The X Factor (British TV series) series 13

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The X Factor
Series 13
Hosted by Dermot O'Leary (ITV)
Matt Edmondson (ITV2)
Rylan (ITV2)
Judges
Winner Matt Terry
Winning mentor Nicole Scherzinger
Runner-up Saara Aalto
Finals venue The SSE Arena, Wembley
Release
Original network
Original release27 August (2016-08-27) 
11 December 2016 (2016-12-11)
Series chronology
 Previous
Series 12
Next 
Series 14
List of episodes

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The thirteenth series began airing on ITV on Saturday 27 August 2016 and ended on Sunday 11 December 2016. [1] Dermot O'Leary returned to present the main show on ITV for the ninth time to replace Olly Murs and Caroline Flack, who left after series 12. Simon Cowell was the only judge from the 12th series to return; Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh all returned, replacing Rita Ora, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Nick Grimshaw. Matt Edmondson and Rylan Clark-Neal replaced Rochelle Humes and Melvin Odoom as hosts of The Xtra Factor, which was rebranded as The Xtra Factor Live and was broadcast live twice every week, with Roman Kemp making appearances as a digital presenter and social media reporter. Matt Terry was announced the winner on 11 December 2016, making Scherzinger the winning mentor for the second time. Saara Aalto finished second.

Judges and Presenters

Judges and Presenter(s) for The X Factor Series 13
Mel B (32151327546) (cropped1).jpg
Mel B(Guest)
Rylan Clark 2024 (cropped).jpg
Rylan(ITV2)

On 18 February 2016, series 12 judge Nick Grimshaw announced that he would not come back for another series on the judging panel. [2] On 5 April 2016, it was confirmed that Cheryl would not return as a judge. [3] Rita Ora confirmed she was leaving the judging panel on 10 May 2016. [4] On the same day, it was reported that former judges Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh may return to join Simon Cowell on the judging panel to collectively replace Ora, Cheryl and Grimshaw. [5] Walsh confirmed he had signed a contract on 15 May 2016. [6] The judging line-up was officially confirmed as Cowell, Walsh, Osbourne and Scherzinger on 1 June 2016. [7]

On 22 February 2016, during an interview with The Sun , Olly Murs, who had co-hosted the previous series with Caroline Flack, confirmed his decision to quit the series to focus on his music. In a statement, Murs stated, "This was an incredibly hard decision to make and one I didn't take lightly as I've really enjoyed co-hosting The X Factor." [8] Following Murs' decision to exit the series, Flack confirmed she would exit as well, stating, "I have had a brilliant time working on The X Factor over the last few years, and hosting the main show was just fantastic – I made some amazing friends." [9] On 29 March 2016, it was confirmed that Dermot O'Leary would return to present The X Factor on ITV for the ninth time, after having quit the previous year, and said he was "very flattered to be asked back". For series 12, O'Leary was replaced by Murs and Flack, but the viewing numbers fell and O'Leary was asked back. Richard Holloway, boss of Thames, said he was "a much-loved part of The X Factor and one of the best presenters in the business", while Kevin Lygo, ITV's Director of TV, said he was "an important part of the ITV family". [10] [11] On 27 June 2016, it was confirmed that Matt Edmondson will be the new host of The Xtra Factor replacing Rochelle Humes and Melvin Odoom. [12] On 1 July 2016, it was confirmed that Rylan Clark-Neal will co-host alongside Edmondson, [13] and that Capital FM DJ Roman Kemp would be a digital presenter and social media reporter. [14] Mel B joined the panel for one day of London auditions in lieu of Scherzinger. [15] Osbourne was absent in the Edinburgh auditions and was not replaced by a guest judge.

Selection process

Auditions

The minimum age to audition this year was 16. Contestants needed three or more 'yeses' from the four judges to progress to Bootcamp. [16]

Mobile auditions

In addition to the producers' auditions, the "Mobile Audition Tour" took place throughout the UK and Ireland. Auditions ran between 7 March and 30 April 2016, and visited Skegness, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Peterborough, Telford, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Sunderland, Nottingham, Middlesbrough, Leicester, Coventry, Ipswich, Scarborough, Chelmsford, Northampton, Southend-on-Sea, Hull, Milton Keynes, Essex, York, Isle of Man, Swindon, Portsmouth, Bognor Regis, Bristol, Blackpool, Preston, Weston-Super-Mare, Brighton, Newquay, Wigan, Truro, Hastings, Exeter, Margate, Yeovil and Maidstone. [17] [ unreliable source? ]

Open auditions

Producers auditions commenced on 7 April in Glasgow and ended on 14 May in Liverpool. [18] [ unreliable source? ]

Audition cityOpen audition date [18] Open audition venue [18]
Glasgow 7 April 2016 Hampden Park
Birmingham 9–10 April 2016 St Andrew's
Cardiff 17 April 2016 Holland House
Dublin 24 April 2016 RDS Arena
Newcastle upon Tyne 27 April 2016 St James' Park
London1 May 2016 ExCeL London
Manchester 7 May 2016 EventCity
Liverpool 14 May 2016 ACC Liverpool

Judges' auditions

Cities in the United Kingdom where the judges' auditions were held.
Cities in Ireland where the judges' auditions were held.

