X Factor (Albanian TV series)

Last updated
X Factor
Also known asX Factor Albania
Created by Simon Cowell
Presented by Alketa Vejsiu
Judges
Country of origin
Original languageAlbanian
No. of seasons6
Production
Producers
  • Vera Grabocka
  • Alketa Vejsiu
Production locations Tirana, Albania
Production companies
Original release
Network TV Klan
Release8 January 2012 (2012-01-08) 
1 June 2015 (2015-06-01)
Release8 December 2023 (2023-12-08) 
present
Related
The X Factor

X Factor is the Albanian television reality music competition, based on the original British series, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, to find new singing talent. The show began airing on 8 January 2012 and was broadcast by TV Klan.

Contents

The judging panel for the most recent season consisted of Adi Krasta, Arilena Ara, Young Zerka and Soni Malaj. [1] [2] Other judges from previous seasons consisted of Pandi Laço, Alban Skënderaj, Juliana Pasha, Vesa Luma, Altuna Sejdiu, Miriam Cani, Bleona Qereti and Elhaida Dani. The show is hosted by Alketa Vejsiu. She applied to acquire the rights of the show along with Top Channel and TV Klan. Syco TV gave the rights to her, then she sold parts of the rights to TV Klan. After losing the rights of The X Factor, Top Channel acquired the rights of the talent show, The Voice . [3]

The show ran for 4 seasons, with the last episode airing on 1 June 2015, and then TV Klan announced that there were no plans to air another series of the programme. On 6 June 2022, Alketa Vejsiu announced that after 7 years, the show would return, with his fifth season in 2023 on TV Klan. [4] [5] The fifth season began airing on 8 December 2023. [6]

There have been five winners: Sheila Haxhiraj, Arilena Ara, Ergi Dini, Edea Demaliaj and Alis Kallaçi.

On 9 January 2025, was announced a new version with the name X Factor Kids, for children until the ages of 12. [7]

Overview

It was announced that there would be four categories on the show, Males 15 to 23, Females 15 to 23, over 23s and The Groups. Since the fifth season, are only three categories on the show, the Boys category, the Girls category and the Mix category.

Also it was announced that there would be five stages of the competition. The first stage is known as the "Producers audition", the producers of the show choose which of the contestants will have the right to audition in front of the judges. Next the contestants audition in front of the judges where they sing at least one song with instrumentals or A Capella. The third stage of the competition is Bootcamp, where from thousands of contestants only 150 are left. The fourth stage includes the "Judge's houses" or known in Albania as "Vilat e Jurive", where only 32 contestants,8 per category would fight for their place in the live shows. And the last stage of the competition would be the Live shows, where four contestants per category will make it. [8]

In the first live show the public couldn't vote or make a decision. In the second live show and on, only the public had the right to vote and decide which contestants from all categories would end up in the bottom two. The two contestants with the lowest number of votes would end up in the bottom two, then they sing again for survival, the four judges would decide which contestant they want to eliminate. If one of the judges has his or her contestant on the bottom two, he or she usually decides to eliminate the other contestant in the bottom two, so the real decision is in the hands of the two or (if one judge has two of its contestants in the bottom two) three judges that don't have their own contestants in the bottom two. The show goes this way on the live shows every week one or two contestants are voted off, until the grand finale on June 10 when the winner is announced.

The auditions were held in different cities across Albania and Kosovo, the producers auditions included many cities but the auditions in front of the judges were held only in a few. The cities that auditions were held with the judges are Tirana, Vlora, Elbasan, Shkoder and the Kosovan capital Pristina. The first episode aired half of Tirana's auditions on January 8. Vesa Luma wasn't the judge on all of the city auditions, she was chosen as the fourth judge only after all of the city auditions ended. She judged on the Shkodra's audition also. It was reported that more than 7000 people auditioned for the show, which broke a record for the biggest number of auditions in any talent show across Albania, Kosovo and the Balkans.

On the official Facebook page of the X Factor, it was announced that the show would be first aired on January 8, 2012. It was reported that the winner of the show would be signed to the famous label Syco Music, which has signed the likes of Leona Lewis, One Direction, Susan Boyle, Little Mix, Cher Lloyd, Alexandra Burke, Westlife etc. The winner of the first season of X factor Albania was Sheila Haxhiraj.

