# X Factor (Italian TV series) season 5

X Factor is an Italian television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner receives a €300,000 recording contract with Sony Music. The fifth season started on Sky Uno on 20 October 2011 and ended on 5 January 2012. It was the first season to be broadcast on a digital satellite television platform, after four seasons televised on state owned channel Rai 2. For the first time, the final was also broadcast in 3D.
The show was presented by Alessandro Cattelan, with spin-off Xtra Factor hosted by Max Novaresi and Brenda Lodigiani. Elio was the only judge from the previous season to return. Mara Maionchi, Anna Tatangelo and Enrico Ruggeri was replaced by new judge Arisa and original judges Simona Ventura and Morgan. The winner was Francesca Michielin, mentored by Ventura, and her debut single "Distratto" was released as a digital EP the day after the final, together with the ones by the remaining Top 6 contestants.
The competition was split into several stages: auditions, bootcamp, judges' houses and live shows. The first auditions took place in Milan on 5 July 2011. On 12 September 2011, contestants performed for the first time in front of an audience, at the Teatro della Luna in Milan. After the auditions, 113 acts were admitted to the bootcamp, and only 24 of them make it to the judge's house. Following bootcamp, successful contestants were split into four categories: Boys (male soloists aged 16 to 24), Girls (female soloists aged 16 to 24), Over 24s (soloists aged 25 and over) and Vocal Groups. Each judge mentored six acts through judges' houses, and eliminated three of them before the first live show. The live shows started on 17 November 2011. The final took place on 5 January 2012 and it was watched by 1,048,358 people, making it the highest rated show to be broadcast by Sky Uno.

## Judges

The fifth edition maintained the new formula with four judges return to the jury Simona Ventura and Morgan, were confirmed Elio and newcomer Arisa. Just as in the previous edition, at time of disposal, if there were to be a tie, will be used to tilt or to a televoting period of 200 seconds that will decide the eliminated.

## Judges Houses

Before proceeding with the final stage of selection, each judge would be assigned one of the four categories. Each judge, with his or her vocal coach, would have to choose three singers who would complete the live shows of the fifth edition of X Factor.
The twelve eliminated acts were:
* Boys: Steven Patrick Piu, Daniel Adomako, Jeremy Fiumefreddo
* Girls: Nadia Burzotta, Paola Marotta, Alessia De Vito
* 25+: Michele Leonardo Cavada, Tania Furia, Paolo Bernardini
* Groups: Mescla, 2080, I Malviventi

## Contestants and categories

Key:
    – Winner
    – Runner-up
    – Third place
| Category (mentor) | Acts | Acts | Acts |
| Boys (Morgan) | Valerio De Rosa | Vincenzo Di Bella | Davide Papasidero |
| Girls (Ventura) | Jessica Mazzoli | Francesca Michielin | Nicole Tuzii |
| 25+ (Arisa) | Claudio Cera | Rahma Hafsi | Antonella Lo Coco |
| Groups (Elio) | Cafè Margot | Le 5 | I Moderni |

## Live shows
### Results summary

The number of votes received by each act was released by Sky Italia after the final.

