X Factor is a Dutch television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It was shown Friday evenings on the RTL 4 Network in the Netherlands. The show aired between 2006 and 2013 and was produced by Blue Circle. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.
X Factor replaced the highly successful Idols, which was pulled from television after the third and fourth seasons.
In the initial televised audition phase of the show, contestants sang in front of the X Factor judges in the hope of getting through to the "boot camp". After a further selection process, the judges were each given a category to mentor and the chosen finalists then progress to the second phase of the competition in which the public vote on live performances. Judges have included pop singer and television host Gordon Heuckeroth, former Dolly Dots member Angela Groothuizen, Rapper Ali Bouali, and Alto saxophonist Candy Dulfer.
The first season of X Factor began in October 2006 and ran to February 2007. It was not as popular as Idols, and was won by Sharon Kips. The second season, running from January to May 2009, was more successful. It was won by Lisa Hordijk. The third season was won by Jaap van Reesema, Rochelle Perts won the fourth season, and the fifth season was won by Haris Alagic.
Format The show was primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, through appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. The single most important attribute that the judges were seeking, however, was the ability to appeal to a mass market of pop fans.
For the first season, the competition was split into three categories: Solo Singers aged 15–25, Solo Singers aged 26 and over, and Vocal Groups (including duos). After the first season, the 15 to 25 category was split into separate male and female sections, making four categories in all: 15–25 males ("Boys"), 15–25 females ("Girls"), Over 26s, and Groups.
There were five stages to the X Factor competition: Stage 1: Producers' auditions (these auditions decide who will sing in front of the judges) Stage 2: Judges' auditions Stage 3: X Campus Stage 4: Visits to judges' houses Stage 5: Live shows (finals)
Season summary To date, five seasons have been broadcast, as summarised below.
Contestant in "Henkjan Smits" Contestant in "Marianne van Wijnkoop" Contestant in "Henk Temming" Contestant in "Eric van Tijn" Contestant in "Gordon Heuckeroth" Contestant in "Angela Groothuizen" Contestant in "Stacey Rookhuizen" Contestant in "Ali B" Contestant in "Candy Dulfer"
Season Start Finish Winner Runner-up Other finalist(s) Winning Mentor Presenter(s) Main judges Guest judges 1 2 3 4 1Sharon Kips16–24sRichy Brown16–24sX6 Groups Henkjan Smits Wendy van Dijk Henkjan Smits Marianne van Wijnkoop Henk Temming rowspan="1" 216 Jan 20099 May 2009Lisa HordijkGirlsRachel KramerOver 25sJamal BijnoeBoysGordon Heuckeroth Wendy van DijkMartijn Krabbé Eric van Tijn Stacey Rookhuizen Angela Groothuizen Gordon Heuckeroth3 5 Feb 2010 29 May 2010Jaap van ReesemaBoysMaaike VosGirlsKelvin MuïsBoysAngela GroothuizenEdsilia Rombley (Show 7)Dony VerniantoOver 25s 4 28 Jan 2011 10 Jun 2011 Rochelle PertsGirls Adlicious GroupsRolf WienkBoysEric van TijnRuud de Wild (Show 8) Sim'Ran Groups 519 Apr 20135 Jul 2013Haris AlagicBoysAdriaan PersonsBoysB-Brave GroupsAngela Groothuizen Martijn Krabbé Ali B Candy Dulfer
Judges' categories and their contestants In each season, each judge was allocated a category to mentor and chose a small number of acts to progress to the live finals. This table shows, for each series, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live finals.
Key: – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold.
