X Fac·tor /ˈeks ˌfæktə $ -ər/ BrE AmE trademark
a UK television music TALENT SHOW , first broadcast in 2004. The ↑ contestant s are chosen from public ↑ audition s . In each programme, the contestants sing a song and comments are made by the judges who have included Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh, and Dannii Minogue. The ↑ viewer s vote for the performance they preferred and the singer with the least number of votes leaves the show. The top prize is a million-pound RECORDING CONTRACT s . Winners have included Shayne Ward and Leona Lewis. Local ↑ version s of the show have been broadcast in various countries.