The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The sixth series started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by

Joe McElderry Joseph McElderry (; born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He won the sixth series of the ITV show ''The X Factor'' in 2009. His first single " The Climb" reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singl ...

on 13 December 2009.

Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstar ...

emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back series. The show was presented by

Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary Jr. (born 24 May 1973) is an English broadcaster who currently works for ITV and BBC Radio 2. His radio career began when he worked as a disc jockey at Essex Radio, but he is best known for being the presenter of ' ...

, with spin-off show ''The Xtra Factor'' presented by

Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsi ...

on ITV2. McElderry's winner's single was a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip ho ...

's " The Climb".Revealed! Tonight's songs
ITV X Factor, 13 December 2009 Public auditions by aspiring singers began in June 2009 and were held in five cities across the UK.

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...

, Dannii Minogue and Cole returned as judges. This season was the first to be sponsored by TalkTalk after they took over the sponsorship from

The Carphone Warehouse The Carphone Warehouse Limited was a mobile phone retailer based in London, United Kingdom. In August 2014 the company became a subsidiary of Currys plc (previously named "Dixons Carphone"), which was formed by the merger of its former parent Ca ...

. For the first time, auditions were held in front of a live audience. Following initial auditions, the "bootcamp" stage took place in August 2009, where the number of contestants was narrowed down to 24. The 24 contestants were split into their categories, Boys, Girls, Over 25s and Groups, and given a judge to mentor them at the "judges' houses" stage and throughout the finals. During "judges' houses", the 24 acts were reduced to twelve, with one act being eliminated each week by a combination of public vote and judges' decision until a winner was found. The live shows started on 10 October 2009. The acts performed every Saturday night with the results announced on Sundays. This was change of format from previous series in which the results were announced later on the Saturday evening. This series was sponsored by TalkTalk.

Judges, presenters and other personnel

During series 5, it was rumoured that Dannii Minogue would not return as a judge for series 6. Spice Girls singer

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...

was reported as a replacement for Minogue. In June 2009, however, it was confirmed that Minogue,

and

would all return as judges for series 6. Walsh missed the first results show due to

Boyzone Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...

member Stephen Gateley's sudden death and missed the second week due to attending Gateley's funeral.

returned to present the main show on ITV, while

returned as presenter on '' The Xtra Factor'' on ITV2.

Brian Friedman Brian L. Friedman (born May 28, 1977) is an American dancer and choreographer. Friedman has created the choreography for many popular music artists – such as Britney Spears, Cher, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mariah Carey – as well as for m ...

returned to the show as creative director and

Yvie Burnett Yvie Burnett (born 8 August 1963), is a Scottish mezzo-soprano and vocal coach, best known for her work with Simon Cowell on television shows ''The X Factor'' and ''Britain's Got Talent'', ''The Big Reunion'' ''The Voice UK'' and BBC's '' Let It ...

returned as vocal coach.

Selection process

Auditions

Auditions were held during June and July 2009 across five cities: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow. In a change to previous series, auditions were held in front of a live audience due to the success of a similar system on ''

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...

''. However, Glaswegian auditionees had already been judged using the old format, meaning that they had to apply again, as their initial audition was void.

Bootcamp

As with the auditions, the "Bootcamp" selection stage was filmed in front of a live audience. Filming took place on 1 August at the

HMV Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...

. Approximately 200 acts attended bootcamp. They were initially split into groups of three, and judges gave instant decisions on who would leave based on the group performances, bringing the number of acts down to 100. The judges then cut the number of acts down to 50. Following a further set of auditions, the number of contestants was narrowed to 24. Originally, the group Trucolorz were chosen by the judges for the final 24 but were disqualified due to one of the group's members being too young for the show, and they were replaced by Harmony Hood. The contestants were then split into the usual four categories before the judges discovered which category they would mentor for the rest of the competition. The Boys (16–24) were mentored by Cole, Minogue had the Girls (16–24), Cowell mentored the Over 25s, and Walsh took charge of the Groups.

