The X Factor is a British tv music competition to find new singing ability, contested by aspiring singers drawn from auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show has since aired a year from August/September through to December and began in September 2004. The show is made by FremantleMedia's Thames and the production company SYCOtv of Cowell. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and also TV3 in Ireland, using Spin off behind-the-scenes show The Xtra Factor screened on ITV2. It is the originator of this The xfactor franchise that is international. The X Factor was devised as a replacement for its exceptionally powerful Pop Idol, which was put on indefinite hiatus after its next show, chiefly because Cowell, who was a judge on Pop Idol, wanted to launch a new show to he owned the tv rights. The perceived similarity between the two shows later became the topic of a dispute. The"X Factor" of the title refers to this undefinable"something" which produces for celebrity quality. The first estimating panel was first Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. The board was joined by dannii Minogue in series 4 years, and Osbourne was substituted by Cheryl Cole in string 5 after her departure. After show , Cowell and Cole both made to judge the American form of the show whilst Minogue abandoned the show as a result of responsibilities on the Got Talent of Australia. Tulisa Contostavlos, kelly Rowland and Gary Barlow then united Walsh though Rowland announced she would not go back for string 9 and has been substituted by Nicole Scherzinger. Osbourne returned replacing Contostavlos. Since 2007, Dermot O'Leary, who substituted initial host Kate Thornton has presented the show. The show is broken up into a succession of phases, subsequent to the contestants from auditions through to the grand finale. In the show's original audition stage, contestants sang in front of simply the judges in a living room. On a point facing a live audience and the judges, auditionees sing from show 6 onwards. Successful auditionees proceed through to"boot camp" and then to"judges' houses", at which judges narrow down the actions inside their category down to four or three actions to mentor for its concert events, where the people vote for their preferred acts following weekly live performances by the contestants.