Season Henkjan Smits Marianne van Wijnkoop Henk Temming N/A One 15-25sSharon KipsRichy BrownChristian Link GroupsX6HeartsGroovin' Sound Over 26sAnja WesselsDorine BijlMelanie MackintoshRuben Thurnim Season Eric van Tijn Stacey Rookhuizen Angela Groothuizen Gordon Heuckeroth Two GroupsWhateverRev 'n RosK.L.E.M. BoysJamal BijnoeLuigiano PaalsLaurens Wauters Over 26sRachel KramerRoan HammingaIrma Derby GirlsLisa HordijkHester KootstraJennifer Terwel Three Over 26sDony VerniantoSarina KuipersJanna van den Broek GirlsMaaike VosSumera EspinelDaniëlle Penning BoysJaap van ReesemaKelvin MuïsMathijs Rumping GroupsBadBoyz4GrantedFierce Four GirlsRochelle PertsJessica MouginTania Christopher Over 26sPyke PosEd RuyerJantine Mak GroupsAdliciousSim'RanSway BoysRolf WienkTim SuyderhoudJesse Zwaan Series Ali Bouali Candy Dulfer Angela Groothuizen Gordon Heuckeroth Five GirlsMilou van EgmondClarissa Alberg Over 26sAstrid TanBrown Hill BoysHaris AlagicAdriaan Persons GroupsB-BraveOrpheus
Seasons
X Factor 1 (2007)
Colour key: –Act received the most public votes –A finalist who was in the Bottom 2 and had to sing again in the sing-off –The finalist who received the fewest votes and therefore was eliminated immediately (no sing-off)
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Sharon Kips 2nd15.13% 1st19.81% 2nd17.24% 2nd19.56% 1st31.79% 1st24.53% 1st35.03% 1st44.02% Winner75% Richy Brown 3rd12.21% 4th10.83% 3rd12.91% 3rd13.91% 3rd16.07% 2nd24.34% 2nd31.04% 2nd30.68% Runner-up25% X6 4th10.81% 3rd15.24% 5th10.75% 4th13.31% 2nd18.94% 4th16.32% 3rd21.14% 3rd25.33% Eliminated(Week 8) Anja Wessels 6th8.83% 6th8.82% 6th9.55% 6th7.53% 4th14.97% 3rd19.58% 4th12.79% Eliminated(Week 7) Christian Link 9th5.94% 7th7.38% 4th11.56% 5th9.91% 6th6.48% 5th15.23% Eliminated(Week 6) Dorine Bijl 1st20.73% 2nd17.00% 1st19.59% 1st31.30% 5th11.75% Eliminated(Week 5) Hearts 5th8.93% 5th10.25% 8th8.84% 7th4.48% Eliminated(Week 4) Melanie Mackintosh 8th6.22% 9th3.81% 7th9.16% Eliminated(Week 3) Ruben Thurnim 7th7.53% 8th3.81% Eliminated(Week 2) Groovin' Sound 10th3.67% Eliminated(Week 1) Final showdown Christian Link,Groovin Sound Melanie Mackintosh,Ruben Thurnim Hearts,Melanie Mackintosh Anja Wessels,Hearts Christian Link,Dorine Bijl Christian Link,X6 Anja Wessels,X6 No judges' vote or final showdown: public votes alone decide who is eliminated and who ultimately wins Smits' vote to eliminate Groovin' Sound Melanie Mackintosh Melanie Mackintosh Hearts Dorine Bijl X6 Anja Wessels Van Wijnkoop's vote to eliminate Groovin' Sound Ruben Thurnim Melanie Mackintosh Anja Wessels Dorine Bijl Christian Link Anja Wessels Temming's vote to eliminate Groovin' Sound Ruben Thurnim Hearts Hearts Christian Link Christian Link X6 Eliminated Groovin' Sound3 of 3 votes Majority Ruben Thurnim2 of 3 votes Majority Melanie Mackintosh2 of 3 votes Majority Hearts2 of 3 votes Majority Dorine Bijl2 of 3 votes Majority Christian Link2 of 3 votes Majority Anja Wessels2 of 3 votes Majority X625.33%to win Richy Brown25%to win Sharon Kips75%to win
X Factor 2 (2009)
Colour key: –A finalist who was in the Bottom 2 and had to sing again in the sing-off –The finalist who received the fewest votes and therefore was eliminated immediately (no sing-off)
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Round 1 Round 2 Lisa Hordijk Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner(Week 8) Rachel Kramer Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Safe Safe Runner-up(Week 8) Jamal Bijnoe Safe Safe BottomTwo Safe BottomTwo Safe Safe 3rd Eliminated(Week 8) Roan Hamminga Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 4th Eliminated(Week 7) Whatever Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 5th Eliminated(Week 7) Hester Kootstra 11th 3.25% Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 6th Eliminated(Week 7) Luigiano Paals Safe BottomTwo Safe BottomTwo Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 6) Rev 'n Ros Safe Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 