Judges' houses

Each judge had help from a guest judge during the "Judges' houses" stage.

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...

assisted Cole in Marrakech, Morocco, Minogue had help from her sister Kylie Minogue in

Atlantis, The Palm Atlantis The Palm, Dubai is a luxury hotel resort located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is themed on the myth of Atlantis but includes distinct Arabian element ...

, Dubai,

singer

Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...

helped Walsh near Lake Como in Italy, and Cowell had help from

Sinitta Sinitta Malone (born 19 October 1963), known mononymously as Sinitta, is an American-born British singer, actress and television personality. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several ot ...

in Los Angeles. At Judges' Houses, each act sang for their respective judge, and each judge and their guest eliminated three acts, leaving 12 acts to perform in the live shows. ;Judges Houses Performances: * Acts in bold advanced Boys: * Joe: "

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the '' Blue Moves'' album. It was John's sec ...

" * Lloyd: " I'm Yours" * Daniel F: " Without You" * Ethan: "

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by English musician Elton John, with music by John and Davey Johnstone and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the first single from John's 17th studio album ''Too Low for Zero''. In the United ...

" * Duane: " Closer" * Rikki: "

You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor f ...

" Groups: * Project A: " What's Up?" * Kandy Rain: "

Paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

" * De-Tour: "

Tiny Dancer "Tiny Dancer" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's 1971 album '' Madman Across the Water,'' and was later released as a single in 1972. It was ...

" * Harmony Hood: "

Never Can Say Goodbye "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first ...

" * Miss Frank: " Respect" * John & Edward: "

I Want It That Way I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

" Over 25s: * Olly: " A Song for You" * Treyc: "

All the Man That I Need "All the Man That I Need" is a song written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded as "All the Man I Need" by Linda Clifford for her album ''I'll Keep on Loving You'' (1982). In 1990, American singer Whitney Houston had a ...

" * Daniel P: "

Praying for Time "Praying for Time" is a song written and performed by British singer and songwriter George Michael, released on Epic Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States in 1990. It was the first single from his second stu ...

" * Nicole L: " Up to the Mountain" * Danyl: " Fallin'" * Jamie: " Stop Crying Your Heart Out" Girls: * Stacey S:" Over the Rainbow" * Stacey M:" Sometimes" * Rachel:" Nobody Knows" * Despina:"

The Voice Within "The Voice Within" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fourth studio album, ''Stripped'' (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad that talk ...

" * Lucie:" Anything for You" * Nicole J: " Lately"

Acts

Key: : – Winner : – Runner-Up

Live shows

The live shows began on 10 October 2009, and continued through to the finale on 12 December 2009. For this series the results shows were on Sunday nights instead of Saturdays as they were for the first five series. In another change to the format of previous years, the remaining finalists performed a song as a group at the start of each results show. As previously, each week had a different song theme. Each act performed one song on the Saturday night show and the results were announced on the Sunday. Beginning with week 8 of the live shows, with five acts remaining, each contestant would sing two songs. Up to week 8, the two acts with the fewest public votes were in the bottom two and would sing again in the "final showdown". The songs they performed in the bottom two were of their own choice and did not necessarily follow that week's theme. The four judges then each chose one act from the bottom two that they wanted to be eliminated from the show. If each act received an equal number of judges' votes, the vote went to deadlock and the act with the fewest public votes was eliminated. From week 8 onwards, there was no bottom two and the act with the fewest votes was eliminated. In a change to the format of previous years, the remaining finalists performed a song as a group at the start of each results show.

Musical guests

During each results show, either one or two guest artists would perform. Series 5 winner Alexandra Burke and

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

performed on the first live results show, with

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

and judge Cole on the second.

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

and

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

appeared on the third week, and Bon Jovi and

JLS JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...

performed in week 4.

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

and

The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hi ...

performed for week 5, while week 6 featured a performance from

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...

