The best episodes of The X Factor

Ranked by viewer rating, highs first. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.

  1. 01

    S15E25 · November 24, 2018 · 1h 30m

    Live Semi-Finals8.7

    The X Factor live shows continue with each of the remaining contestants taking to the stage in the hope of impressing the audience at home and the panel of judges.

  2. 02

    S15E27 · December 1, 2018 · 2h

    Live Finals: Top 3 Perform8.7

    It's The X Factor Final, and the remaining contestants take to the stage in the hope of impressing the audience at home and the panel of judges one last time.

  3. 03

    S13E15 · October 15, 2016 · 2h

    Live Show 28.0

    The nation's favourite singing show continues into its second weekend of the live show phase tonight as the remaining contestants take to the stage to perform for the judges and audience at home, all in the hope of sealing their place in the competition for another week.

  4. 04

    S13E27 · November 26, 2016 · 1h 50m

    Live Show 88.0

    The nation's favourite singing show continues this weekend as the remaining contestants take to the stage to perform live for the judges and audience at home, all in the hope of sealing their place in the competition for another week.Dermot O'Leary leads the proceedings, while judges and mentors Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell take their seats behind the judges' desk to battle it out with their contestants.Louis has the Groups, Nicole the Boys, Simon the Girls and Sharon the Overs, with drama and disagreements, conflict is sure to follow….Sunday's show will see the next heart-breaking elimination, as Dermot O'Leary, tells the remaining acts who is safe and who has scored the lowest number of votes. There will be a nail-biting sing-off before the next contestant leaves the competition.Throughout the Sunday live shows an outstanding line-up of guest stars will perform.

  5. 05

    S13E31 · December 10, 2016 · 2h 5m

    Final8.0

    This year's The X Factor comes to a close this weekend with the series Live Final.After thousands applied the competition is now down to the final three contestants, who are all one step away from winning a life changing record contract.The final three will each perform two songs including a surprise duet with a guest performer in front of an audience of thousands at Wembley Arena, as well as trying to impress viewers at home who will be voting for their 2016 champion.After a nail-biting wait, the contestant with the lowest public vote will have to leave the competition in third position.The remaining two contestants will then compete in Sunday night's final showdown before the winner is crowned.Throughout the Sunday final an outstanding line-up of guest stars will perform.

  6. 06

    S14E07 · September 23, 2017 · 1h 15m

    Auditions 78.0

    Dermot O'Leary hosts the penultimate round of auditions as the UK's biggest singing competition continues. Dermot is standing by to cheer on the nervous hopefuls as they approach judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger, and offers a shoulder to cry on as always for those who fail to make the grade. Which of this week's performers will impress the judges and make it through to boot camp?

  7. 07

    S14E12 · October 8, 2017 · 1h 30m

    Six Chair Challenge 18.0

    In the first of three special Six Chair Challenge episodes, the stakes are high as acts from each category perform individually. Their judge then has to decide if they want the act to take one of the six seats on stage - each one representing a place at Judges' Houses. However, even if they win a seat, the contestants face an anxious wait as no one is safe until the last person in each category has sung. Each judge is able to change their mind at any point, swapping an act already through with someone else who comes on and out-performs them. Who will have what it takes to keep hold of their seat and move one step closer to a coveted place in the live shows?

  8. 08

    S14E21 · November 11, 2017 · 1h 30m

    Live Show 5: Groups vs Overs8.0

    The UK's favourite singing competition continues into its third weekend of live shows as the remaining contestants sing their hearts out. Another big name guest also performs live.

  9. 09

    S14E25 · November 25, 2017 · 1h 40m

    Live Semi-Finals: Top 6 Perform8.0

    The nation's favourite singing show continues into its semi-final round as the remaining contestants take to the stage to perform for the judges and audience at home, with the hope of making it into next week's final.

  10. 10

    S14E26 · November 26, 2017 · 1h 30m

    Live Semi-Finals: Top 5 Perform8.0

    The nation's favourite singing show continues into its semi-final round as the remaining contestants take to the stage to perform for the judges and audience at home, with the hope of making it into next week's final.