Originally, the format for auditions was announced to return to that of series 10 and 11, with both room auditions and consequent arena auditions before bootcamp. [19] However, the arena auditions were scrapped at the end of June, towards the end of the filming of the room auditions. [20] The auditions started on 10 June in Leicester [21] and continued in Manchester on 13 June. [22] The next auditions took place on 17 June in London where Mel B was a guest judge in place of Scherzinger, while Scherzinger had other commitments. [23] Contestant Philip Hadlow did not progress to Bootcamp, but judged one audition in Walsh's place.[ citation needed ] Subsequent auditions were held in London on 19 June, with Scherzinger returning, [24] before moving to Edinburgh on 23 June [25] and Dublin on 1 July. [26] Selected auditions were broadcast over seven episodes, between 27 August and 17 September 2016.

Notable auditionees this series included Rebekah Ryan, who had UK chart success in the 1990s as an independent artist and previously auditioned in series 4, reaching bootcamp,[ citation needed ] Saara Aalto, who was the runner-up on series 1 of The Voice of Finland , [27] and actor Will Rush. [28]

Summary of judges' auditions
CityDate(s)VenueChanges to judging line-up
Leicester 10 June 2016 King Power Stadium
Manchester 13–14 June 2016 Old Trafford Cricket Ground
London17 June 2016 ExCeL London Mel B (in lieu of Nicole Scherzinger)
18–19 June 2016
Edinburgh 23 June 2016 Assembly Rooms Sharon Osbourne absent
Dublin 1 July 2016 Croke Park
London6 July 2016 Alexandra Palace

Bootcamp

Bootcamp took place at Alexandra Palace from 6 to 8 July 2016. [29] [30] It was broadcast in a single episode on 18 September 2016. The contestants all chose a song from a wall with sheets of paper attached. Each song appeared three times and the three acts who picked the same song would perform that song as a group. Immediately after each performance, the judges would either put the acts through or eliminate them immediately. 121 acts were successful in this part, and the judges then deliberated to cut the number of contestants down further, to decide who would reach the six-chair challenge. [31] At the end of Bootcamp, the judges discovered which categories they would mentor: Cowell was given the Girls, Scherzinger was given the Boys, Osbourne was given the Over 25s and Walsh was given the Groups. [32]

Six-chair challenge

The six-chair challenge took place from 9 to 12 July, at The SSE Arena, Wembley. [33] It was broadcast over two episodes on 24 and 25 September. [34] [35] [36] [37] Scherzinger and Cowell chose their final six acts during Saturday's show, while Osbourne and Walsh picked their acts during Sunday's show. [38] [39] [40] [41]

Judges' houses

Filming for judges' houses took place in late August and early/mid September. The locations and guest judges were officially confirmed on 21 September 2016. Walsh was assisted in Ibiza by Fleur East and Alesha Dixon, Cowell went to Malibu with Mel B and Emma Bunton, Osbourne went to her Los Angeles home where she was joined by Robbie Williams, and Scherzinger went to Nice with Calvin Harris. [42] Ivy Grace Paredes, who was originally selected as one of Osbourne's over-25s at the six-chair challenge, withdrew from the competition because her visa would not be issued in time, [43] and she was replaced by Honey G. [44] Four more acts were chosen as wildcards to go to judges' houses. Walsh chose Samantha Lavery for Cowell, Cowell chose Ryan Lawrie for Scherzinger, Scherzinger chose Saara Aalto for Osbourne and Osbourne chose Yes Lad for Walsh. [45] [ unreliable source? ]

The judges houses episodes were broadcast on 1 and 2 October 2016.