. Susan Boyle appeared on the show for week 7 along with Mariah Carey. Rihanna and

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

performed in week 8 with Janet Jackson and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

appearing in week 9. Guests in the final were

and George Michael (Saturday show) and Burke, JLS, Lewis, George Michael and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

(Sunday show). In some weeks, the guest performers also mentored the acts in the run-up to that week's live show. The choice of musical guests on ''The X Factor'' live shows had a significant impact on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Of the seven singles that made number one from 18 October to 19 December, six of them had done so after having been performed on an ''X Factor'' live show the previous weekend. They were, in order: " Bad Boys" by Alexandra Burke, "

Fight for This Love "Fight for This Love" is the debut solo single by English singer and Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole, recorded for her debut studio album, ''3 Words'' (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 2009 by Fascina ...

" by Cole, "

Everybody in Love "Everybody in Love" is a song by English boyband JLS from their self-titled debut album (2009). The song was released as a digital download on 1 November 2009, followed by a physical release the following day. The song became the band's seco ...

" by JLS, "

Meet Me Halfway "Meet Me Halfway" is the third single from the Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album, ''The E.N.D.'' It is a dance-pop song that combines futuristic electro hop beats with vintage 1980s in music#Pop, 1980s pop stylings. Released in September 2009, ...

" by the Black Eyed Peas, "

You Are Not Alone "You Are Not Alone" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on August 15, 1995, as the second single from the album. An R&B ballad, "You ...

" by the finalists and "

Bad Romance "Bad Romance" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...

" by Lady Gaga. This impact was noted by several commentators. After "Bad Romance" became the sixth song to reach Number One off the back of a performance on ''The X Factor'', James Masterton of

Yahoo! Music Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds o ...

called the show "a guarantor of Number One hits". Gennaro Castaldo of

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

remarked: "In an age when there are very few truly mass-audience platforms left, the X Factor has become pivotal for those labels and artists seeking to reach a family-based audience." Paul Williams, editor of ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'', explained: "The impact of the programme's incredible numbers on music sales is all too evident, with the top end of the singles and albums charts week after week since the current season began heavily dominated by whoever has been on the show."

Results summary

;Colour key Act in team Dannii Act in team Simon Act in team Cheryl Act in team Louis * On behalf of Walsh's absence, an automatic vote was cast against Rachel Adedeji, based on the usual assumption that he would vote to save his act who he mentored, Kandy Rain if he were present which typically occurs when a judge has their own act who they mentor in the final showdown. * Walsh did not vote due to his absence, but confirmed on the following ''The Xtra Factor'' via phone call that he would have voted to eliminate Rikki Loney.

Live show details

Week 1 (10/11 October)

*Theme: Musical heroes *Guest mentor:

*Group performance: "

I Gotta Feeling "I Gotta Feeling" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was re ...

" *Musical guests: Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida (" Bad Boys") and Robbie Williams ("

Bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * ...

") * Best bits song: "

Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is currently no scientific ...

" Walsh was absent from the Sunday night results show due to the sudden death of

singer and close friend

Stephen Gately Stephen Patrick David Gately (17 March 197610 October 2009) was an Irish singer, who, with Ronan Keating, was co-lead singer of the pop group Boyzone; all of Boyzone's studio albums during Gately's lifetime hit number one in the United Kingdo ...

, whom he managed. Due to this, the show did not take its usual format; there were no lights and neither O'Leary nor the three other judges made an entrance. Instead, the show commenced with O'Leary already on stage and the judges already sitting at their desk. Both O'Leary and Cowell addressed the viewers and audience regarding Gately's death and Walsh's absence. Following this, the show went on as normal with Minogue, Cowell and Cole present as judges. ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Walsh: Rachel Adedeji – despite his absence, an automatic vote was cast to save Kandy Rain based on the usual assumption that he would have voted to save his own act. *Minogue: Kandy Rain – backed her own act, Rachel Adedeji. *Cole: Kandy Rain – gave no reason. *Cowell: Rachel Adedeji – said that Kandy Rain had not been given a "fair crack" in the competition and was interested in seeing them for a second week. With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Kandy Rain were eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

Week 2 (17/18 October)

*Theme:

Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is cl ...

s *Guest mentors:

and Clive Davis *Group performance: " Queen of the Night" *Musical guests:

") and Whitney Houston (" Million Dollar Bill") * Best bits song: "

Chasing Cars "Chasing Cars" is a song by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Eyes Open'' (2006). It was released on 6 June 2006, in the United States and 24 July ...