  11. 11

    S15E02 · September 2, 2018 · 1h

    Auditions 28.0

    The search for a new music superstar continues with the second of the Auditions shows

  12. 12

    S15E06 · September 16, 2018 · 1h

    Auditions 68.0

    The search for a new music superstar heats up as the auditions continue at the SSE Arena.

  13. 13

    S15E08 · September 23, 2018 · 1h

    Auditions 88.0

    The search for a new music superstar heats up as the auditions continue. Judges Robbie Williams, Ayda Williams, Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell audition more hopefuls at the SSE Arena in Wembley. They are joined by Dermot O'Leary, who will be on hand to guide viewers and contestants alike through their X Factor journey, providing them with a word of advice or a much-needed hug as the contestants perform in front of the judging panel.

  14. 14

    S15E12 · October 7, 2018 · 1h

    Judges' Houses 18.0

    The live shows draw closer for the remaining 24 acts as they jet off to the Judges' Houses stage, in a bid to land a coveted place in the live shows. Offering a glimpse into the jetset lifestyle that the winner could have, the contestants travel to glamorous destinations across the world, and with just one more chance to impress their mentor, each act will be hoping to convince them that they have the star quality required to reach the live shows.

  15. 15

    S15E23 · November 17, 2018 · 1h 30m

    Live Show 58.0

    Dermot O'Leary hosts the fifth week of live shows, on the Big Band theme. The remaining acts will be keen to impress judges Simon Cowell, Louis Tomlinson and Ayda Williams - as well as the viewing public - and escape elimination in tomorrow night's results show, after Giovanni Spano departed last week. Ayda's husband and Groups mentor Robbie Williams is due to return to the judging panel next week, having missed several recent shows due to touring commitments in South America, so tonight will see a guest stepping into the former Take That star's shoes once again.

  16. 16

    S15E28 · December 2, 2018 · 1h 30m

    Live Finals: Winner Announcement8.0

    The final results show features a chart-topping act performing, before the winner of this year's competition is announced.

  17. 17

    S13E09 · September 24, 2016 · 1h 30m

    Six Chair Challenge 17.5

    Tonight sees the competition reach a new level as the dramatic Six Chair Challenge returns, promising some amazing performances and some tough decisions for the judges, as they must each choose the final six acts they will take through to Judges' Houses.In the first of two special Six Chair Challenge episodes the stakes are high as, for the first time in the competition, the acts perform live in front of an audience. Their judge then has to decide, right there and then, if they want the act to take one of the six seats on stage, each one representing a place in the next stage of the competition.However, even if they win a seat, the contestants face an anxious wait as no one is safe until the last person in each category has sung. Each judge is able to change their mind at any point swapping an act already through with someone else who comes on and out-performs them.Who will have what it takes to keep hold of their seat and be one step closer to a coveted place in the lives shows?

  18. 18

    S13E12 · October 2, 2016 · 1h 30m

    Judges' Houses 27.5

    The route to the live shows draws tantalisingly closer for the remaining X Factor contestants as they jet off to Judges' Houses in a bid to land a coveted place in the live shows.Offering a glimpse into the jet set lifestyle that The X Factor winner could have, the four categories travel to glamorous destinations across the world. With just one more chance to impress their mentor, each act will be hoping to convince them that they have the star quality required to reach the live shows.This year the Groups category will jet off to Ibiza to sing for Louis Walsh, Simon Cowell invites the Girls category to Malibu, the Overs category are hosted by Sharon Osbourne in her home in Los Angeles and the Boys category fly out to Nice to perform for Nicole Scherzinger.However, before they make their way to their destinations, each judge must nominate a Wildcard act for one of their fellow judges, choosing someone they feel missed out on a coveted place at Judges' Houses. The Girls Wildcard is nominated by Louis, the Overs Wildcard was nominated by Nicole, the Groups Wildcard was nominated by Sharon and Simon nominated the Boys Wildcard, making it 7 acts in each category and 28 in total.With crucial decisions to be made, each judge has help at hand from guest judges who know all about what it takes to have a hit record – Louis is joined by 2014 X Factor runner up Fleur East and Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Nicole enlists the help of renowned DJ Calvin Harris, Simon recruits former Spice Girls, Mel B and Emma Bunton and Sharon reunites with singer Robbie Williams.As ever, X Factor host Dermot O'Leary will be on hand to congratulate the lucky three, and console those that fall at the final hurdle.