Judges and hosts

CastSeasons
1 2 3 4 5 6
Host
Alketa Vejsiu Main
Judging panelists
Alban Skënderaj Main
Pandi Laço Main
Juliana Pasha Main
Vesa Luma Main Guest
Altuna Sejdiu Main
Soni Malaj Main Main
Bleona Qereti Main
Miriam Cani Main
Adi Krasta Main
Arilena Ara Main
Young Zerka Main
Elhaida Dani Main Guest

Series summary

SeasonOriginally airedWinnerRunner-upThird placeWinning mentorPresenterMain judges (Seat order)
First airedLast aired1234
1 8 January 201210 June 2012Sheila Haxhiraj
Girls
Kristo Thano
Boys
Xhesika Polo
Girls
Juliana Pasha Alketa Vejsiu Alban Skënderaj Juliana Pasha Vesa Luma Pandi Laço
2 28 October 201231 March 2013 Arilena Ara
Girls
Aldo Bardhi
Boys
Natyral
Groups
Altuna Sejdiu Soni Malaj Altuna Sejdiu
3 15 September 201323 February 2014 Ergi Dini
Boys
Senad Rrahmani
Over 23s
Sarah Memmola
Over 23s
4 5 January 20151 June 2015Edea Demaliaj
Girls
Genti Deda
Boys
Dilan Reka
Boys
Miriam Cani Bleona Qereti Miriam Cani
5 8 December 202319 April 2024Alis Kallaçi
Boys
Jetmir Kanani
Mix
Kleansa Susaj
Girls
Arilena Ara Young Zerka Elhaida Dani Arilena Ara Adi Krasta
6 8 November 202428 March 2025Current season Soni Malaj

Judges' categories and their contestants

In each season, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses four acts to progress to the live shows. This table shows, for each season, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live shows.

Key:

  – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
SeasonAlban SkënderajJuliana PashaVesa LumaPandi Laço
One Boys
Kristo Thano
Anxhelo Miho
Amarildo Shahinaj
Arianit Bellopoja
Girls
Sheila Haxhiraj
Xhesika Polo
Festina Mejzini
Savjana Vjerdha
Over 23s
Lirije Rashiti
Besa Breca
Gerald Zyfi
Matilda Shushari
Groups
Classic Boys
X Group
Focus
Red Roses
Two Alban SkënderajSoni MalajAltuna SejdiuPandi Laço
Groups
Natyral
KSAL
Soul Sisters
Foxy Ladies
Boys
Aldo Bardhi
Sardi Strugaj
Petro Xhori
Herri Beluli
Girls
Arilena Ara
Antonela Çekixhi
Elisa Salla
Xhina Kelmendi
Shkelqesa Sadiku
No Limit
Kanita Suma
Egzona Ademi
Suela Malasi
Ina Torba
Rezart Saliasi
Three Over 23s
Senad Rrahmani
Sarah Memmola
Mia Morina
Fatmir Durmishi
Groups
Exception
Free Spirit
Nimfat
Dream Girls
Boys
Ergi Dini
Leotrim Zejnullahu
Amadeo Gjura
Ademir Fresku
Girls
Enxhi Nasufi
Laura Kërliu
Arissa Rexho
Kristina Leka
Four Alban SkënderajBleona QeretiMiriam CaniPandi Laço
Over 23s
Manuel Moscati
Alice
Ylenia Iorio
Adela Curra
Boys
Genti Deda
Dilan Reka
Matteo Brento
Igli Zarka
Gerald Celibashi
Girls
Edea Demaliaj
Floriana Rexhepi
Lediana Matoshi
Mirela Boka
Groups
Brunetts
X Roads
Mama Pop
Double F
Five Young ZerkaElhaida DaniArilena Ara
Mix
Jetmir Kanani
Frank Ibrahimi
Ingrid Havalja
Alba Dajlani
Borana Xhemali
Girls
Kleansa Susaj
Anisa Shabani
Wendy Zylaj
Kejsi Jazxhi
Luna Çausholli
Boys
Alis Kallaçi
Niki Zaimi
Kevin Malo
Gent Disha
Aldo Prendushi
Groups
The Chemicals
Six Young ZerkaSoni MalajArilena Ara
Mix
Era Bako
Orjald Debinja
Salvatore Mete
Albi & Elvi Kapedani
Ergi Hasani
Boys
Fortunato Cugilari
Petro Fejzo
Valdrin Mustafa
Amarildo Vesho
Lorian Dedaj
Girls
Alda "Troy" Cuka
Anja Myrtaj
Bletisa Karaj
Leandra Godaj
Rigersa Loka
Vashat

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References

  1. "Pas Adi Krastës, zbulohen anëtarët e tjerë të "X Factor Albania"".
  2. "Zbulohet anëtari tjetër i jurisë së X-Factor: Zhani Ciko".
  3. (15 August 2011).Alketa sjell “X Factor” në Shqipëri (Alketa brings "X Factor" to Albania Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  4. "Surpriza e madhe, rikthehet "X Factor" në Tv Klan".
  5. "Pas 7 vitesh, rikthehet "X Factor Albania"".
  6. ""X Factor" nis sonte në Tv Klan".
  7. "Tv Klan sjell për herë të parë "X Factor Kids" në Shqipëri, zbuloni datën e audicioneve".
  8. (20 September 2011). Alketa, në kërkim të talenteve për “X Factor” (Alketa in search of talents for The X Factor) Retrieved 5 December 2011.