#### Colour key

| – | Contestant was in the bottom two/three and had to sing again in the final showdown |
| – | Contestant was in the bottom three but received the fewest votes and was immediately eliminated |
| – | Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown) |
| – | Contestant received the most public votes |
Weekly results per contestant :
| Contestant | Week 1 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 5 | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | Semi-final | Semi-final | Final | Final |
| Contestant | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Francesca Michielin | 2nd 24.89% | — | 1st 26.71% | — | — | 1st 26.55% | 1st 25.78% | — | 5th 12.78% | — | 3rd 18.55% | 1st 23.80% | 1st 24.65% | 2nd 26.84% | 1st 38.92% | Winner 57.91% |
| I Moderni | — | 3rd 19.44% | — | 4th 16.02% | — | 3rd 18.16% | — | 4th 22.33% | 1st 18.08% | — | 2nd 18.92% | 3rd 22.91% | 3rd 24.44% | 3rd 24.69% | 2nd 32.33% | Runner-up 42.09% |
| Antonella Lo Coco | — | 2nd 20.61% | — | 1st 28.48% | 2nd 27.29% | — | — | 1st 28.60% | 2nd 14.60% | — | 1st 21.03% | 2nd 23.26% | 2nd 24.61% | 1st 27.32% | 3rd 28.75% | Eliminated (final) |
| Nicole Tuzii | 1st 33.77% | — | — | 2nd 27.74% | 1st 31.76% | — | 2nd 25.49% | — | 4th 12.92% | — | 4th 15.86% | 4th 15.54% | 5th 13.04% | 4th 21.15% | Eliminated (semi-final) | Eliminated (semi-final) |
| Jessica Mazzoli | — | 1st 21.90% | 2nd 19.14% | — | — | 4th 17.19% | — | 3rd 24.10% | 3rd 14.35% | — | 5th 13.82% | 5th 14.50% | 4th 13.26% | Eliminated (semi-final) | Eliminated (semi-final) | Eliminated (semi-final) |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 3rd 13.67% | — | 3rd 18.85% | — | 3rd 16.94% | — | 4th 14.41% | — | 8th 7.41% | 39.30% | 6th 11.82% | — | Eliminated (quarter-final) | Eliminated (quarter-final) | Eliminated (quarter-final) | Eliminated (quarter-final) |
| Claudio Cera | 4th 10.81% | — | 4th 18.11% | — | — | 2nd 22.08% | 3rd 20.02% | — | 6th 10.30% | 17.81% | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) |
| Valerio De Rosa | — | 4th 14.36% | — | 5th 10.55% | — | 5th 16.02% | — | 2nd 24.97% | 7th 9.56% | 42.89% | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) | Eliminated (Week 5) |
| Cafè Margot | 5th 10.66% | — | — | 3rd 17.22% | 4th 13.15% | — | 5th 14.31% | — | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) | Eliminated (Week 4) |
| Davide Papasidero | — | 5th 12.18% | 5th 8.87% | — | 5th 10.85% | — | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) | Eliminated (Week 3) |
| Le 5 | — | 6th 11.51% | 6th 8.32% | — | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) | Eliminated (Week 2) |
| Rahma Hafsi | 6th 6.20% | — | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) | Eliminated (Week 1) |
| Bottom two | Rahma Hafsi, Le 5 | Rahma Hafsi, Le 5 | Le 5, Valerio De Rosa | Le 5, Valerio De Rosa | Davide Papasidero, Valerio De Rosa | Davide Papasidero, Valerio De Rosa | Cafè Margot, I Moderni | Cafè Margot, I Moderni | Claudio Cera, Vincenzo Di Bella | Claudio Cera, Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella, Jessica Mazzoli | Vincenzo Di Bella, Jessica Mazzoli | Jessica Mazzoli, Nicole Tuzii | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone |
| No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone ||||||||||||||
| Arisa's vote | Le 5 | Le 5 | Valerio De Rosa | Valerio De Rosa | Davide Papasidero | Davide Papasidero | Cafè Margot | Cafè Margot | Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella | Nicole Tuzii | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone |
| Elio's vote | Rahma Hafsi | Rahma Hafsi | Valerio De Rosa | Valerio De Rosa | Davide Papasidero | Davide Papasidero | Cafè Margot | Cafè Margot | Claudio Cera | Claudio Cera | Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella | Jessica Mazzoli | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone |
| Morgan's vote | Rahma Hafsi | Rahma Hafsi | Le 5 | Le 5 | Valerio De Rosa | Valerio De Rosa | I Moderni | I Moderni | Claudio Cera | Claudio Cera | Jessica Mazzoli | Jessica Mazzoli | Nicole Tuzii | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone |
| Ventura's vote | Rahma Hafsi | Rahma Hafsi | Le 5 | Le 5 | Davide Papasidero | Davide Papasidero | Cafè Margot | Cafè Margot | Claudio Cera | Claudio Cera | Vincenzo Di Bella | Vincenzo Di Bella | Jessica Mazzoli | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone | No final showdown or judges' vote: results were based on public votes alone |
| Eliminated | Rahma Hafsi 3 of 4 votes majority | Rahma Hafsi 3 of 4 votes majority | Le 5 Public vote 65.79% to eliminate | Le 5 Public vote 65.79% to eliminate | Davide Papasidero 3 of 4 votes majority | Davide Papasidero 3 of 4 votes majority | Cafè Margot 3 of 4 votes majority | Cafè Margot 3 of 4 votes majority | Valerio De Rosa Public vote 42.89% to eliminate | Valerio De Rosa Public vote 42.89% to eliminate | Vincenzo Di Bella 3 of 4 votes majority | Vincenzo Di Bella 3 of 4 votes majority | Jessica Mazzoli Public vote 56.19 to eliminate | Nicole Tuzii Public vote 21.15% to save | Antonella Lo Coco Public vote 28.75% to win | I Moderni Public vote 42.09% to win |
| Eliminated | Rahma Hafsi 3 of 4 votes majority | Rahma Hafsi 3 of 4 votes majority | Le 5 Public vote 65.79% to eliminate | Le 5 Public vote 65.79% to eliminate | Davide Papasidero 3 of 4 votes majority | Davide Papasidero 3 of 4 votes majority | Cafè Margot 3 of 4 votes majority | Cafè Margot 3 of 4 votes majority | Claudio Cera 3 of 4 votes majority | Claudio Cera 3 of 4 votes majority | Vincenzo Di Bella 3 of 4 votes majority | Vincenzo Di Bella 3 of 4 votes majority | Jessica Mazzoli Public vote 56.19 to eliminate | Nicole Tuzii Public vote 21.15% to save | Antonella Lo Coco Public vote 28.75% to win | Francesca Michielin Public vote 57.91% to win |