5) Irma Derby Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 4) Laurens Wauters Safe Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 3) Jennifer Terwel Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 2) K.L.E.M. 12th 2.9% Eliminated(Week 1) Final showdown Hester Kootstra,K.L.E.M. Jennifer Terwel,Luigiano Paals Jamal Bijnoe,Laurens Wauters Irma Derby,Luigiano Paals Jamal Bijnoe,Rev 'n Ros Luigiano Paals,Rachel Kramer No judges' vote or final showdown: public votes alone decide who is eliminated and who ultimately wins Judges voted to Eliminate Van Tijn's vote Hester Kootstra Jennifer Terwel Jamal Bijnoe Irma Derby Jamal Bijnoe Luigiano Paals Rookhuizen's vote Hester Kootstra Jennifer Terwel Laurens Wauters Irma Derby Rev 'n Ros Rachel Kramer Groothuizen's vote K.L.E.M. Jennifer Terwel Laurens Wauters Luigiano Paals Rev 'n Ros Luigiano Paals Heuckenroth's vote K.L.E.M. Luigiano Paals Laurens Wauters Irma Derby Rev 'n Ros Luigiano Paals Eliminated K.L.E.M.2 of 4 votesDeadlock Jennifer Terwel3 of 4 votesMajority Laurens Wauters3 of 4 votesMajority Irma Derby3 of 4 votesMajority Rev 'n Ros3 of 4 votesMajority Luigiano Paals3 of 4 votesMajority Hester KootstraBottom Jamal BijnoeBottom Rachel Kramer31%to win WhateverBottom Lisa Hordijk69%to win Roan HammingaBottom
X Factor 3 (2010)
Colour key: –A finalist who was in the Bottom 2 and had to sing again in the sing-off –The finalist who received the fewest votes and therefore was eliminated immediately (no sing-off)
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Round 1 Round 2 Final Jaap van Reesema Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner(Week 8) Maaike Vos Safe 9th 4.9%Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Runner-up(Week 8) Kelvin Muïs Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Safe 6th BottomTwo Safe 3rd Eliminated(Week 8) Dony Vernianto Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 4th Eliminated(Week 8) BadBoyz Safe Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 7) Sumera Espinel Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 5th Eliminated(Week 6) Daniëlle Penning BottomThree Safe BottomTwo Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 5) Sarina Kuipers Safe Safe Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 4) Mathijs Rumping Safe Safe BottomTwo Eliminated(Week 3) 4Granted Safe 10th 3.9% Eliminated(Week 2) Fierce BottomThree Eliminated(Week 1) Janna van den Broek BottomThree Eliminated(Week 1) Final showdownDaniëlle Penning,Fierce,Janna vd Broek4Granted,Maaike Vos Daniëlle Penning,Mathijs Rumping Kelvin Muïs,Sarina Kuipers BadBoyz,Daniëlle Penning Kelvin Muïs,Sumera Espinel BadBoyz,Kelvin Muïs No judges' vote or final showdown: public votes alone decide who is eliminated and who ultimately wins Judges voted to Send through Eliminate Van Tijn's vote Janna vd Broek 4Granted Mathijs Rumping Kelvin Muïs Daniëlle Penning Sumera Espinel BadBoyz Rookhuizen's vote Daniëlle Penning 4Granted Mathijs Rumping Sarina Kuipers BadBoyz Kelvin Muïs BadBoyz Groothuizen's vote Daniëlle Penning Maaike Vos Daniëlle Penning Sarina Kuipers Daniëlle Penning Sumera Espinel BadBoyz Heuckenroth's vote Fierce Maaike Vos Mathijs Rumping Sarina Kuipers Daniëlle Penning Sumera Espinel Kelvin Muïs1 EliminatedFierce1 of 4 votesMinority 4Granted2 of 4 votesDeadlockMathijs Rumping3 of 4 votesMajority Sarina Kuipers3 of 4 votesMajority Daniëlle Penning3 of 4 votesMajority Sumera Espinel3 of 4 votesMajority BadBoyz3 of 4 votesMajority Dony VerniantoBottom Kelvin MuïsBottom Maaike Vos49%to winJanna vd Broek1 of 4 votesMinority Jaap van Reesema51%to win Notes *1 Gordon didn't attend the 7th live show so Edsillia Rombley replaced him. Therefore, Edsillia was the one who cast the vote for him.
X Factor 4 (2011)
Colour key: –Act received the most public votes –A finalist who was in the Bottom 2 and had to sing again in the sing-off –The finalist who received the fewest votes and therefore was eliminated immediately (no sing-off)