" Walsh was absent from both shows this weekend, again due to

's death. The funeral took place on 17 October and Walsh paid his respects. This statement was released: "Due to recent tragic events, Louis Walsh will not be appearing on either the Saturday or Sunday live ''The X Factor'' shows this weekend as he is attending Stephen Gately's funeral. Louis has been in close contact with his acts throughout the week, although his opinions will not be represented in the show this weekend." For the first time in the show's history, a contestant sang a cover version of a new song that had not yet even been sung live by the original recording artist. Cowell's decision for Danyl Johnson to sing "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" garnered a disapproving reception from Houston, with Cowell saying that Johnson "didn't exactly get rave reviews rom Houston and Davisin that room

or the masterclass Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Miss ...

" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Minogue: Rikki Loney – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Rachel Adedeji. *Cole: Rachel Adedeji – backed her own act, Rikki Loney. *Cowell: Rikki Loney – based his choice on their last performances. *Walsh was not present for the results show, but according to a phone call on ''The Xtra Factor'', he would have voted to eliminate Loney.

Week 3 (24/25 October)

*Theme:

Big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

*Guest mentor:

*Group performance: " Fascination" *Musical guests:

(" What About Now") and Michael Bublé (" Cry Me a River") * Best bits song: "

Chasing Pavements "Chasing Pavements" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her debut studio album, '' 19'' (2008). Written by Adele with its producer Eg White, the song was released as the second single from the album on 14 January 2008. I ...

" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Walsh: Danyl Johnson – backed his own act, Miss Frank. *Cowell: Miss Frank – backed his own act, Danyl Johnson. *Minogue: Miss Frank – based on the final showdown performance. *Cole: Danyl Johnson – felt confused by the public vote so chose to take it to deadlock. With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Miss Frank were eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

Week 4 (31 October/1 November)

*Theme: Rock *Group performance: "

Walk This Way "Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album '' Toys in the Attic'' (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboa ...

" *Musical guests: Bon Jovi (" We Weren't Born to Follow") and

") * Best bits song: " Take a Bow" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Minogue: Lloyd Daniels – backed her own act, Rachel Adedeji. *Walsh: Lloyd Daniels – said Adedeji was better than Daniels. *Cole: Rachel Adedeji – backed her own act, Lloyd Daniels. *Cowell: Rachel Adedeji – could not decide so chose to take the vote to deadlock; said Adedeji was better than Daniels, but took Daniels' sore throat into account and thought the public were not accepting Adedeji after her third time in the showdown in four weeks. With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Adedeji was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

Week 5 (7/8 November)

*Theme: Songs from films *Group performance: "

Hot n Cold "Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Luke and Benny Blanco for her second studio album, '' One of the Boys'' (2008). It was released as the album's second ...

" *Musical guests:

") and

(" Happy") * Best bits song: "

I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third studio album, '' Britney'' (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami, with additional writing from Dido. The song was released as the ...

" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Walsh: Lucie Jones – backed his own act, John & Edward. *Minogue: John & Edward – gave no reason but effectively backed her own act, Lucie Jones. *Cole: John & Edward – gave no reason. *Cowell: Lucie Jones – stated that although neither act could win, he was more interested in seeing John and Edward again and that there was "a ceiling" for Jones. With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Jones was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

Week 6 (14/15 November)

*Theme: Songs by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

*Guest mentors:

Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...

and Roger Taylor *Group performances: "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...