Judges Houses Performances

Boys:

Girls:

Groups:

Over 25s

Summary of judges' houses
JudgeCategory [32] LocationAssistantsActs Eliminated
Simon CowellGirls Malibu Mel B and Emma Bunton Soheila Clifford, Olivia Garcia, Kayleigh Marie Morgan, Caitlyn Vanbeck
Sharon OsbourneOver 25sLos Angeles Robbie Williams Samantha Atkinson, Janet Grogan, Christopher Peyton, James Wilson
Nicole ScherzingerBoys Southern France Calvin Harris Christian Burrows, James Hughes, Niall Sexton, Nate Simpson
Louis WalshGroups Ibiza Fleur East and Alesha Dixon Skarl3t, Tom and Laura, Yes Lad

Acts

Key:

  – Winner
  – Runner-Up
  – Withdrew
ActAge(s)HometownCategory (mentor)Result
Matt Terry 23 Kent Boys (Scherzinger)Winner
Saara Aalto 29 Oulunsalo, FinlandOver 25s (Osbourne)Runner-Up
5 After Midnight 20–23 East London Groups (Walsh)3rd Place
Emily Middlemas 18 Glasgow Girls (Cowell)4th Place
Honey G 35 Harrow Over 25s (Osbourne)5th Place
Ryan Lawrie20 Coatbridge Boys (Scherzinger)6th Place
Sam Lavery17 County Durham Girls (Cowell)7th Place
Four of Diamonds 17–22 Southampton Groups (Walsh)8th Place
Gifty Louise20 Ghana / London Girls (Cowell)9th Place
Relley C27 Birmingham Over 25s (Osbourne)10th Place
Freddy Parker18 Ashford Boys (Scherzinger)11th Place
Brooks Way17 Cardiff Groups (Walsh)12th Place
Bratavio23 & 25 Leamington Spa & Southampton Groups (Walsh)13th Place

Live shows

The live shows began on 8 October 2016, with the performance shows taking place on Saturday night and the results show airing on Sunday night. On 1 October, it was revealed that all the groups would undergo name changes. The new names were revealed as Bratavio (Bradley & Ottavio), Brooks Way (The Brooks) and 5 After Midnight (5AM). [46] The live shows were all filmed at Fountain Studios in London, apart from the live final and final results show, which were filmed at Wembley Arena. This was the last series to be filmed at Fountain Studios, and the semi-final results show and the following episode of The Xtra Factor were the last programmes to be recorded in the studios before its demolition. [47] [48]

New for this series, the first five results shows revealed the acts in the bottom three of the votes, and there was then a second round of 'flash votes' which lasted approximately four minutes, with voting only available via the official The X Factor mobile app. The act who topped this vote avoided the sing-off. [49] Also new, the theme for each week, excluding week 1, is randomly selected via a "jukebox wheel" at the end of the previous week's show, which is spun by O'Leary (apart from week 6, when it was spun by Ant & Dec, during a live link-up from Australia).[ citation needed ] Themes include "Disco", "Movies", "Fright Night", "80s", "Divas", "Motown", "Girlband vs Boyband" and "Louis loves"—named after Louis Walsh. [50] During the sixth live show, it was revealed that viewers would have a chance to suggest a theme for the jukebox. [51] During the seventh live results show, the new theme was revealed as "Christmas". [52]

On 10 October 2016, Brooks Way confirmed that they would not be taking part in the show after being absent from the first live show. In a statement released by the official website to confirm their exit, Josh Brooks said, "Due to events in my personal life I've decided that it's best not to be on the show at this time. While not everything that has been claimed is true I would like to apologise to everyone involved." [53] A spokesperson for the show added, "Following the allegations relating to Josh Brooks, we have decided by mutual consent that Brooks Way should leave the competition." [53] The same day, it was confirmed that Four of Diamonds, who previously made Judges' Houses, would be replacing Brooks Way. Speaking of their second chance in the competition, the girls said that they "are so excited to be back" and "looking forward to performing live, working hard and showing everyone what they are made of". Speaking about why he brought the girl group back, groups mentor Walsh stated that he was "impressed with the girls" but only had "three spots in the live shows". At the time of the episode airing, many viewers were disappointed that they were not chosen and he stated that he'd "listened to the fans" and was "delighted to be bringing the girls back." [54]

Musical guests

Each results show features guest performances, with some guests performing during the main performance show. Performers included 2012 The X Factor winner James Arthur on the first results show, [55] the cast of Motown: The Musical on the second live show, [56] OneRepublic and 2011 winners Little Mix on the second results show, [57] Busted, Shawn Mendes and John Legend on the third live results show, [58] 2015 winner Louisa Johnson and Bruno Mars on the fourth live results show, [59] Emeli Sandé and Robbie Williams on the fifth live results show, [60] Sister Sledge on the sixth live show, [61] 2009 runner up Olly Murs and Nathan Sykes on the sixth live results show, [62] the cast of School of Rock , [63] Craig David and Alicia Keys on the seventh live results show, [64] and Busted [65] Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie [66] on the eighth live results show, Zara Larsson [67] and Lady Gaga [68] on the semi-final live results show, The Weeknd, [69] Louis Tomlinson featuring Steve Aoki and Honey G in the first final performances show, and Kylie Minogue, [70] Madness and Little Mix featuring Charlie Puth [71] in the final results show.

