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The X Factor from 4th September
The X Factor is on ITV1 on Saturday evenings.

The first show is at 7.35pm on Saturday 4th September and is repeated on ITV2.

Simon Cowell invited candidates aged 16 and upwards - including pensioners. "We're not specifically looking for a pop star of 80, but the age limit is off," he said.

The judges
There will be three judges: Simon Cowell; Louis Walsh, the Westlife manager and a judge on Popstars The Rivals; and Sharon Osbourne.

45,000 applications

Thousands of hopefuls have attended auditions around the country - and several have posted their comments on The X Factor forum.

Three categories for the three judges

The three judges attended some of the auditions in which the hopefuls competed for a spot in one of three categories: 16-25 solo, 25 and over solo and groups.

From the initial 45,000 applicants, just 120 will make it onto the next round, a two-day boot camp. Each judge will be responsible for one of the categories.

Just five acts from each category will be left standing at the end of boot camp. They will then visit the home of their judge, who - with the help of additional experts - will eliminate another two.

The three remaining acts in each category get to move on to the live finals.

A source told Broadcast magazine: "It will be like judge wars. Will Louis Walsh win the show or will Simon Cowell? They will be doing everything they can to win the Saturday night show and will pull out every trick in the book to do so."

"The judges are in competition as well as the artists," Simon Cowell said. "This time I'm going to be putting my reputation on the line as well."

Kate Thornton to host
Kate Thornton will host The X Factor on ITV1 and GMTV's Ben Shephard will host Xtra Factor on ITV2.

No 2004 Pop Idol

The X Factor will take the place of another Popstars or Pop Idol this year. Simon Cowell said Pop Idol had been given "a rest". The Guardian newspaper said that the future of Pop Idol is hanging in the balance.

Matt Johnson in finals
Matt Johnson, former singer with One True Voice is in the final round of The X Factor.

Louis Walsh, also a judge on Popstars: The Rivals, was so "impressed" with Matt that he helped him land a solo record deal with Jive Records after One True Voice split. Simon Cowell is head of A&R at Jive Records.

"Matt is definitely through to the finals but it’s supposed to be a big secret," a source told The Sun. "He turned up at one audition in the Midlands - even though he’s from the North West. Presumably he had to be seen to audition with everyone else. And surprise, surprise, he’s made it through to the next stage. Eventually he will face the public vote. But he’s certainly been given preferential treatment."


From:The Internet Forum

kate thornton to host!

can we possibly be more interrrrrrZZZZZZZ

Sorry, Jim D!!

I have just read this post again and it seems quite rude!!

I was not slagging your excellent story!!

I just don't like Kate Thornton very much!!

EDINBURGH, Scotland: Simon Cowell, the "Pop Idol" and "American Idol" judge audiences love to hate, turned his brutally critical eye on himself on Saturday and predicted the demise of his own fame.

"My act is going to run out fairly quickly. There's no question of that," Cowell said in a question and answer session at the International Television Festival in Edinburgh.

"I can do what I do on these shows, I can add some humor, some honesty, whatever, but I have no inclination to be doing this in five or 10 years time."

But Cowell, one of the highest paid British television celebrities, appears not to think audiences have tired of his sharp tongue. He is set to judge on another show of his own creation called "The X Factor," to air in September.

The program expands on the successful talent show format of "Pop Idol" by adding older contestants and letting groups, rather than just solo acts, compete for a record contract. Approximately 45,000 people auditioned.

"I'm bored of just watching 22-year-olds coming on to a talent show and saying, 'Make me famous'," Cowell said.

The blunt critic will be joined on "The X Factor" by Sharon Osbourne, the wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, and pop music impresario Louis Walsh, who judged on another talent show "Popstars: The Rivals."

Cowell, who worked in the music industry for two decades, expects the older contestants on "X Factor" might outshine the younger "because I think they have better stories to tell."

Asked whether "The X Factor" format would be taken to the United States, Cowell said only: "We'll see."
CNN

oh my god, i thought i saw him walking along George Street last week! thought it was just my imagination...!

Shaun’s ex joins X Factor

HAPPY Mondays singer Rowetta is one of the finalists on Simon Cowell’s The X Factor.

Other would-be stars on the talent show are upset that Rowetta, who dated frontman Shaun Ryder, has already tasted success.

But bosses of the ITV1 programme, which starts on Saturday, insist it is open to anyone.

An insider said: “Rowetta has an amazing voice and her success with the Happy Mondays doesn’t disqualify her.

“Some of the other wannabes were annoyed that she’d already had a crack at fame.

“Show bosses have been desperate to keep her name under wraps.”

The Mondays split in the early 1990s after Rowetta and Ryder had a huge row.

She has since appeared in the film 24 Hour Party People and worked as a DJ.
Sun

I really can't stand Sharon Osbourne or any of her damn offspring.

i dont mind Sharon, but Kelly is

Jack is the worst, I wanna tear the **** ear off, and only give it back to him if he does a dance for me, maybe I could put him on really hot flooring whilst naked... thats right, dance you ****** dance you ****** dance you ****** ...sorry, getting a little 'excited'.

I've also realised people throughout the net think kelly osbourne would be a great shag... , its hard to imagine, but her personality is more gross than her looks.

I may maybe completely wrong here, but do I detect a slight hint of dislike?

What makes me dislike Sharon is that it's obvious she pushes her kids a bit. Kelly's a crap singer and Jack does nothing, so what the hell are they famous for?

I also notice the kids Ozzy had with another woman don't milk Daddy's fame

The kids ozzy had with another woman are well fit , well, the girl is anyway...

What I don't like about Sharon is that she doesn't realise her kids are complete and utter w******... spoilt-brats... gagh, I seriously want to use Jack as a punchbag... ARGH!

The son is fit too. The ugly bits must come from Sharon!

And thats saying something...



...his ex must have been a stunner

Just like Dan Aykroyd (yeah, even I know he's no Brad Pitt). His kids actually look more like him though.

Bloody hell, I can't stand people who feed off the 'fame' of one family member.