#### Notes

* ^1 During week 5, after the first round, the public was asked to vote the act to be eliminated, and not the act to be saved, among the three contestants who received fewer votes.

### Live show details
#### Week 1 (17 November 2011)

* Celebrity performers: Kasabian ("Days Are Forgotten")
* Other guests: Miguel Bosé
* Group performance: "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
Contestants' performances on the first live show :
| Part 1 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Nicole Tuzii | 1 | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Safe |
| Cafè Margot | 2 | "50mila" | Safe |
| Claudio Cera | 3 | "My Immortal" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 4 | "Azzurro" | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 5 | "Someone Like You" | Safe |
| Rahma Hafsi | 6 | "Street Life" | Bottom two |
| Part 2 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Valerio De Rosa | 7 | "Misfit" | Safe |
| I Moderni | 8 | "Overdose (d'amore)" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 9 | "What Else Is There?" | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 10 | "Caffè nero bollente" | Safe |
| Davide Papasidero | 11 | "My Way" | Safe |
| Le 5 | 12 | "Birdland" | Bottom two |
| Final showdown details ||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Result |
| Rahma Hafsi | 13 | "Blame It on the Boogie" | Eliminated |
| Rahma Hafsi | 15 | "Se c'è una cosa che mi fa impazzire" (a cappella) | Eliminated |
| Le 5 | 14 | "I Get Around" | Safe |
| Le 5 | 16 | "Come foglie" (a cappella) | Safe |

##### Judge's vote to eliminate

* Arisa: Le 5 – backed his own act, Rahma Hafsi.
* Elio: Rahma Hafsi – backed his own act, Le 5.
* Morgan: Rahma Hafsi – based on the final showdown performance.
* Ventura: Rahma Hafsi – wanted to support Le 5's musical projects.