Results summary

Colour key

  Act in Boys

  Act in Girls

  Act in Over 25s

  Act in Groups

  Act was in the bottom two/three and had to perform again in the sing-off
  Act was in the bottom three but was saved by voters in the lifeline vote and did not have to perform in the sing-off
  Act received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no survival)
  Act received the most public votes
  Act was ejected from performing but remained in the competition
Weekly results per act [72]
Act Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Quarter-final Semi-final Final
Saturday VoteSunday Vote
Matt Terry1st
22.2%
1st
19.5%
1st
17.8%
2nd
18.7%
1st
16.7%
3rd
16.7%
1st
21.1%
3rd
21.2%
3rd
22.5%
2nd
33.4%
Winner
48.5% 3
Saara Aalto9th
5.3%
9th
6.4%
2nd
13.7%
3rd
11.3%
6th
9.4%
2nd
18.4%
2nd
20.1%
1st
23.7%
1st
28.8%
1st
35.3%
Runner-up
40.4% 3
5 After Midnight2nd
13.3%
2nd
15.6%
4th
11.5%
4th
10.6%
2nd
15.5%
1st
19.0%
3rd
17.5%
4th
20.3%
2nd
26.6%
3rd
31.3%
Eliminated
(final)
Emily Middlemas3rd
11.9%
3rd
11.0%
3rd
11.9%
1st
18.7%
3rd
15.3%
4th
13.4%
4th
16.8%
2nd
22.6%
4th
22.1%
Eliminated
(semi-final)
Honey G4th
10.9%
4th
9.3%
5th
9.4%
6th
9.2%
5th
11.6%
5th
11.7%
6th
11.2%
5th
12.2%
Eliminated
(quarter-final)
Ryan Lawrie8th
6.2%
10th
4.6%
8th
7.4%
7th
8.7%
4th
14.1%
6th
11.1%
5th
13.3%
Eliminated
(week 7)
Sam Lavery5th
9.8%
5th
8.8%
6th
8.1%
5th
10.1%
8th
8.5%
7th
9.7%
Eliminated
(week 6)
Four of DiamondsEliminated
(judges’ houses) 2
6th
7.3%
10th
6.1%
9th
6.1%
7th
8.9%
Eliminated
(week 5)
Gifty Louise7th
6.6%
8th
6.4%
7th
7.9%
8th
6.6%
Eliminated
(week 4)
Relley C6th
7.8%
7th
6.6%
9th
6.2%
Eliminated
(week 3)
Freddy Parker10th
3.4%
11th
4.5%
Eliminated
(week 2)
Brooks WayEjectedWithdrew
(week 2)
Bratavio11th
2.6%
Eliminated
(week 1)
Lifeline Vote1stParker
52.0%
Lawrie
37.9%
Lawrie
37.9%
Lawrie
41.2%
Lavery
46.1%
No Lifeline Vote
2ndAalto
38.5%
Aalto
32.0%
Relley C
36.0%
Louise
35.0%
Four of Diamonds
27.3%
3rdBratavio
9.5%
Parker
30.0%
Four of Diamonds
26.1%
Four of Diamonds
23.8%
Aalto
26.6%
Final ShowdownAalto,
Bratavio
Aalto,
Parker
Four of Diamonds,
Relley C
Four of Diamonds,
Louise
Aalto,
Four of Diamonds
Lavery,
Lawrie
Honey G,
Lawrie
5 After Midnight,
Honey G
Middlemas,
Terry
No sing-off or judges' votes: results were based on public votes alone
Judges voted toEliminateSend Through
Walsh's vote (Groups)AaltoParkerRelley CLouiseAaltoLawrieLawrieHoney GTerry
Osbourne's vote (Over 25s)BratavioParkerFour of DiamondsLouiseFour of DiamondsLaveryLawrie5 After MidnightTerry
Scherzinger's vote (Boys)BratavioAaltoRelley CLouiseFour of DiamondsLaveryHoney GHoney GTerry
Cowell's vote (Girls)BratavioAaltoRelley CFour of DiamondsFour of DiamondsLawrieLawrieHoney GMiddlemas
EliminatedBratavio
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Freddy Parker
2 of 4 votes
Deadlock
Relley C
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Gifty Louise
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Four of Diamonds
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Sam Lavery
2 of 4 votes
Deadlock
Ryan Lawrie
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Honey G
3 of 4 votes
Majority
Emily Middlemas
1 of 4 votes
Minority
5 After Midnight
31.3%
to save
Saara Aalto
40.4%
to win
Reference(s) [73] [57] [74] [59] [75] [76] [77]

