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The X Factor UK (Series 15)
XFUK15
Series 15
Broadcast from September 1, 2018 - December 2, 2018
Judges Robbie Williams
Ayda Field
Louis Tomlinson
Simon Cowell
Nile Rodgers (guest)
Presenters Dermot O'Leary

Becca Dudley (Xtra Bites UK)

Tinea Taylor (Xtra Bites UK)

Network ITV

ITV Hub (Xtra Bites UK)

Number of finalists 16
Winner Dalton Harris
Runner-up Scarlett Lee
Notable returnees Tom Richards (7)
Anthony Russell (4, 14)
Scarlett Lee (14)
Chronology
Previous Series 14
Next The X Factor: Celebrity

Series 15 of The X Factor premiered on ITV on September 1, 2018 and concluded on December 2, 2018.

It was won by 24-year old Jamaican singer Dalton Harris who was part of the Boys category mentored by Louis Tomlinson.  His victory made him the first-ever foreign act to win the original series.

Production[]

On 1 January 2017, rumors spreaded via Twitter, a fifteenth series of the show would be happening in 2018. On 23 January 2017, Simon Cowell had confirmed Series 15, and stated it would be 'more thrilling than Series 14'. In October 2017, during the fourteenth series, Louis Walsh revealed that he and Sharon Osbourne had already signed for another year as judges and they would return for the fifteenth series. However, in June 2018 Walsh released a statement confirming his departure. It was also revealed that Osbourne would only be present for the live shows.

It was also rumoured that Cheryl, after making her comeback at Simon's judges houses, would return to the show as a fulltime judge replacing Sharon Osbourne. Speaking about the latter possibly not returning, Louis Walsh said in an interview that he would like to see Mel B or Mika, who assisted him at Judges' Houses during the 2017 series, join the panel.  However, in an interview with OK! Magazine Nicole Scherzinger confirmed that producers had asked her to return.

In a December 2017 interview with entertainment website Digital Spy, Alesha Dixon, who filled in for judges Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne in audition stages and Simon Cowell during the live shows during Series 14, stated her uncertainty about being asked to participate in the 2018 series since she is committed to Britain's Got Talent. In April 2018, it was revealed by the Sun, that Nicole had been axed from the show and even though their contracts had been renewed, it was also revealed that the producers were also thinking of getting rid of Sharon and Louis too. Possible replacements that have been touted, would include; Cheryl, Alesha Dixon, Mariah Carey and Kylie Minogue for Nicole and Sharon and Louis Tomlinson or Craig David for Louis' replacement.[1]

On 1 April 2018, it was confirmed that Nicole Scherzinger would not return for this series.  In June 2018, it was announced that Louis Walsh will not return for this series, marking his second time that he would not be present on the final judging panel.

On July 17, 2018, it was confirmed that Robbie Williams, Ayda Field, Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell were to be the judges for this season. [2]

As Robbie Williams would be absent for three weekends of the live shows, it was announced that Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers, who assisted Louis Tomlinson at Judges' Houses, would be taking his place on the judging panel, beginning with the results show on November 4. Williams will return to the show for the weekend of November 24.

Judges[]

Robbie Williams Ayda Field Louis Tomlinson Simon Cowell
Robbie Williams Ayda Field Louis Tomlinson Simon Cowell

Twists/Changes[]

Male-Dominated Four-Member Permanent Judging Panel: This is the only series to feature a four-member permanent judging panel with three permanent male judges and one permanent female judge, rather than the traditional four-member permanent judging panel with two male permanent and two female permanent judges.

Auditions: The room auditions were scrapped once more in favour of the arena auditions, which were held in London.

Bootcamp: This has been scrapped with a deliberation stage being introduced to cut down the yeses from the auditions to perform at the Six Chair Challenge.

Category Change: The maximum age for both the Boys and Girls categories was 28 years old which meant that the Overs category became the Over 28s.

Six Chair Challenge: In a change to previous years, a golden buzzer was introduced with an 'X' on it, meaning that when it is pressed that act is guaranteed a 'Safe Seat', which indicates that the category's judge cannot remove them from the seat and therefore they are put through to Judges' Houses.

