The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The first series was broadcast from 4 September to 11 December 2004. The competition was split into several stages: auditions, bootcamp, judges' homes and live shows, with Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell as judges. Kate Thornton presented the show on ITV, whilst Ben Shephard presented the spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2.
Auditions were held in Dublin, Newcastle, London, Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Steve Brookstein won the series, with Cowell as the winning mentor. Brookstein went on to have some chart success, with runner-up group G4 achieving two platinum albums before splitting up in 2007, but reuniting in 2014.
Selection process
Applications and auditions Before the auditions, advertisements appeared on ITV, newspapers, and trade magazines, promising that the new show would encourage groups to join, and while the emphasis was on singing, would welcome those who played musical instruments and wrote their own songs. The show would differentiate itself from its predecessor, Pop Idol.
For the first episode of auditions, which aired on 4 September 2004, the judges visited Leeds and London. The second episode aired on 11 September 2004 in which the judges visited Newcastle. The third aired on 18 September 2004, the fourth on 25 September 2004 and the fifth on 2 October 2004.
Bootcamp and judges' houses After the auditions, each judge was allocated a category at random:
Simon Cowell: Over 25s Sharon Osbourne: 16-24s Louis Walsh: Groups
Each judge chose 12 acts from their category to go through to round two. After bootcamp, each judge selected five acts to progress to the judges' homes round. The bootcamp episodes aired on 9 and 16 October 2004.
In judges' homes, the 15 acts went to the homes of their respective judges, where they were interviewed and performed again. Each judge then chose three acts to go through to the live shows, making a total of nine contestants.
Bootcamp Tasks per Category
16-24s:
Location: Hackney Empire
Task 1: Perform "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder in lines of 10.
Task 2: Giving a solo performance of one of these two chosen songs below: "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" "Midnight Train to Georgia"
Task 3: Interviews in front of the press and talking about their personal lives.
Task 4: Choose one song from The Beatles back-catalogue and perform it in front of their competitors and Sharon.
Groups:
Location: Angel Recording Studios
Task 1: Perform a song of their own choosing in front of Louis and his team.
Task 2: Write an original song entitled "Right Now" that must contain all these five words: Dreams Hope Anticipation Chance All the Way
Task 3: Learn a new song overnight
Task 4: Sing a song that they think that showcases all of their members voices to the best of their ability.
Over 25s:
Location: The Landmark London
Task 1: Both the females and males perform one song of their choice separately one at a time with the opposite gender watching their performance.
Task 2: Learn a new song overnight with another member of the category to perform as a duo.
Task 3: Perform a song that will convince Simon and his panel that they are capable of moving on to the next round.
Judges Houses Performances (Groups and 16-24s)
16-24s: Cassie: "Anyone Who Had a Heart" Megan: "Fly Me to the Moon" Andy: "Try a Little Tenderness" Roberta: "Cry Me a River" Tabby: "Maggie May"
Groups: Voices With Soul: "I Will Always Love You" 2 to Go: "From This Moment On" 4Tune: Original Song Advance: "To Love Somebody" G4: "Creep"
+Summary of judges' houses Judge Category Location Assistants Acts Eliminated Cowell Over 25s London Annie Skates, Sinitta Odis Palmer, Lloyd Wade Osbourne 16-24s Buckinghamshire Mark Hudson, Terry Longden, Jack Osbourne Megan Ramsay, Andy Steed Walsh Groups Dublin Linda Martin, Faye Sawyer, David Laudat 4Tune, Advance
Acts
Key: – Winner – Runner-Up
ActAge(s)HometownCategory (mentor)ResultSteve Brookstein35LondonOver 25s (Cowell)WinnerG4 22-24VariousGroups (Walsh)Runner-upTabby Callaghan23County Sligo, Ireland16-24s (Osbourne)3rd placeRowetta Satchell38Manchester Over 25s (Cowell)4th placeCassie Compton17North London16-24s (Osbourne)5th placeVoices with Soul25-42Luton Groups (Walsh)6th place2 to Go23-24Notts7th placeVerity Keays51Grimsby, LincolnshireOver 25s (Cowell)8th placeRoberta Howett23Dublin, Ireland16-24s (Osbourne)9th place
Live shows
Format Two live shows were broadcast each Saturday evening during the competition. Until week 5, each act performed once in the first show, then the public voted for the act that they wanted to remain in the show. In the other results show, the two acts with the fewest votes were revealed. These two acts then had to sing again before the three judges decided whom to eliminate.
The format changed in the sixth week: each act performed twice in the first show and performed one of their songs in the results show. The act with the fewest votes was eliminated at the end of the second show.
The live shows started on 23 October 2004 and ended on 11 December 2004.