Live show details

Week 1 (8/9 October)

It was announced at the beginning of Saturday's live show that Brooks Way would not be performing. A spokesperson for the show said: "Due to circumstances that have arisen, Brooks Way will not be appearing on tonight's show." [80]

Acts' performances on the first live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [81] Song [81] Result [73]
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)1"Can't Stop the Feeling!"Safe
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)2"Impossible"
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)3"Let It Go"Bottom Three
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)4"Perfect"Safe
Gifty LouiseGirls (Cowell)5"That's My Girl"
Relley COver 25s (Osbourne)6"Shackles (Praise You)"
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)7"You Don't Own Me"Safe (Highest Votes)
Freddy ParkerBoys (Scherzinger)8"Killing Me Softly"Bottom Three; Saved By Lifeline Vote
BratavioGroups (Walsh)9"Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!"/"Barbie Girl"Bottom Three
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)10"Closer"Safe
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)11"California Love"
Brooks WayGroups (Walsh)Did Not PerformN/A 1 Withdrew On 10 October 2016
Sing-off details [73]
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)1"Alive"Saved
BratavioGroups (Walsh)2"The Only Way Is Up"Eliminated

^1 Brooks Way were suspended from performing on only the first week. They withdrew the day after the first result show. They were due to perform "Cake by the Ocean". Brooks Way were then later replaced by Four of Diamonds.

Judges' votes to eliminate [73]
  • Walsh: Saara Aalto – backed his own act, Bratavio.
  • Osbourne: Bratavio – effectively backed her own act, Saara Aalto.
  • Scherzinger: Bratavio – based on the sing-off performances.
  • Cowell: Bratavio – based on the sing-off performances.

Week 2 (15/16 October)

On 10 October 2016, Brooks Way confirmed that they would no longer be taking part in the show after being absent from the first live show. [53] It was later confirmed that Four of Diamonds, who were eliminated at Judges' Houses, would replace them. [54]

Acts' performances on the second live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [56] Song [56] Motown ArtistResult [57]
Freddy ParkerBoys (Scherzinger)1"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Bottom Three
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)2"Stop! In the Name of Love" The Supremes Safe
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)3"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye Safe (Highest Votes)
Relley COver 25s (Osbourne)4"Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers Safe
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)5"Hello" Lionel Richie
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)6"Get Ready"/"Reach Out I'll Be There" The Temptations
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)7"Superstition" Stevie Wonder Bottom Three; Saved By Lifeline Vote
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)8"Mo Money Mo Problems" The Notorious B.I.G. Safe
Gifty LouiseGirls (Cowell)9"Rockin' Robin" Jackson 5
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)10"River Deep – Mountain High" Tina Turner Bottom Three
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)11"You Keep Me Hangin' On" The Supremes Safe
Sing-off details [57]
Freddy ParkerBoys (Scherzinger)1"Stay"Eliminated
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)2"Run"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [57]
  • Scherzinger: Saara Aalto – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Freddy Parker.
  • Osbourne: Freddy Parker – backed her own act, Saara Aalto.
  • Walsh: Freddy Parker – gave no reason.
  • Cowell: Saara Aalto – said the decision was harder than last week and chose to go with his gut.

With the acts in the sing-off receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Freddy Parker was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes. [57]

Week 3 (22/23 October)

Acts' performances on the third live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [82] Song [82] DivaResult [74]
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)1"Rolling in the Deep" Adele Bottom Three; Saved By Lifeline Vote
Gifty LouiseGirls (Cowell)2"Lay Me Down" Sam Smith Safe
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)3"Valerie" Amy Winehouse
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)4"Earth Song" Michael Jackson
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)5"I'll Be There" The Jackson 5 Safe (Highest Votes)
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)6"Ice Ice Baby"/"Under Pressure" Queen/David Bowie/Vanilla Ice Safe
Relley COver 25s (Osbourne)7"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Aretha Franklin Bottom Three
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)8"How Will I Know" Whitney Houston Safe
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)9"Lady Marmalade"/"Bang Bang" Labelle/Jessie J/Ariana Grande/Nicki Minaj Bottom Three
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)10"It's Oh So Quiet" Björk Safe
Sing-off [74]
Relley COver 25s (Osbourne)1"I Can't Make You Love Me"Eliminated
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)2"Who Are You"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [74]
  • Walsh: Relley C – backed his own act, Four of Diamonds, who he said had more potential.
  • Osbourne: Four of Diamonds – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Relley C.
  • Scherzinger: Relley C – based on the sing-off performances.
  • Cowell: Relley C – said that Four of Diamonds had more potential.

