The X Factor: Celebrity
| The X Factor: Celebrity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hosted by | Dermot O'Leary (ITV) |
| Judges |
Simon Cowell Louis Walsh Nicole Scherzinger |
| Winner | Megan McKenna |
| Winning mentor | Louis Walsh |
| Runner-up | Max and Harvey |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | 12 October – 30 November 2019 |
The X Factor: Celebrity is a British celebrity special edition of The X Factor which premiered on 12 October 2019 on ITV. It is a revamped version of the 2006 celebrity format The X Factor: Battle of the Stars. Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh judged this series, with Dermot O'Leary presenting the series and Vick Hope hosting Xtra Bites on YouTube.
The format for the series was announced in 2019, after The X Factor was contracted until 2020. The celebrity lineup was announced on 30 September 2019. On 30 November, Megan McKenna won the series with 46.3% of the vote, with Max and Harvey finishing in second place and Jenny Ryan in third place.
Background and judges
The series' predecessor, The X Factor: Battle of the Stars aired in 2006 as a celebrity incarnation of The X Factor. It was reported on 26 August 2006 that Cowell had axed Battle of the Stars, describing it as "pointless" and adding "we are never going to do it again." However, Cowell later stated in an interview with The Sun on 30 November 2018 that he would consider reviving the show for a second series as a charity special.
The series was first reported in early 2019, as the main series was being put on hiatus due to declining ratings. On 7 July 2019, Walsh spoke about the return of the series, stating, "I go to Los Angeles on Tuesday, I go to Simon's house in Malibu, it's me, Simon and Nicole, we're doing the celebrity one." On 22 October 2019, it was revealed that Vick Hope would host Xtra Bites on YouTube, each episode premiered after each live show.
The format of the series differs heavily than Battle of the Stars to bring it more in line with the main series. Notable differences between this series and Battle of the Stars are instead of competing for charity, the acts are competing to win a record contract with Syco Music, and the live shows, instead of being aired daily, are aired every Saturday night, allowing more time inbetween shows for the acts to develop their artistry.
Acts
A teaser, released in September 2019, teased the potential contestants of the series, of which include: a film star, model, online influencers, professional dancer, social media stars and a soap star. The full line-up was revealed on 30 September 2019. Cowell mentored the Groups, Walsh mentored the 16-30s and Scherzinger mentored the Over 31s. During auditions, Cowell's America's Got Talent co-judge Howie Mandel and American Idol co-judge Randy Jackson appeared as guest judges.
Key:
- – Winner
- – Runner-up
- – Eliminated in the live shows
- – Eliminated in the auditions
| Act | Age(s) | Hometown | Category (mentor) | Known For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole and Edwards | 43 & 48 |
Christchurch, New Zealand (Cole) London, England (Edwards) |
Groups (Cowell) | Former Strictly Come Dancing professional (Cole) Former Hollyoaks actor (Edwards) |
Eliminated |
| Hayley Hasselhoff | 27 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | 16-30s (Walsh) | Actress & model | Eliminated |
| Jenny Ryan | 37 | Bolton, England | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Quizzer & The Chase star | 3rd place |
| Jonny Labey | 26 | Grouville, Jersey | 16-30s (Walsh) | Former EastEnders actor | 10th place |
| Kevin McHale | 31 | Plano, Texas, U.S. | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Glee actor | 7th place |
| Martin Bashir | 56 | Wandsworth, England | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Journalist & news anchor | 9th place |
| Max and Harvey | 16 | Sandhurst, England | Groups (Cowell) | YouTube personalities | Runner-up |
| Megan McKenna | 27 | Barking, England | 16-30s (Walsh) | Television personality | Winner |
| No Love Lost | 21–24 | Essex / London / Staffordshire | Groups (Cowell) | Love Island stars | 8th place |
| Olivia Olson | 27 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | 16-30s (Walsh) | Actress & singer | 12th place |
| Ricki Lake | 51 | Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Hairspray actress & former talk show host | 13th place |
| Try Star | 21–34 | Birmingham / Harare, Zimbabwe / Chester | Groups (Cowell) | Rugby union players | 5th place |
| V5 | 18–21 | Colombia / Puerto Rico / Brazil / Cuba / Mexico |
Groups (Cowell) | Social media influencers | 4th place |
| Victoria Ekanoye | 36 | Bury, England | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Former Coronation Street actress | 11th place |
| Vinnie Jones | 54 | Watford, England | Over 31s (Scherzinger) | Actor & former Premier League footballer | 6th place |