Results summary Colour key Act in 16-24s
Act in Over 25s
Act in Groups
–Act was in the bottom two and had to sing again in the final showdown –Act received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown) –Act received the most public votes
+Weekly results per act Act Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Quarter-Final Semi-Final Final Steve Brookstein Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner G4 Safe Safe Safe Bottom Two Safe Safe SafeRunner-Up Tabby Callaghan Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom Two Safe 3rd Eliminated(semi-final) Rowetta Satchell Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 4th Eliminated(quarter-final) Cassie Compton Safe Safe Safe Safe Bottom Two Eliminated(week 5) Voices with Soul Bottom Two Safe Bottom Two Bottom Two Eliminated(week 4) 2 to Go Safe Bottom Two Bottom Two Eliminated(week 3) Verity Keays Safe Bottom Two Eliminated(week 2) Roberta Howett Bottom Two Eliminated(week 1) Final Showdown Howett,Voices with Soul 2 to Go,Keays 2 to Go,Voices with Soul G4,Voices with Soul Callaghan,Compton No final showdown or judges' votes; results were based on public votes aloneWalsh's vote to eliminate (Groups) Howett Keays 2 to Go Voices with Soul ComptonOsbourne's vote to eliminate (16-24s) Voices with Soul Keays 2 to Go Voices with Soul None (abstained)Cowell's vote to eliminate (Over 25s) Howett 2 to Go N/A G4 Compton Eliminated Roberta Howett 2 of 3 votesMajority Verity Keays2 of 3 votes Majority 2 to Go2 of 2 votesMajority Voices with Soul2 of 3 votesMajority Cassie Compton2 of 2 votesMajority Rowetta SatchellPublic voteto save Tabby Callaghan Public voteto save G4Public voteto win Cowell was not required to vote as there was already a majority.
Live show details
Week 1 (23 October)
Best Bits song: "Beautiful"
+ Acts' performances on the first live showActOrderSong (Original artist)Result Voices with Soul 1"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson)Bottom Two Verity Keays2"I Will Always Love You" (Dolly Parton)Safe Roberta Howett3"Superstar" (Carpenters)Eliminated 2 to Go4"Don't Know Much" (Linda Ronstadt) Safe Steve Brookstein5"When a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge) Cassie Compton6"Alfie" (Cilla Black) G47"Everybody Hurts" (R.E.M) Rowetta Satchell8"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield) Tabby Callaghan9"You Really Got Me" (The Kinks)
Judges' votes to eliminate Walsh: Roberta Howett – backed his own act, Voices with Soul. Osbourne: Voices with Soul – backed her own act, Roberta Howett. Cowell: Roberta Howett – based on the final showdown performances, but felt that neither act deserved to be in the bottom two.
Week 2 (30 October)
Best bits song: "Over The Rainbow"
+ Acts' performances on the second live showActOrderSongResult Rowetta Satchell1"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2)Safe 2 to Go2"Always" (Atlantic Starr)Bottom Two Cassie Compton3"Without You" (Mariah Carey)Safe Verity Keays4"Wind Beneath My Wings" (Bette Midler)Eliminated G45"Don't Look Back in Anger" (Oasis) Safe Tabby Callaghan6"My Oh My" (Slade) Steve Brookstein7"If You Don't Know Me by Now" (Simply Red) Voices with Soul8"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin)
Judges' votes to eliminate Walsh: Verity Keays – backed his own act, 2 to Go. Cowell: 2 to Go – backed his own act, Verity Keays. Osbourne: Verity Keays – gave no reason.
Week 3 (6 November)
Best bits song: "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" + Acts' performances on the third live showActOrderSongResult Tabby Callaghan1"Addicted to Love" (Robert Palmer)Safe Voices with Soul2"Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel)Bottom Two Steve Brookstein3"Smile" (Charlie Chaplin)Safe 2 to Go4"(I've Had) The Time of My Life"(from Dirty Dancing) Eliminated Cassie Compton5"I Say a Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick) Safe Rowetta Satchell6"Over the Rainbow" (Judy Garland) G47"...Baby One More Time" (Britney Spears)
Judges' votes to eliminate Osbourne: 2 to Go – gave no reason. Walsh: 2 to Go – said he did not want to send either of his acts home. He asked to vote last but Thornton pressed him for his decision. Cowell was not required to vote as there was already a majority.
Week 4 (13 November)
Best bits song: "That's What Friends Are For"
+ Acts' performances on the fourth live showActOrderSongResult G41"Circle of Life" (Elton John)Bottom Two Rowetta Satchell2"MacArthur Park" (Donna Summer) Safe Tabby Callaghan3"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"(Aerosmith) Voices With Soul4"Lady Marmalade" (Labelle)Eliminated Cassie Compton5"Hero" (Mariah Carey) Safe Steve Brookstein6"Help Me Make It Through the Night" (Kris Kristofferson)
Judges' votes to eliminate Osbourne: Voices with Soul – based on the final showdown performances, and believed that G4 had a future in a recording career. Cowell: G4 – gave no reason. Walsh: Voices with Soul – said he did not want to send either of his acts home, saying the result was worse than last week; he tried to back out but Thornton forced him for his decision.
Week 5 (20 November)
Best bits song: "Goodbye"
+ Acts' performances on the fifth live showActOrderSongResult Steve Brookstein1"Let's Stay Together" (Al Green)Safe Cassie Compton2"All by Myself" (Eric Carmen)Eliminated G43"My Way" (Frank Sinatra)Safe Tabby Callaghan4"Sweet Child o' Mine" (Guns N' Roses)Bottom Two Rowetta Satchell5"Somewhere" (from West Side Story)Safe
Judges' votes to eliminate Walsh: Cassie Compton – originally gave no reason, but when asked said he believed Callaghan could win the competition. Osbourne abstained from voting as both acts were in her category. Thornton tried to remind her of her duty to vote between her acts as Walsh did in the previous two results shows, but Osbourne still refused to vote against either of her acts, citing her loyalty to both of them. Following this, Thornton warned Cowell that if he voted to eliminate Callaghan, the result would revert to the public vote to decide who would be eliminated. Cowell: Cassie Compton – wanted to win the competition and believed Callaghan was his biggest threat but after deliberating on whether to eliminate either Callaghan or Compton, who he felt was the weakest, opted to vote against Compton.
Week 6: Quarter-Final (27 November)
Best bits song: "She"