However, voting statistics revealed that Relley C received more votes than Four of Diamonds which meant that if Cowell sent the result to deadlock, Relley C would have been saved.

Week 4 (29/30 October)

Acts' performances on the fourth live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [86] Song [86] Result [59]
Gifty LouiseGirls (Cowell)1"I'm in Love with a Monster"Bottom Three
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)2"I Put a Spell on You"Safe
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)3"Thriller"
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)4"Men in Black"
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)5"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"Bottom Three; Saved By Lifeline Vote
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)6"Total Eclipse of the Heart"Safe
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)7"Bad Romance"
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)8"Ghost"Bottom Three
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)9"Creep"Safe (Highest Votes)
Sing-off [59]
Gifty LouiseGirls (Cowell)1"A Song for You"Eliminated
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)2"The Voice Within"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [59]
  • Cowell: Four of Diamonds – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, Gifty Louise. However, he did initially say Louise's name in response, before backtracking.
  • Walsh: Gifty Louise – backed his own act, Four of Diamonds, who he said had more potential.
  • Scherzinger: Gifty Louise – gave no reason.
  • Osbourne: Gifty Louise – gave no reason.

However, voting statistics revealed that Louise received more votes than Four of Diamonds which meant that if Osbourne sent the result to deadlock, Louise would have been saved.

Week 5 (5/6 November)

During the fifth live results show, O'Leary confirmed that the final 8 would be part of The X Factor UK Live Tour 2017. [88]

Acts' performances on the fifth live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [87] Song [87] BandResult [75]
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)1"I'm Your Man" Wham! Safe (Highest Votes)
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)2"I'll Stand by You" The Pretenders Bottom Three, Saved By Lifeline Vote
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)3"Jump" Kris Kross Safe
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)4"Twist and Shout" The Beatles
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)5"Hold On" Wilson Phillips Bottom Three
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)6"Sound of the Underground" Girls Aloud
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)7"What Makes You Beautiful" One Direction Safe
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)8"Say You'll Be There" Spice Girls
Sing-off [75]
Four of DiamondsGroups (Walsh)1"When You Believe"Eliminated
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)2"Who You Are"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [75]
  • Walsh: Saara Aalto – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, Four of Diamonds.
  • Osbourne: Four of Diamonds – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Saara Aalto.
  • Scherzinger: Four of Diamonds – based on the sing-off performances.
  • Cowell: Four of Diamonds – said he thought Four of Diamonds would be safe based on their first performance but concluded that Aalto was more likely to consistently improve following a bad week.

However, voting statistics revealed that Aalto and Four of Diamonds received more votes than Lavery which meant that if Aalto won the lifeline vote, Lavery would have faced Four of Diamonds in the final showdown and in that scenario, if the result went to deadlock, Lavery would have been eliminated. In addition, if Four of Diamonds won the lifeline vote, Lavery would have faced Aalto in the final showdown and in that scenario, if the result went to deadlock, Lavery would have been eliminated.

Week 6 (12/13 November)

It was revealed during the sixth live show that the lifeline vote would not return for the remainder of the series. [91]

Acts' performances on the sixth live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [89] Song [92] Result [76]
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)1"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"Safe
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)2"I Will Survive"Bottom Two
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)3"Play That Funky Music"
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)4"Boogie Wonderland"/"September"Safe (Highest Votes)
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)5"Best of My Love"Safe
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)6"Wishing on a Star"
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)7"Stayin' Alive"
Sing-off [76]
Sam LaveryGirls (Cowell)1"No More Drama"Eliminated
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)2"Stop Crying Your Heart Out"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [76]
  • Cowell: Ryan Lawrie – gave no reason, but effectively backed his own act, Sam Lavery.
  • Scherzinger: Sam Lavery – gave no reason, but effectively backed her own act, Ryan Lawrie.
  • Walsh: Ryan Lawrie – stated that Lavery was who he picked as Cowell's wildcard.
  • Osbourne: Sam Lavery – could not decide so chose to take the vote to deadlock; although while deliberating, she appeared as though she was going to vote against Lawrie due to him being in the bottom three three times prior; but she eventually said Lavery's name, indicating she was voting to eliminate Lavery.