#### Week 2 (24 November 2011)

* Celebrity performers: James Morrison ("I Won't Let You Go")
* Other guests: Francesco Mandelli and Fabrizio Biggio (I soliti idioti)
Contestants' performances on the second live show :
| Part 1 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Claudio Cera | 1 | "Dog Days Are Over" | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 2 | "Messaggio" | Safe |
| Davide Papasidero | 3 | "Jealous Guy" | Safe |
| Le 5 | 4 | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | Bottom two |
| Francesca Michielin | 5 | "La guerra è finita" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 6 | "Ritornerai" | Safe |
| Part 2 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| I Moderni | 7 | "I Gotta Feeling" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 8 | "Morirò d'amore" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 9 | "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" | Bottom two |
| Cafè Margot | 10 | "It's Oh So Quiet" | Safe |
| Nicole Tuzii | 11 | "La differenza tra me e te" | Safe |
| Final showdown detail ||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Result |
| Le 5 | 12 | "Because" | Eliminated |
| Le 5 | 14 | "La donna cannone" (a cappella) | Eliminated |
| Valerio De Rosa | 13 | "Come il sole all'improvviso" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 15 | "All in Love Is Fair" (a cappella) | Safe |

##### Judge's vote to eliminate

* Elio: Valerio De Rosa – backed his own act, Le 5.
* Morgan: Le 5 – backed his own act, Valerio De Rosa.
* Ventura: Le 5 – felt that Le 5 still needed to find their right musical direction.
* Arisa: Valerio De Rosa – could not decide so chose to take it to deadlock.
With both acts receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and a new public vote commenced for 200 seconds. Le 5 were eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.

#### Week 3 (1 December 2011)

* Theme: Disco Party
* Celebrity performers: Giorgia ("È l'amore che conta")
* Group performance: Hung Up
Contestants' performances on the third live show :
| Part 1 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 1 | "Strict Machine" | Safe |
| Davide Papasidero | 2 | "Never Be Alone (We Are Your Friends)" | Bottom two |
| Nicole Tuzii | 3 | "Born This Way" | Safe |
| Cafè Margot | 4 | "Crying at the Discoteque" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 5 | "Miss You" | Safe |
| Part 2 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 6 | "Slave to the Rhythm" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 7 | "The Look of Love" | Bottom two |
| I Moderni | 8 | "Judas" | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 9 | "Tainted Love" | Safe |
| Claudio Cera | 10 | "If I Ever Feel Better" | Safe |
| Final showdown detail ||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Result |
| Davide Papasidero | 11 | "Cuore" | Eliminated |
| Davide Papasidero | 13 | "True Colors" (a cappella) | Eliminated |
| Valerio De Rosa | 12 | "Superstition" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 14 | "Sembra impossibile" (a cappella) | Safe |

##### Judges' votes to eliminate

* Morgan: Valerio De Rosa – gave no reason but stated that he hoped for a deadlock.
* Ventura: Davide Papasidero – to balance Morgan's vote, hoping for a deadlock.
* Arisa: Davide Papasidero – stated that she preferred De Rosa.
* Elio: Davide Papasidero – based on the final showdown performances.

#### Week 4 (8 December 2011)

* Celebrity performers: Daniele Silvestri ("Questo Paese" and "Il flamenco della doccia" with Elio), Morgan with Davide Papasidero ("Life on Mars?")
Contestants' performances on the fourth live show :
| Part 1 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Nicole Tuzii | 1 | "Heaven" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 2 | "Portatemi Dio" | Safe |
| Claudio Cera | 3 | "Mi sei scoppiato dentro il cuore" | Safe |
| Cafè Margot | 4 | "Senza paura" | Bottom two |
| Francesca Michielin | 5 | "Higher Ground" | Safe |
| Part 2 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| I Moderni | 6 | "Back It Up" | Bottom two |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 7 | "Folle città" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 8 | "Cigarettes and Coffee" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 9 | "Mad About You" | Safe |
| Final showdown detail ||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Result |
| Café Margot | 10 | "It's Oh So Quiet" | Eliminated |
| Café Margot | 12 | "Illusione" (a cappella) | Eliminated |
| I Moderni | 11 | "In the Air Tonight" | Safe |
| I Moderni | 13 | "Domani" (a cappella) | Safe |

