The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions.
The programmes are produced by executive producer Simon Cowell and his company SYCOtv. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality. The prize is usually a recording contract, in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but also for other highly ranked contestants.
The format creator is Simon Cowell who used to also judge and mentor on the UK series. The UK version is responsible for the launch of the internationally successful singer Leona Lewis. As of December 2011, there have been 58 winners of The X Factor around the world, the most recent being Little Mix from the UK.
Television stations in many countries, but especially the Scandinavian ones, have expressed an interest in showing the UK version, but have not been able to acquire the rights. This is due to legal issues as the British version of the show is only available in the UK and Ireland. The X Factor has completed its eighth UK series.
The similarities between The X Factor and Idol prompted Idol creator Simon Fuller, along with 19 Entertainment, to file a lawsuit against Cowell, SYCOtv, and FremantleMedia in 2004. An out-of-court settlement was reached in 2005 allowing Fuller to gain an executive producer status, a 10% share in The X Factor format, and preventing an American version until 2010.
Fuller later filed a lawsuit again in 2011 after SYCO, FremantleMedia, and Fox Broadcasting Company failed to fulfill the settlement of crediting him as an executive producer of The X Factor USA.