With the acts in the sing-off receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Sam Lavery was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes. [76]

Week 7 (19/20 November)

Acts' performances on the seventh live show
ActCategory (mentor)Order [93] Song [93] Film [93] Result [77]
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)1"Jailhouse Rock" Jailhouse Rock Bottom Two
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)2"Try a Little Tenderness" The Commitments Safe
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)3"My Heart Will Go On" Titanic
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)4"Writing's on the Wall" Spectre Safe (Highest Votes)
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)5"It's Like That"/"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" Keith Lemon: The Film / The Last Days of Disco Bottom Two
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)6"It Must Have Been Love" Pretty Woman Safe
Sing-off [77]
Ryan LawrieBoys (Scherzinger)1"Lego House"Eliminated
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)2"Get Ur Freak On"/"Work It"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate [77]
  • Cowell: Ryan Lawrie – despite Lawrie being his wildcard choice for Scherzinger, he felt that Honey G wanted to stay in the competition more. He did however say that he thought it should go to deadlock.
  • Osbourne: Ryan Lawrie – backed her own act, Honey G.
  • Scherzinger: Honey G – backed her own act, Ryan Lawrie.
  • Walsh: Ryan Lawrie – gave no reason.

However, voting statistics revealed that Lawrie received more votes than Honey G which meant that if Cowell sent the result to deadlock, Lawrie would have advanced to the quarter-final and Honey G would have been eliminated.

Week 8: Quarter-Final (26/27 November)

For the first time this series, the acts performed two songs. [94]

Acts' performances in the quarter-final
ActCategory (mentor)Order [94] First song ("Louis Loves") [94] Order [94] Second song (own choice) [94] Result
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)1"Secret Love Song, Pt II"6"Alive"Safe
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)2"The Winner Takes It All"10"Diamonds Are Forever"/"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"Safe (Highest Votes)
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)3"U Can't Touch This"/"Super Freak"8"Push It"/"Black Beatles"Bottom Two
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)4"Uptown Funk"7"Sorry"/"One Dance"
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)5"Toxic"9"Human"Safe
Sing-off
Honey GOver 25s (Osbourne)1"California Love"Eliminated
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)2"Beneath Your Beautiful"Saved
Judges' votes to eliminate
  • Walsh: Honey G – backed his own act, 5 After Midnight, saying they were better than Honey G.
  • Osbourne: 5 After Midnight – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Honey G.
  • Scherzinger: Honey G – gave no reason.
  • Cowell: Honey G – said that he had to do what the public would expect, and that Honey G had gone as far as she could in the competition; and although he expected 5 After Midnight to be in the sing-off, he believed that they would continue to improve in the competition.

Week 9: Semi-Final (3/4 December)

Acts' performances in the semi-final
ActCategory (mentor)OrderChristmas Song [95] OrderSong To Get into The Final [95] Result
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)1"Silent Night"6"Say You Love Me"Bottom Two
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)2"Stay Another Day"8"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"Safe
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)3"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"5"Mad World"Bottom Two
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)4"White Christmas"/"All I Want for Christmas Is You"7"Chandelier"Safe (Highest Votes)
Sing-off
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)1"Hurt"Saved
Emily MiddlemasGirls (Cowell)2"Wings"Eliminated
Judges' votes to send through to the final
  • Cowell: Emily Middlemas – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, Emily Middlemas.
  • Scherzinger: Matt Terry – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Matt Terry.
  • Walsh: Matt Terry – gave no reason.
  • Osbourne: Matt Terry – gave no reason.

Week 10: Final (10/11 December)

10 December
Acts' performances on the Saturday Final
ActCategory (mentor)OrderFirst song [96] OrderSecond song (duet)Result
5 After MidnightGroups (Walsh)1"Crazy in Love"4"Tears" (with Clean Bandit and Louisa Johnson)Eliminated
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)2"Take Me Home"5"Purple Rain" (with Nicole Scherzinger)Safe
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)3"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"6"Bohemian Rhapsody" (with Adam Lambert)Safe (Highest Votes)

5 After Midnight received the fewest public votes and was automatically eliminated.

11 December
Acts' performances on the Sunday Final
ActCategory (mentor)OrderSong of the series [97] Originally Performed in..OrderSong to winResult
Saara AaltoOver 25s (Osbourne)1"It's Oh So Quiet"Live Show 33"I Didn't Know My Own Strength"Runner-up
Matt TerryBoys (Scherzinger)2"Writing's on the Wall"Live Show 74"One Day I'll Fly Away"Winner

Following the announcement that Terry had won, he performed his winner's single, "When Christmas Comes Around".