  19. 19

    S13E13 · October 8, 2016 · 2h

    Live Show 17.5

    Thousands of aspiring pop stars turned up at the auditions, 120 battled it out at boot camp and, after the drama of the six-chair challenge, the best of those made it through to the judges' houses. Now the competition really begins as the final 12 perform live for the judges and millions of viewers at home. Each of them will be hoping they have what it takes to make an impression and stay on the show right up to the final just before Christmas. Simon Cowell is mentoring the girls' category, Louis Walsh has the groups, Nicole Scherzinger looks after the boys, while Sharon Osbourne has the over-25s.

  20. 20

    S13E25 · November 19, 2016 · 1h 25m

    Live Show 77.5

    The nation's favourite singing show continues this weekend as the remaining contestants take to the stage to perform live for the judges and audience at home, all in the hope of sealing their place in the competition for another week.Dermot O'Leary leads the proceedings, while judges and mentors Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell take their seats behind the judges' desk to battle it out with their contestants.

  21. 21

    S13E32 · December 11, 2016 · 2h 5m

    Final Results7.5

    It's the final! Throughout the Sunday final an outstanding line-up of guest stars will perform.The remaining two contestants compete in a final showdown before the winner is crowned.

  22. 22

    S14E01 · September 2, 2017 · 1h 30m

    Auditions 17.5

    The search for a music superstar gets underway as The X Factor returns to ITV. The nation's most talked about entertainment show sees Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh reunited with music mogul Simon Cowell on the judging panel once more.

  23. 23

    S14E02 · September 3, 2017 · 1h

    Auditions 27.5

    More singers and groups line up in a bid to win that coveted recording contract, but will they manage to impress judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger? Whatever the outcome, Dermot will be waiting to offer a congratulatory hug or a shoulder to cry on as the hopefuls emerge from their nerve-racking first auditions.

  24. 24

    S14E08 · September 24, 2017 · 1h

    Auditions 87.5

    Britain's biggest singing competition continues its fourteenth series as this year's auditions come to an end. Dermot O'Leary presides as judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger take in a final round of weird and wonderful performances in the audition room. Whose talents will buy them a place at next weekend's boot camp stage?

  25. 25

    S14E09 · September 30, 2017 · 1h 30m

    Bootcamp 17.5

    Dermot O'Leary hosts as the singing competition reaches the bootcamp stage. Simon Cowell and fellow judges Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger oversee a series of dancing and singing challenges, all aimed at weeding out the less-talented candidates before next weekend's daunting arena auditions. Dermot O'Leary is on hand as ever to offer support and a shoulder to cry on, but which acts will be continuing on their X Factor journey and who faces a disappointing trek home?

Shows like The X Factor

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01MusicThe best episodes of The Voice2011–present·NBCStreaming on Peacock PremiumThe Voice is a singing competition where famous musicians serve as coaches to mentor aspiring artists through a series of blind auditions, battles, and live performances, with the ultimate goal of finding and crowning…5.8
  2. 02MusicThe best episodes of America's Got Talent2006–present·NBCSimon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne also star·Streaming on Peacock Premium5.8
  3. 03Music·ComedyThe best episodes of Saturday Night Live1975–present·NBCStreaming on Amazon Prime VideoSaturday Night Live is an Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase.Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation.5.9
  4. 04Music·ComedyThe best episodes of Schmigadoon!2021–2023Streaming on Apple TVSchmigadoon! is a parody of iconic musicals, which follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover a magical town in which everyone is living in a studio musical…7.3
  5. 05Music·Horror·SupernaturalThe best episodes of Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat2026–present·AMC+The Vampire Lestat goes on tour while being haunted by "muses" from his past.4.6
  6. 06MusicThe best episodes of American Idol2002–present·ABCSimon Cowell also stars·Streaming on Hulu5.1

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