The sixth season of Romanian television music competition X Factor—based on The X Factor series—started airing on September 9, 2016 on Romanian broadcaster Antena 1. Răzvan Simion and Dani Oțil are the hosts as in the previous five seasons, with Delia Matache, Horia Brenciu and Ștefan Bănică, Jr. returning to the judging panel with the addition of Carla's Dreams as the fourth judge.

Olga Verbiţchi won the competition and Carla's Dreams became the winning mentor.

Judges

Delia Matache

Delia Matache is a famous Romanian eurobeat singer-songwriter, TV celebrity, dancer, philanthropist, former model, fashion designer. She has started her stage music activity in 1999 in N&D music band with Nicolae Marin and had released 4 albums, and after the split off in 2003 she had released another two solo albums.

Horia Brenciu

Horia Brenciu is a Romanian singer, television host for the Romanian version of Dancing with the Stars, successful entertainer, and philanthropist. He studied at National College Andrei Şaguna from Braşov, then he continued to Şcoala Populară de Artă Braşov, at piano and canto class, and in 1998 he finished The Theater Academy in Bucharest.

Ștefan Bănică, Jr.

Ștefan Bănică, Jr. is a Romanian entertainer, of roma people origin from his father side, TV presenter, one of the most important Romanian TV personality, the son of actor Ștefan Bănică. He is well known in Romanian for presenting the Romania version of “Dancing with the Stars”, the most longevive dance competition ever aired in Romania, broadcast on Pro TV.

Carla's Dreams

Carla's Dreams is a Moldavian musical project which was started by Dobra Robertin 2012. The band is an anonymous group of singers and composers who sing in Romanian, Russian and English. During concerts, the band's vocalist, to hide his identity, wears hood and sunglasses, and his face is masked.

Established in Chișinău, Carla's Dreams combines several musical styles, including hip hop, jazz, rock and pop. The first song produced by Carla's Dreams was Dă-te ("Get Off"). Carla's Dreams has launched in Romania in 2013, along with Inna with the song P.O.H.U.I., later to sing with Loredana Lumea ta ("Your World"), and in 2015 with Delia, releasing songs Cum ne noi ("How We Us") and Da, mamă ("Yes, Mother").

Auditions

Audition process was based on the British and American version. First up were "The Producer's Audition", where the producers chose singers to proceed to the second phase which was "The Audition before the Judging panel".

+Summary of auditions City Auditions date Craiova May 5, 2016Arad May 7, 2016Cluj Napoca May 9, 2016Sibiu May 12, 2016Iași May 14, 2016Galați May 17, 2016Chișinău May 18, 2016Bucharest May 21, 2016

The auditions were broadcast from 9 September 2016 until 11 November 2016. The auditions consisted in 11 episodes.

Bootcamp This season, there will be four categories : Boys (14-24 years), Girls (14-24 years), Over 24s and Groups. The judges selected themselves which category they will mentor this season.

Brenciu will mentor the Over 24s, Bănică the Groups, Carla's Dream the Girls and Matache will mentor the Boys.

Complete Teams Color key – Eliminated in Four-chair challenge – Eliminated in Duels – Finalist – Wildcard

Category (mentor) Top 40 acts Boys(Matache)Raul Eregep Emilian NechiforAlex Mladin Johnny Bădulescu Rareş Cazacu Andrei Petruş Dragoş LucaRăzvan Moldovan Simion Caragia Cătălin Caragea Girls(Carla's)Izabela SimionOlga Verbiţchi Miruna Pânzaru Enrica Tara Anastasia Jantîc Lizuca BîguLetiţia Roman Alexandra Sîrghi Andreea Alupei Alexandra Tănăsoiu Over 24s(Brenciu)Loredana Anghelache Marcel Roşca Cezar Dometi Monica Prodea Aldo Blaga Eliza Georgescu Anca Pârlea Marco Sentieri Radu Hârşulescu Cecilia Cesario Groups(Bănică) 3 O'ClockApollo Doredos Estera & Rebeca Răzvan & Alecu Dorian Lupu & Cristina Baban Bogdan & Mugurel Nobil Band Crescendo Călin & Elis

Four-chair challenge This season, the categories will face the four-chair challenge. From the 40 acts competing, at the end of this round, only 16 acts will go further in the competition. Also this year there will be a "Golden Chair" where a mentor can send an act directly in the live shows.