Judges' Houses: It was announced that four acts will be taken through to the live shows. This previously happened in 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2014.

No Wildcard: Due to the judges taking four acts through to the live shows, there was no wildcard for the first time since Series 10.

Live Shows: In a change to the format from 2004 to 2017, there was due five judges with Sharon Osbourne acting as an impartial judge. However, on September 30, it was announced that Osbourne will no longer be taking part in the show.

Results Show: After the sing-off was scrapped for Series 14 in favour of a 'prize fight', the latter has been scrapped in order to return to the bottom three, introduced in Series 11, with the lowest-voted act being automatically eliminated and the next two lowest-voted facing the sing-off.

Live Final: In a change to the format that has existed since Series 6, all three finalists advanced to the second night of the show and the third-place finisher was not eliminated unlike previous years. This first happened in Series 4 in 2007.

Finalists[]

Act Category Finish Elimination
Olatunjiyearwoodmini Olatunji Yearwood
32, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Over 29s 16th
week one
Fewest public votes
Armstrongmartinsmini Armstrong Martins
23, Lagos, Nigeria/London
Boys 15th
week one
Majority vote
Janicerobinsonmini Janice Robinson
50, Galveston, Texas, United States
Over 29s 14th
week two
Fewest public votes
Lmachoirmini LMA Choir
19-40, Liverpool
Groups 13th
week two
Deadlock
Unitedvibemini United Vibe
17-20, various places
Groups 12th
week three
Fewest public votes
Mollyscottmini Molly Scott
16, County Durham
Girls 11th
week three
Majority vote
Misunderstoodmini Misunderstood
25-27, London
Groups 10th
week four
Fewest public votes
Giovannispanomini Giovanni Spano
33, West London
Over 29s 9th
week four
Majority vote
X Factor 2019 Live Tour
Bellapenfoldmini Bella Penfold
19, Essex
Girls 8th
quarter-final
Fewest public votes
Shanakomini Shan Ako
25, Croydon
Girls 7th
quarter-final
Deadlock
Dannytetleymini Danny Tetley
36, Wigan
Over 29s 6th
semi-final
Fewest public votes
Brendanmurraymini Brendan Murray
21, Tuam, Ireland
Boys 5th
semi-final
Fewest public votes
Acaciaandaaliyahmini Acacia & Aaliyah
14 and 15, Leyland
Groups 4th
semi-final
Majority vote
Anthonyrussellmini Anthony Russell
28, Bootle
Boys 3rd
final
Fewest public votes
Scarlettleemini Scarlett Lee
21, Surrey
Girls Runner up
final
Fewest public votes
Daltonharrismini Dalton Harris
24, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Boys Winner
final
Most public votes

Selection Process[]

Auditions[]

See: List of The X Factor UK auditionees (series 15)
The auditions began on July 18, 2018 and for the first time they were all held exclusively in the SSE Arena Wembley, with the room auditions having been cut. Unlike the previous season, the Bootcamp stage of the competition was axed, meaning auditionees who got through would instead be sent through to a deciding stage, that would take place over two days before the Six Chair Challenge.

Returnees for this year included Anthony Russell who auditioned for the show in 2007, being eliminated at Bootcamp, and in 2017, successfully reaching the Judges' Houses stage before withdrawing due to personal reasons and Scarlett Lee who auditioned in 2017 and made it to Sharon Osbourne's Six Chair Challenge, but was eliminated after failing to impress in a sing-off with Rai-Elle Williams and Alisah Bonaobra. Tom Richards previously auditioned during Series 7 in 2010 and made it to Judges' Houses in the Boys category mentored by Dannii Minogue but was not selected for the live shows.