##### Judges' votes to eliminate

* Elio: Cafè Margot – felt he could be more helpful for I Moderni.
* Arisa: Cafè Margot – based on the final showdown performances.
* Morgan: I Moderni – felt that Cafè Margot's performance was "too redundant", but that they had potential to improve with their mentor's help.
* Ventura: Cafè Margot – thinking that I Moderni were more interesting for the recording industry.

#### Week 5 (15 December 2011)

* Celebrity performers: Subsonica ("Up Patriots to Arms"), Raphael Gualazzi ("Zuccherino dolce")
Contestants' performances on the fifth live show :
| Part 1 ||||
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 1 | "Sally" | Safe |
| I Moderni | 2 | "Fuck You" | Safe |
| Valerio De Rosa | 3 | "Un bimbo sul leone" | Bottom three |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 4 | "Missing" | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 5 | "Confusa e felice" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 6 | "Time" | Bottom three |
| Nicole Tuzii | 7 | "Io non lascio traccia" | Safe |
| Claudio Cera | 8 | "Una poesia anche per te" | Bottom three |
| Final showdown detail ||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Result |
| Valerio De Rosa | 9 | "Labyrinth" | Eliminated (public vote) |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 10 | "Anna e Marco" | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 12 | "Washing of the Water" (a cappella) | Safe |
| Claudio Cera | 11 | "Se stasera sono qui" | Eliminated (judges) |
| Claudio Cera | 13 | "The Scientist" (a cappella) | Eliminated (judges) |

##### Judges' votes to eliminate

* Morgan: Claudio Cera – backed his own act, Vincenzo Di Bella.
* Arisa: Vincenzo Di Bella – backed her own act, Claudio Cera.
* Ventura: Claudio Cera – felt that Cera was ready for the music business outside of the show.
* Elio: Claudio Cera – felt that Cera was not focused on a particular style.

#### Week 6: Quarter-final (22 December 2011)

* Theme: Songs from films (Round 1), Free choice (Round 2)
* Celebrity performers: Marco Mengoni ("Tanto il resto cambia")
* Group performance: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
Contestants' performances on the sixth live show :
| Round 1 |||||
| Act | Order | Song | Film | Result |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 1 | "The World Is Not Enough" | The World Is Not Enough | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 2 | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Casino | Safe |
| I Moderni | 3 | "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" | Moulin Rouge! | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 4 | "Un año d'amor" | High Heels | Safe |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 5 | "Suspicious Minds" | Breathless | Bottom two |
| Nicole Tuzii | 6 | "Cry Me a River" | V for Vendetta | Safe |
| Round 2 |||||
| Act | Order | Song | Song | Result |
| Nicole Tuzii | 7 | "Ain't Nobody" | "Ain't Nobody" | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 8 | "We Don't Need Another Hero" | "We Don't Need Another Hero" | Bottom two |
| I Moderni | 9 | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 10 | "You Shook Me All Night Long" | "You Shook Me All Night Long" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 11 | "Disincanto" | "Disincanto" | Safe |
| Final showdown detail |||||
| Act | Order | Songs | Songs | Result |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 12 | "La leva calcistica della classe '68" | "La leva calcistica della classe '68" | Eliminated |
| Vincenzo Di Bella | 14 | "Red Rain" (a cappella) | "Red Rain" (a cappella) | | Eliminated |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 13 | "Malo" | "Malo" | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 15 | "Il corvo" (a cappella) | "Il corvo" (a cappella) | | Safe |

##### Judges' vote to eliminate

* Ventura: Vincenzo Di Bella – backed her own act, Jessica Mazzoli.
* Morgan: Jessica Mazzoli – backed his own act, Vincenzo Di Bella.
* Arisa: Vincenzo Di Bella – stated that she preferred Mazzoli.
* Elio: Vincenzo Di Bella – took his previous comments on the two acts into consideration.

