The X Factor

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

The good, the bad and Harry Styles: X Factor’s most memorable entrants
As ITV confirms it has no plans for a new series, we take a look back at some of the characters that the show foisted on the world
Kevin Rawlinson
29, Jul, 2021 @5:54 PM

It’s a no from me: ITV confirms The X Factor will not be back
No plans for a new series, says broadcaster, with Simon Cowell reportedly not keen to carry on
Kevin Rawlinson and agency
29, Jul, 2021 @2:57 PM

Little Mix: Confetti review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week
(RCA/Columbia)
Liberated from Simon Cowell, Britain’s biggest girl band are free to make the music they want. But it sounds strangely familiar…
Liberated from Simon Cowell, Britain’s biggest girl band are free to make the music they want. But it sounds strangely familiar…
Alexis Petridis
05, Nov, 2020 @12:00 PM

Alexandra Burke says music industry told her to bleach her skin
X Factor star also says she was told not to wear braids in order to appeal to a white audience
Ben Beaumont-Thomas
20, Jun, 2020 @3:22 PM

From Big Brother to Strictly and The X Factor, reality TV has a black women problem
Misrepresentation of black women is all over television, but talent shows create the perfect storm of anxiety viewing – and don’t look set to change any time soon
Yomi Adegoke
17, Jun, 2020 @12:00 PM
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