Britain's biggest talent show returns for a brand new series. Judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh sift through a record-breaking number of applicants, who this year must audition in front of a studio audience and the panel. The heats start in London, before moving on to Manchester and Glasgow. Watch out for Simon and Louis falling out over a pair of Irish twins. Plus, who gives what Simon describes as 'the best first audition I have ever heard'? Dermot O'Leary hosts.
Each X Factor judge is in charge of a different section of singers on the show. The judges do not know what section of the competition they will be in charge of until the audition process has finished. Each judge then has to pick four acts to take forward to the live section of the show. Each week the two acts with the lowest amount of public votes have to sing again in a final showdown after which the judges decide who should be eliminated. Once there are only five acts left remaining it becomes left to the public to decide who should go.