" (performed with Brian May and Roger Taylor) and "

" (all finalists) *Musical guest:

(" Did It Again") * Best bits song: " One" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Cowell: Lloyd Daniels – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, Jamie Archer. *Cole: Jamie Archer – backed her own act, Lloyd Daniels. *Walsh: Jamie Archer – believed Daniels would go further in the competition. *Minogue: Lloyd Daniels – thought Archer sang better in the final showdown. With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Archer was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

Week 7 (21/22 November)

*Theme: Songs by

Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling mor ...

or George Michael *Group performance: "

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is a song by the English duo Wham!, first released as a single in the UK on 14 May 1984. It became their first UK and US number one hit. It was written and produced by George Michael. The single was certified pla ...

" *Musical guests: Susan Boyle (" Wild Horses") and Mariah Carey ("

I Want to Know What Love Is "I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the lead single from their fifth album, ''Agent Provocateur''. The song hit number one in both the United Kingdom ...

") * Best bits song: " Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" ;Judges' votes to eliminate *Cowell: John & Edward – backed his own act, Olly Murs. *Cole: John & Edward – gave no reason. *Walsh: Olly Murs – gave no reason but effectively backed his own act, John & Edward. *Minogue: John & Edward – based on the premise that the show is a "singing competition". However, voting statistics revealed that John & Edward received more votes than Murs which meant that if Minogue sent the result to deadlock, John & Edward would have advanced to the quarter-final and Murs would have been eliminated.

Week 8: Quarter-Final (28/29 November)

*Themes: Songs by

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...

; songs by Elton John *Group performance: "

I Don't Feel Like Dancin' "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" is a song by American pop band Scissor Sisters. It was released in August 2006 as the first single from their second album, ''Ta-Dah'' (2006). The song was written by Jason Sellards, Scott Hoffman and Elton John, t ...

" *Musical guests:

Empire State of Mind "Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, ''The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song feature ...

" / "

Doesn't Mean Anything "Doesn't Mean Anything" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It written and produced by Keys and longtime partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers for her fourth studio album ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009), with its lyrics sp ...

" / " No One") and Rihanna (" Russian Roulette") * Best bits song: " You Give Me Something" The quarter-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the act with the fewest public votes, Lloyd Daniels, was automatically eliminated. After his elimination, Daniels reprised his quarter-final performance of "A Million Love Songs" as his exit song.

Week 9: Semi-Final (5/6 December)

*Themes: Songs by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

; mentor's choice *Group performance: "

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...

" / " Don't Stop the Music" *Musical guests:

") and Janet Jackson (" All for You" / " Make Me") * Best bits song: " What About Now" The semi-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the act with the fewest public votes, Danyl Johnson, was automatically eliminated. After his elimination, Johnson reprised his semi-final performance of "Man in the Mirror" as his exit song.

Week 10: Final (12/13 December)

12 December *Themes: Audition songs; celebrity duets; mentor's favourite performance ("song of the series") *Musical guest:

(" You Know Me") *Best bits song: "

What a Wonderful World "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single. It topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom, but performed poor ...

" The show also featured

Jeff Brazier Jeffrey Carl Brazier (born 27 May 1979) is an English television personality and presenter. Early life and education Brazier was brought up in Tiptree, near Colchester in Essex, and attended Thurstable School, a mixed state comprehensive scho ...

reporting from Solomon's home town of Dagenham,

Michael Underwood Michael Paul Underwood (born 26 October 1975) is an English television presenter, best known as a children's TV presenter on CBBC and CITV. He can be seen as a fifteen-year-old in an episode of '' The Crystal Maze'', then presented by Richa ...

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

for Murs and

Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...

in McElderry's home town of South Shields. 13 December *Themes: Favourite performance ("song of the series"); winner's single *Group performance: " Never Forget" (all finalists) *Musical guests: Alexandra Burke and

(" Bad Boys" / "

"),

(" Stop Crying Your Heart Out"), George Michael ("

December Song "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" is a Christmas single commercially released by George Michael on 14 December 2009. The track was originally announced during one of the last dates on Michael's 25 Live tour. It was available for free on ...

