2:00 PM
Life after Will Young: how talent shows shaped Britain
Love them or loathe them, Pop Idol, The X Factor and their ilk have reshaped British culture
Barbara Ellen
29, Jan, 2022 @6:00 PM
Flashback – JLS: ‘X Factor was a crash course in this industry. Zero to hero in 10 weeks’
Aston, Marvin, JB and Oritsé recreate their audition photo and reflect on backflips, friendships, reuniting and turkey farming
Harriet Gibsone
04, Dec, 2021 @12:00 PM
Jesy Nelson on leaving Little Mix: ‘I felt everybody hated me’
The singer left one of the most successful girl bands of all time after a decade of relentless trolling. Now, as she prepares to go solo, she reveals why she’s ready to return to the spotlight on her own terms
Simon Hattenstone
21, Aug, 2021 @7:00 AM
Alexandra Burke: ‘I got asked to bleach my skin after X Factor’
Her career has taken her from pop success to Strictly and the stage. She discusses the pain of racist comments, the joy of duetting with Beyoncé – and the enduring influence of her late mother
Arifa Akbar
09, Aug, 2021 @5:00 AM
Pop maestro Simon Cowell finally bows to the public’s resounding ‘no’ vote | Rebecca Nicholson
The X Factor won’t be returning to our screens. It had long outstayed its welcome
Rebecca Nicholson
31, Jul, 2021 @4:30 PM
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