Six Chair Challenge[]

See: Six Chair Challenge (UK series 15)
This took place from August 1st to 3rd at the SSE Arena, Wembley. The act who received the Golden Buzzer is highlighted in gold:

Summary of six chair challenge
Judge Category Chairs
1 2 3 4 5 6
Field Over 29s Olatunji Yearwood Janice Robinson Ricky John Louise Setara Giovanni Spano Danny Tetley
Cowell Girls Bella Penfold Shanice Smith Maria Laroco Scarlett Lee Georgia Burgess Molly Scott
Tomlinson Boys Brendan Murray Dalton Harris Anthony Russell JSOL Thomas Pound Armstrong Martins
Williams Groups VibeFive Misunderstood Sweet Scents LMA Choir Acacia & Aaliyah Panda and Burgundy

Judges Houses[]

See: Judges' Houses (UK series 15)

Summary of judges' houses
Judge Category Location Guest mentor(s) Contestants eliminated
Cowell Girls Malibu, CA Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Diane Warren, Babyface, Michelle Visage, Adam LambertLeona Lewis, Sinitta, Paul Anka, Tricky Stewart & Dallas Austin Maria Laroco, Georgia Burgess
Field Over 29s Los Angeles, CA Adam Lambert & Leona Lewis Ricky John, Louise Setara
Tomlinson Boys Ibiza Liam Payne & Nile Rogers J-Sol, Thomas Pound
Williams Groups Beverly Hills, CA David Walliams Panda and Burgandy, Sweet Sense

Live Shows[]

Results Summary[]

Weekly results per act
Week 1 2 3 4 Quarter-Final Semi-Final Final
Eliminated Olatunjiyearwoodmini Armstrongmartinsmini Janicerobinsonmini Lmachoirmini Unitedvibemini Mollyscottmini Misunderstoodmini Giovannispanomini Bellapenfoldmini Shanakomini Dannytetleymini Brendanmurraymini Acaciaandaaliyahmini Anthonyrussellmini Scarlettleemini Daltonharrismini
Dalton Harris 3rd
9.3%
1st
15.5%
2nd
15.2%
1st
15.9%
2nd
17.3%
2nd
17.8%
1st
23.8%
1st
22.8%
1st
26.9%
1st
31.4%
Winner
41.3%
(final)
Scarlett Lee 6th
7.4%
5th
6.8%
4th
7.2%
3rd
9.5%
4th
8.9%
4th
9.3%
5th
9.4%
4th
11.3%
2nd
19.1%
3rd
22.3%
Runner-Up
31.3%
(final)
Anthony Russell 1st
11.5%
2nd
15.4%
1st
15.6%
2nd
14.8%
1st
18.6%
1st
18.8%
2nd
19.0%
2nd
19.9%
3rd
18.9%
2nd
23.5%
3rd
27.4%
(final)
Acacia & Aaliyah 9th
6.2%
6th
6.6%
7th
6.8%
10th
6.5%
9th
7.0%
8th
8.0%
6th
8.9%
6th
9.8%
4th
12.3%
4th
14.7%
Eliminated
(semi-final)
Brendan Murray 10th
4.9%
12th
4.7%
12th
4.8%
9th
6.6%
5th
8.6%
5th
8.8%
4th
9.5%
5th
10.5%
5th
11.9%
Eliminated
(semi-final)
Danny Tetley 8th
6.8%
7th
6.3%
6th
6.8%
7th
7.2%
7th
7.8%
7th
8.1%
3rd
12.8%
3rd
12.6%
6th
10.9%
Shan Ako 2nd
10.0%
3rd
7.9%
3rd
7.9%
4th
9.2%
3rd
9.6%
3rd
9.8%
7th
8.5%
7th
8.9%
Eliminated
(quarter-final)
Bella Penfold 4th
8.5%
9th
5.3%
9th
5.6%
6th
7.2%
6th
8.1%
6th
8.5%
8th
8.1%
Eliminated
(quarter-final)
Giovanni Spano 13th
3.4%
10th
4.9%
10th
5.0%
5th
7.8%
8th
7.2%
9th
7.3%
Eliminated
(week 4)
Misunderstood 5th
8.0%
4th
6.8%
5th
7.2%
8th
7.0%
10th
6.9%
Eliminated
(week 4)
Molly Scott 7th
7.2%
8th
5.6%
8th
5.9%
11th
4.5%
Eliminated
(week 3)
United Vibe 12th
4.5%
11th
4.9%
11th
4.8%
12th
3.8%
LMA Choir 11th
4.8%
13th
4.7%
13th
4.5%
Eliminated
(week 2)
Janice Robinson 14th
3.2%
14th
4.6%
Eliminated
(week 2)
Armstrong Martins 15th
2.4%
Eliminated
(week 1)
Olatunji Yearwoood 16th
1.9%
Sing-Off Martins,
Robinson
No sing-off;
results were based on public votes alone
LMA Choir,
Murray
Acacia & Aaliyah,
Scott
No sing-off;
results were based on public votes alone
Acacia & Aaliyah,
Spano
No sing-off;
results were based on public votes alone
Acacia & Aaliyah,
Ako
No sing-off;
results were based on public votes alone
Acacia & Aaliyah,
Lee
No sing-off;
results were based on public votes alone
Rodgers' vote
to eliminate
N/A N/A Scott Spano Ako N/A
Williams' vote
to eliminate
Martins Murray N/A N/A N/A Lee
Field's vote
to eliminate
Martins LMA Choir Scott Acacia & Aaliyah Ako Acacia & Aaliyah
Tomlinson's vote
to eliminate
Robinson LMA Choir Scott Spano Acacia & Aaliyah Acacia & Aaliyah
Cowell's vote
to eliminate
Martins Murray Acacia & Aaliyah Spano Acacia & Aaliyah Acacia & Aaliyah
Eliminated Olatunji Yearwood
1.9%
To Save
Armstrong Martins
3 of 4 Votes
Majority Vote
Janice Robinson
4.6%
To Save
LMA Choir
2 of 4 Votes
Deadlock
United Vibe
3.8%
To Save
Molly Scott
3 of 4 Votes
Majority Vote
Misunderstood
6.9%
To Save
Giovanni Spano
3 of 4 Votes
Majority Vote
Bella Penfold
8.1%
To Save
Shan Ako
2 of 4 Votes
Deadlock
Danny Tetley
10.9%
To Save
Brendan Murray
11.9%
To Save
Acacia & Aaliyah
3 of 4 Votes
Majority Vote
Anthony Russell
27.4%
To Win
Scarlett Lee
31.3%
To Win