Winner's single

On 4 December 2016, it was announced that all VAT from the winner's single would be donated to charity, meaning that the charities Together for Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase would receive 100% of all profits from sales of the single. It is the sixth year running that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has waived VAT on The X Factor's winner's single. [99]

Reception

Ratings

EpisodeAir dateDuration
(minutes) [100] 1
Official rating
(millions inc. HD & +1) [101] ,2
Weekly rank [101] ,3
Auditions 127 August908.522
Auditions 228 August607.934
Auditions 33 September6010.053
Auditions 44 September609.074
Auditions 510 September609.022
Auditions 611 September608.513
Auditions 717 September609.212
Bootcamp18 September908.173
Six-chair challenge 124 September1108.734
Six-chair challenge 225 September1208.525
Judges' houses 11 October1108.594
Judges' houses 22 October907.835
Live show 18 October1207.577
Live results 19 October607.398
Live show 215 October1207.0114
Live results 216 October607.3411
Live show 322 October1107.1218
Live results 323 October607.2215
Live show 429 October1107.0413
Live results 430 October606.9219
Live show 55 November1006.7224
Live results 56 November607.1312
Live show 612 November907.1815
Live results 613 November606.9118
Live show 719 November857.1017
Live results 720 November606.7323
Live show 826 November1106.6327
Live results 827 November606.5528
Live show 93 December906.6722
Live results 94 December606.7021
Live final10 December1256.3524
Live final results11 December1257.569
Series average20167.62
1 Includes advert breaks
2 The ratings over a 7-day period, including the broadcasts on ITV, ITV HD, ITV+1 and streaming through ITV Hub.
3 The rank for the combined ITV, ITV HD and ITV+1 broadcasts, compared with all channels for that week, from Monday to Sunday.

Controversy and criticism

Brooks Way's withdrawal

Just hours before the first live show, duo Brooks Way, consisting of twin brothers Kyle and Josh Brooks, were suspended from the competition, over allegations that Josh had been violent with his ex-girlfriend Amelia Clark, allegedly breaking her nose and kicking her in the face during a New Year Eve party earlier in the year. It was reported throughout the weekend that Josh was regularly beating up Kyle. Kyle and Amelia came to Josh's defence, saying respectively that the allegations were false and that they were written by a friend and fan who chose to exploit from the show. During the broadcast, presenter Dermot O'Leary acknowledged the brothers' absence stating that it was due to "circumstances that have arisen".

The following Monday, the duo released a statement saying that they were withdrawing from the competition, from "mutual consent" with the producers, whilst denying the "false allegations" and saying that "truth always wins". [102] They were replaced by girl group, Four of Diamonds later that week. [103]

Fix claims

The X Factor were forced to deny that the competition was fixed when nightclub Kittys & Kandy, in Kirkcaldy, posted on Facebook that Honey G would be performing there on 10 December 2016, the same night as the show's final. The post was deleted and the venue said they had secured the date in case Honey G was eliminated before that date, but a spokesperson for The X Factor said, "This story is not true and there is no foundation to any fix claims. The club was mistaken in their post that she would be there on 10 December and the post has since been removed." [104]

Several viewers suspected that the jukebox wheel was rigged after it selected "Fright Night" for the theme for week 4, two days before Halloween. [105] O'Leary insisted the wheel was not rigged, calling it "the most rudimentary hamster wheel you've ever seen in your life". [106] Scherzinger also said she thought it was not fixed because, "I can't pick my songs until we know what theme we're doing—and the producers aren't picking anything as well." [107] Contestant Middlemas said of the wheel: "It's not computerised, it's an old-fashioned wheel. We can see it at the side and there's no-one else around apart from Dermot [O'Leary] pulling the wheel. We do it at rehearsals and it lands on something different each time. All of the producers knew people would say it was fixed. But we know how it works." [108]

Voting

At the start of the third live show, O'Leary announced that the voting lines were open for all contestants before they had performed, instead of after they performed as it had been in the first two live shows. Isobel Mohan from The Daily Telegraph claimed this was unfair and gave an advantage to those performing first and turned it into a popularity contest instead of a talent show. [82]

During the fifth results show, many viewers claimed that they were unable to vote via the mobile app. This also led to claims of a fix. [109]

Swearing

Ofcom received five complaints from viewers after Gifty Louise was heard swearing when she said, "I fucking told you" during the third live results show, when Sam Lavery was announced as the first act through to the following week. O'Leary issued an apology after the results. Ofcom confirmed that they were assessing the complaints before deciding whether to investigate. [110]

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