"),

(" Drive My Car" and " Live and Let Die" ) *Best bits songs: "

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

" (Olly Murs) & " The World's Greatest" (Joe McElderry)

Reception

Ratings

The first episode, which was broadcast on 22 August and showed the first set of auditions, attracted 9.9 million viewers; 47.9% of the viewing audience and the largest number of viewers within its timeslot. One week later, 9.75 million people viewed the second episode; a 47.1% share of the TV audience. The third episode averaged 11.76 million viewers and a 51.9% audience share. Episode four attracted 10.26 million viewers. The fifth episode, which was scheduled directly against '' Strictly Come Dancing'' drew in about 9.27 million viewers, compared to 7.72 for ''Strictly''. ''The X Factor'' reached a record high number of viewers for the second and third results shows on 18 and 25 October, scoring 14.8 million viewers each. This was beaten on 8 November when the fifth results show peaked at 16.6 million people. The final episode peaked with 19.1 million viewers when Joe McElderry was announced as the winner.

Controversies

Bootcamp

On 2 August 2009, ''

The People The ''Sunday People'' is a British tabloid Sunday newspaper. It was founded as ''The People'' on 16 October 1881. At one point owned by Odhams Press, The ''People'' was acquired along with Odhams by the Mirror Group in 1961, along with the ...

'' reported that some bootcamp contestants felt they had been poorly treated by the show's producers; one compared the experience with that of a concentration camp and another claimed that those competing were only allowed to use the toilet twice a day. However, a spokesperson for the programme refuted the claims, saying "Yes, it was long hours but they knew what they were signing up for. The hopefuls got breakfast at the hotel and decent food throughout the day".

Audition format

This season's audition format, in which the auditions were held in front of a studio audience, was criticised by fans, by Cole and by certain former contestants. These included Alexandra Burke, who branded it "too intimidating", and the members of

who stated it detracted from the intimacy of the auditions.

Recycled contestants

The show was criticised in September 2009 for "recycling" contestants, as three singers from the final 24 acts had already been in pop bands, two had auditioned for ''The X Factor'' in previous years and one had appeared on ''

''.

Danyl Johnson

Controversy began after the first live show on 10 October, after Minogue commented on press reports regarding Danyl Johnson's sexuality, sparking an online backlash. Minogue released a statement on her comments:

"I want to clear up exactly what happened on last night's ''X Factor'' show and post my sincere apologies to anyone who took offense . I made a comment about Danyl changing the lyrics of his song. It was meant to be a humorous moment about the fact he has an opportunity to have fun with his song. An openly bi-sexual singing a song that is lyrically a 'girl's song'. Danyl and I were joking about the very same thing in rehearsals on Friday, so it carried on to the show. I'd like to apologise to anyone that was offended by my comments, it was never my intention. I spoke to Danyl straight after the show last night and he wasn't offended or upset by my comments, and knew exactly what I was saying."

Minogue also apologised on the live results show on 11 October, saying Danyl was not upset by her comments. It has since been reported that Ofcom received around 4000 complaints from viewers over the comment.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:X Factor British series 6 06 2009 in British television 2009 in British music 2009 British television seasons United Kingdom 06

Judges, presenters and other personnel

Selection process

Auditions

Bootcamp

Judges' houses

Acts

Live shows

Musical guests

Results summary

Live show details

Week 1 (10/11 October)

Week 2 (17/18 October)

Week 3 (24/25 October)

Week 4 (31 October/1 November)

Week 5 (7/8 November)

Week 6 (14/15 November)

Week 7 (21/22 November)

Week 8: Quarter-Final (28/29 November)

Week 9: Semi-Final (5/6 December)

Week 10: Final (12/13 December)

Sponsors

Reception

Ratings

Controversies

Bootcamp

Audition format

Recycled contestants

Danyl Johnson

References

External links