Controversies[]

Felix Sheperd[]

During the audition stages, a 20-year old transgender man named Felix Sheperd performed "All I Want" by Kodaline, impressing the judges and receiving a standing ovation from the audience.  Before his performance, Robbie Williams asked him about his background and dead-named him.  Although many fans were supportive of Sheperd's decision, others were outraged about Williams' actions.

Sharon Osbourne[]

In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Osbourne went on an expletive-laden rant about Simon Cowell's treatment of her and what she would do to him in return.  This led to fans demanding her replacement on the show, where she had only been due to replace Robbie Williams for the live shows due to his busy tour schedule. On September 30, she confirmed that she would no longer be taking part in the show.

Technical issues[]

The third live show saw technical issues where the judges and acts Danny Tetley and Anthony Russell sounded distorted. An onscreen message apologised for the disruption and as a result it was decided to open the voting lines the following evening during the results show. Presenter Dermot O'Leary did not address the matter during latter since the Saturday show had been prerecorded due to Robbie Williams' absence.

Ratings[]

Team Rankings[]

1. Boys (mentored by Louis Tomlinson)

Daltonharrismini Anthonyrussellmini Brendanmurraymini Armstrongmartinsmini

2. Girls (mentored by Simon Cowell)

Scarlettleemini Shanakomini Bellapenfoldmini Mollyscottmini

3. Groups (mentored by Robbie Williams)

Acaciaandaaliyahmini Misunderstoodmini Unitedvibemini Lmachoirmini

4. Over 29s (mentored by Ayda Field)

Dannytetleymini Giovannispanomini Janicerobinsonmini Olatunjiyearwoodmini

Trivia[]

References[]

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