#### Week 7: Semi-final (29 December 2011)

* Theme: Previously unreleased songs (Round 1), Free choice (Round 2)
* Celebrity performers: Antonello Venditti ("Unica"), Morgan ("Lontano lontano")
Contestants' performances on the seventh live show :
| Round 1 ||||||
| Act | Order | Song | Writer(s) | Writer(s) | Result |
| Nicole Tuzii | 1 | "Sarà possibile" | Luca Mattioni, Mario Cianchi, Kaballà | Luca Mattioni, Mario Cianchi, Kaballà | Bottom two |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 2 | "Cuore scoppiato" | Luca Marino | Luca Marino | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 3 | "Un livido sul cuore" | Gianluca Grignani | Gianluca Grignani | Bottom two |
| I Moderni | 4 | "Non ci penso mai" | Daniele Lazzarin, Riccardo Garifo, Alberto Tafuri | Daniele Lazzarin, Riccardo Garifo, Alberto Tafuri | Safe |
| Francesca Michielin | 5 | "Distratto" | Elisa, Roberto Casalino | Elisa, Roberto Casalino | Safe |
| Final showdown detail ||||||
| Act | Order | Song | Song | Song | Result |
| Nicole Tuzii | 6 | "Listen" | "Listen" | "Listen" | Safe |
| Jessica Mazzoli | 7 | "Folle città" | "Folle città" | "Folle città" | Eliminated |

##### Judges' votes to eliminate

* Ventura: Jessica Mazzoli – gave no reason but said she hoped for a deadlock.
* Morgan: Nicole Tuzii – gave no reason.
* Arisa: Nicole Tuzii – gave no reason.
* Elio: Jessica Mazzoli – could not decide so chose to take it to deadlock.
With both acts receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and a new public vote commenced for 200 seconds. Jessica Mazzoli was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.
Round 2 :
| Act | Order | Song 1 | Order | Song 2 (a cappella) | Result |
| Francesca Michielin | 8 | "Roadhouse Blues" | 12 | "Che cosa c'è" | Safe |
| I Moderni | 9 | "I Want You Back" | 13 | "My Love" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 10 | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | 14 | "Roxanne" | Safe |
| Nicole Tuzii | 11 | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | 15 | "Fa che non sia mai" | Eliminated |

#### Week 8: Final (5 January 2012)

* Theme: Celebrity duets (Round 1, part 1), previously unreleased songs (Round 1, part 2), Medley of the best performances on X Factor
* Celebrity performers: Fiorella Mannoia ("Io non ho paura"), Morgan & Asia Argento ("The Indifferences"), Arisa, Elio, Morgan & Simona Ventura ("Spirit in the Sky")
Contestants' performances on the eighth live show :
| Round 1 ||||||
| Act | Order | Song 1 | Order | Song 2 | Result |
| Francesca Michielin | 1 | "La tua ragazza sempre" (with Irene Grandi) | 4 | "Distratto" | Safe |
| I Moderni | 2 | "Heaven" (with Emeli Sandé) | 5 | "Non ci penso mai" | Safe |
| Antonella Lo Coco | 3 | "Come si cambia" (with Fiorella Mannoia) | 6 | "Cuore scoppiato" | Third place |
| Round 2 ||||||
| Act | Order | Medley | Order | Song (a cappella) | Result |
| Francesca Michielin | 7 | "Someone Like You", "The House of the Rising Sun", "Whole Lotta Love" | 9 | "Hallelujah" | Winner |
| I Moderni | 8 | "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", "Fuck You", "Judas" | 10 | "Another One Bites the Dust" | Runner-up |