The Four-Chair Challenge was broadcast between November 18 and November 30 and consisted in 4 episodes.

Color key – Contestant was immediately eliminated after performance without switch – Contestant was switched out later in the competition and eventually eliminated – Contestant was not switched out and made the final four of their own category

+ Contestants performances on the four-chair challenge Episode Category (mentor) Act Order Song Mentor's decision Switched with Episode 12 Over 24s (Brenciu) Aldo Blaga 1 "Careless Whisper" Put in chair 2 Marcel Roşca Eliza Georgescu 2 "They Just Keep Moving the Line" Put in chair 1 Loredana Anghelache Marco Sentieri 3 "Più bella cosa" Put in chair 3 Cezar Dometi Anca Pârlea 4 "Vreau să vii în viaţa mea" Put in chair 4 Monica Prodea Cecilia Cesario 5 "Try" Eliminated Radu Hârşulescu 6 "Virtual Insanity" Eliminated Cezar Dometi 7 "Never Tear Us Apart" Put in chair 3 — Monica Prodea 8 "Love Me Tender" Put in chair 4 — Loredana Anghelache 9 "Halo" Put in chair 1 — Marcel Roşca 10 "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" Put in chair 2 — Episode 13 Groups (Bănică) Dorian Lupu & Cristina Baban 1 "Breathe" Put in chair 4 Apollo Doredos 2 "Fragile" Put in chair 1 — Bogdan & Mugurel 3 "Copacul" Put in chair 2 Răzvan & Alecu Călin & Elis4 "Endless Love" Eliminated Crescendo 5 "We Are Young" Eliminated Nobil Band 6 "Mociriţă cu trifoi" Put in chair 3 Estera & Rebeca Estera & Rebeca 7 "Flashlight" Put in chair 3 — Răzvan & Alecu 8 "Don't Stop the Music" Put in chair 2 3 O'Clock Apollo 9 "You Don't Own Me" Put in chair 4 — 3 O'Clock 10 "Cele două cuvinte" Put in chair 2 — Episode 14 Girls (Carla's) Alexandra Tănăsoiu 1 "Cheap Thrills" Put in chair 1 Lizuca Bigu Andreea Alupei 2 "Black Widow" Put in chair 2 Letiţia Roman Miruna Pânzaru 3 "Who You Are" Put in chair 3 — Anastasia Jantîc 4 "Dangerous Woman" Put in chair 4 Olga Verbiţchi Lizuca Bîgu 5 "Stitches" Put in chair 1 Enrica Tara Letiţia Roman 6 "Impossible" Put in chair 2 Izabela Simion Alexandra Sîrghi 7 "Faded" Eliminated Izabela Simion 8 "Never Forget You" Put in chair 2 — Enrica Tara 9 "7 Years" Put in chair 1 — Olga Verbiţchi 10 "Take Me to Church" Put in chair 4 — Episode 15 Boys (Matache) Cătălin Caragea 1 "Sex on Fire" Eliminated Simion Caragia 2 "Lost on You" Put in chair 2 Johnny Bădulescu Andrei Petruş 3 "Photograph" Put in chair 3 Raul Eregep Alex Mladin 4 "Sorry" Put in chair 1 — Rareş Cazacu 5"Marie, Marie" Put in chair 4 Emilian Nechifor Johnny Bădulescu 6 "Earned It" Put in chair 2 — Răzvan Moldovan 7 "Inimi Desenate" Eliminated Dragoş Luca 8 "Damn Your Eyes" Eliminated Raul Eregep 9 "I Won't Let You Go" Put in chair 3 — Emilian Nechifor 10 "Lay Me Down" Put in chair 4 —

Duels At the end of this round there will be 8 acts remaining, two for each category.

The two winners for each mentor will advance to the Live shows.

Colour key:

- Artist won the Duel and advanced to the Live shows

- Artist lost the Duel and was eliminated

+ Contestants performances on the duels challenge Episode Category (mentor) Duel Act Order Song Result Episode 16 Boys (Matache)Duel 1 Raul Eregep 5 "A Change Is Gonna Come" Finalist Alex Mladin 6 "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" EliminatedDuel 2 Johnny Bădulescu 13 "De-ai fi tu salcie" Eliminated Emilian Nechifor 14 "Make It Rain" Finalist Girls (Carla's)Duel 1 Enrica Tara 3 "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" Eliminated Izabela Simion 4 "Jealous" Finalist Duel 2 Miruna Pânzaru 11 "Sledgehammer" Eliminated Olga Verbiţchi 12 "Chandelier" Finalist Over 24s (Brenciu)Duel 1 Cezar Dometi 15 "Caruso" EliminatedMarcel Roşca 16 "Cât de frumoasă ești" FinalistDuel 2 Monica Prodea 7 "Back to Black" EliminatedLoredana Anghelache 8 "Iubirea Schimbă Tot" Finalist Groups (Bănică)Duel 1 3 O'Clock 9 "Candyman" Finalist Doredos 10 "The Swinging Blue Jeans" EliminatedDuel 2 Estera & Rebeca 1 "Because of You" Eliminated Apollo 2 "Can't Hold Us" Finalist

Wildcard In this season, like Season 5, the public will have the chance to save one of the acts that competed in the Auditions. The most voted act will go directly to the Live Shows. In the first live show if one of the mentor decides to take him in his team, then he will go further in the competition, otherwise he will be sent home.

The winner of this season was Alex Mladin from the Boys Category.

Finalists The nine finalists will compete in the Live Shows.

– Winner – Runner-up – Third place

Category (mentor)Acts Boys (Matache)Raul Eregep Alex Mladin Emilian Nechifor Girls (Carla's) Izabela Simion Olga Verbiţchi Over 24s (Brenciu)Loredana Anghelache Marcel Roşca Groups (Bănică) 3 O'Clock Apollo

Live shows Results summary Color key  –Contestant was announced as the winner –Contestant has returned in the competition –Contestant was in the bottom three and had to sing again in the final showdown –Contestant was in the bottom three but received the fewest votes and was immediately eliminated –Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown)

+ Live shows results per contestant Contestant Live Show 1 Live Show 2 Live Show 3 Wildcard Elimination Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Olga VerbiţchiSafeSafeSafeSafeWinner Raul EregepSafeSafeSafeSafeRunner-Up Alex MladinReturned Gala 1SafeSafeSafe3rdEliminated (Gala 3) Marcel RoşcaBottom threeSafeBottom three4thEliminated (Gala 3) Loredana AnghelacheSafeSafeBottom threeEliminated (Gala 2) Emilian Nechifor SafeSafe6thEliminated (Gala 2) Izabela Simion Safe7thEliminated (Gala 2) 3 O'Clock Bottom threeEliminated (Gala 1) Apollo 9thEliminated (Gala 1) Final showdown rowspan="7" Marcel Roşca,3 O'Clock rowspan = 5 colspan = 1 Marcel Roşca,Loredana Anghelache rowspan = 5 colspan = 2 Brenciu's vote to eliminate 3 O'Clock Roşca Matache's vote to eliminate3 O'Clock Anghelache Bănică's vote to eliminateRoşcaAnghelache Carla's vote to eliminate3 O'Clock Anghelache EliminatedApolloby public vote Izabela Simionby public vote Emilian Nechiforby public voteAlex Mladinby public vote Raul Eregepby public vote 3 O'Clock by judges vote Loredana Anghelacheby judges vote Marcel Roşcaby public voteOlga Verbiţchiby public vote Reference(s)

Live show details

Live Show 1 - December 9, 2016 Theme: Romanian Gala Group performance: Medley ("Da-mi noptile inapoi", "Sa te gandesti la mine", "Focul", "Vreau o minune") Musical guests: Horia Brenciu ("Langa tine", "Fac ce-mi spune inima"), Carla's Dreams ("Sub pielea mea", "Ne bucuram in ciuda lor")

+ Contestants' performances on the first live show Act Order Song ResultRaul Eregep 1 "Multumesc iubita mama" Safe Apollo 2 "Pierdut buletin" Eliminated Marcel Roşca 3 "Pe aripi de vant" Bottom three Izabela Simion 4 "Cine iubeste si lasa / Marioara de la Gorj" Safe Loredana Anghelache 5 "Sa nu mi iei dragostea" Safe Emilian Nechifor 6 "Ana, zorile se varsa" Safe Olga Verbiţchi 7 "Constantine, Constantine" Safe 3 O'Clock 8 "Ce e dragostea?" Bottom threeAlex Mladin 9 "Ochii aia verzi" Safe Final showdown detailsMarcel Roşca 1 "Look into My Eyes" Safe 3 O'Clock 2 "The Way You Make Me Feel" Eliminated

Live Show 2: Semifinal - December 16, 2016