The X Factor: The Band begins tonight on ITV – here’s just how the brand new series works.
Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger return as judges fresh from The X Factor: Celebrity with X Factor: The Band – where either a girl group or boy band will battle it out to be crowned the nation’s new pop sensations.
No other music show in the world has such an enviable track record of creating globally successful bands including One Direction, Little Mix and Fifth Harmony. In total, acts discovered by The X Factor have sold more than 400 million records globally to date.
The X Factor: The Band goes back to basics in the music business, starting with hopefuls auditioning in Simon’s office at Sony HQ in London where they try out in front of the music mogul, Nicole as well as a panel of advisers.
They include Naughty Boy – who has worked with stars including Beyonce; multi-platinum selling song-writer Carla Williams and Grammy-winning producers Lil’ Eddie and Fred Ball.
Those who make it through this stage then face the next big challenge – arena auditions in front of thousands in Birmingham.
Simon and Nicole are joined for this stage by guest judge Leona Lewis, who returns to the show she won in 2006 albeit more than 30 million record sales later!
The judges will also again be joined by the music industry experts, who – as well as Carla, Naughty, Eddie and Fred also include Ella Eyre, who won a Brit award with Rudimental in 2014 for single Waiting All Night.
It will be here that both the boy and girl band will be created by the judges – before the two groups go head-to-head in a live final to battle to win the prize of a life changing and coveted record contract.
The X Factor: The Band airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday night this week on ITV at 8:30PM with a live final on Sunday evening at 8PM.
Host Dermot O’Leary said of the new series: “Simon and the show have discovered some of the biggest pop groups in recent music history, One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Little Mix – they’re all stars and have sold millions of records.
“In previous years, you’ve seen the judges put individual singers in a group – usually with their decision making and reasoning off camera, but this time people will get to see the process take place.
“The judges will select girls and boys to form new bands just like they did with One Direction and Little Mix and then both will go head to head to be crowned the winning group with a live arena finale in Birmingham.”
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