# List of The X Factor (British TV series) finalists

The X Factor is a British television music competition that first aired in 2004. As of December 2017, there have been fourteen completed series. The final round of the competition features a number of solo singers or vocal groups: nine in series 1, twelve in series 2-6 and 10, 16 in series 7, 8, 11 14, and 15, and 13 in series 9, 12 and 13. A total of 184 acts have reached the finals of their series.
During the first three series, the contestants were split into three groups: "16-24s", "25-and-overs" (renamed "over 25s" in series 2, though still often referred to as "25-and-overs" in series 2 and 3) and "groups". Each set of contestants was mentored by one of the show's judges, Simon Cowell (head judge), Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. From series 4 onwards, the 16-24s were subdivided into boys and girls categories as a fourth judge, Dannii Minogue, joined the show, making four categories in total (Boys, Girls, Over 25s, Groups). Following Osbourne's exit from the show after series 4, Cheryl replaced her. In series 7, the over 25s were changed to over 28s, before being changed back to over 25s for series 8. Also in series 8, Cowell, Minogue and Cheryl all left the show, leaving Walsh as the only judge to return from the previous year. He was joined on the panel by Gary Barlow (head judge), Kelly Rowland and Tulisa. For series 9, Rowland left the show and Nicole Scherzinger joined the panel as her replacement. The over 25s were changed to over 28s again in series 9, and then back to over 25s in series 10. Osbourne also returned to the panel in series 10, replacing Tulisa. The over 25s were changed to over 26s in series 11. Cowell and Cheryl returned for series 11, replacing Barlow and Osbourne. Mel B joined the panel in series 11, replacing Scherzinger. Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw joined the panel in series 12, replacing Mel B and Walsh. The over 26s were changed to over 27s in series 12, and then back to over 25s in series 13. Walsh, Scherzinger and Osbourne returned to the panel in series 13, replacing Grimshaw, Ora and Cheryl. The over 25s were changed to over 28s in series 14, and then to over 29s in series 15. Only Cowell returned to the panel for series 15, where was he was joined by Robbie Williams, Ayda Field and Louis Tomlinson, who replaced Walsh, Osbourne and Scherzinger, respectively.
As of series 14, all five categories have won the show on at least one occasion, while seven of the show's nine judges have had the winning act in their category at least once, with Cowell winning four times, Cheryl, Minogue and Scherzinger winning twice, and Walsh, Tulisa, Osbourne, Ora and Tomlinson winning once. The only judges not to win were Rowland, Barlow, Mel B, Grimshaw, Field and Williams, with Field and Williams' best performance having their contestant been the twelfth eliminated and their contestant been the fourteenth eliminated respectively in 2018 (their only series), Rowland, Mel B and Grimshaw's best performance having their contestant been the last eliminated in 2011, 2014 and 2015 respectively (their only series) and Barlow placing runner-up in 2011 (the first of his three years on the panel). Osbourne failed to win the show in her initial stint, but won on her return in series 10.

## Contestants

    – Winner
    – Runner-Up
| Name | Series | Category | Mentor | Finished |
| 2 Shoes | 8 | Groups | Tulisa | 14th (joint) |
| 2 to Go | 1 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| 4Sure | 3 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 11th |
| 4th Impact | 12 | Groups | Cheryl | 5th |
| 4Tune | 2 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 11th |
| 5 After Midnight | 13 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 3rd |
| Saara Aalto | 13 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 2nd |
| Andy Abraham | 2 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 2nd |
| Acacia & Aaliyah | 15 | Groups | Robbie Williams | 4th |
| Addictiv Ladies | 2 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 12th |
| Rachel Adedeji | 6 | Girls | Dannii Minogue | 9th |
| John Adeleye | 7 | Over 28s | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Paul Akister | 11 | Boys | Mel B | 9th |
| Shan Ako | 15 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 7th |
| Alien Uncovered | 12 | Groups | Cheryl | 12th |
| Robert Allen | 3 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 6th |
| Abi Alton | 10 | Girls | Nicole Scherzinger | 8th |
| Nikitta Angus | 3 | 16-24s | Simon Cowell | 7th |
| Jamie Archer | 6 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 7th |
| James Arthur | 9 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 1st |
| Misha B | 8 | Girls | Kelly Rowland | 4th |
| Bad Lashes | 5 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Sam Bailey | 10 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 1st |
| Hannah Barrett | 10 | Girls | Nicole Scherzinger | 6th |
| Belle Amie | 7 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 11th |
| Alisha Bennett | 4 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 7th |
| Sam Black | 14 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 10th |
| Blonde Electra | 11 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 16th |
| Alisah Bonaobra | 14 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 11th |
| Bratavio | 13 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Sami Brookes | 8 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Brooks Way | 13 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 13th (withdrew) |
| Steve Brookstein | 1 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 1st |
| Kitty Brucknell | 8 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| Scott Bruton | 5 | Boys | Simon Cowell | 10th |
| Bupsi | 12 | Over 27s | Simon Cowell | 13th |
| Alexandra Burke | 5 | Girls | Cheryl | 1st |
| Mary Byrne | 7 | Over 28s | Louis Walsh | 5th |
| Relley C | 13 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 10th |
| Tabby Callaghan | 1 | 16-24s | Sharon Osbourne | 3rd |
| Sam Callahan | 10 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| Matt Cardle | 7 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 1st |
| Ché Chesterman | 12 | Boys | Nick Grimshaw | 3rd |
| Rylan Clark | 9 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 5th |
| Frankie Cocozza | 8 | Boys | Gary Barlow | 8th (removed) |
| Treyc Cohen | 7 | Girls | Cheryl | 10th |
| Marcus Collins | 8 | Boys | Gary Barlow | 2nd |
| Craig Colton | 8 | Boys | Gary Barlow | 6th |
| Cassie Compton | 1 | 16-24s | Sharon Osbourne | 5th |
| The Conway Sisters | 2 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 6th |
| The Cutkelvins | 14 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 5th |
| Lloyd Daniels | 6 | Boys | Cheryl | 5th |
| Grace Davies | 14 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 2nd |
| Daniel de Bourg | 4 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 11th |
| Talia Dean | 14 | Over 28s | Nicole Scherzinger | 15th |
| Janet Devlin | 8 | Girls | Kelly Rowland | 5th |
| District3 | 9 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| Diva Fever | 7 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 13th |
| Nicholas Dorsett | 2 | 16-24s | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| Jahméne Douglas | 9 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 2nd |
| Austin Drage | 5 | Boys | Simon Cowell | 9th |
| Fleur East | 11 | Over 26s | Simon Cowell | 2nd |
| Brenda Edwards | 2 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 4th |
| Jade Ellis | 9 | Girls | Tulisa | 10th |
| Eton Road | 3 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 5th |
| Daniel Evans | 5 | Over 25s | Dannii Minogue | 7th |
| Niki Evans | 4 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 4th |
| Andrea Faustini | 11 | Boys | Mel B | 3rd |
| Rebecca Ferguson | 7 | Girls | Cheryl | 2nd |
| Nicolo Festa | 7 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 16th |
| Tamera Foster | 10 | Girls | Nicole Scherzinger | 5th |
| Four of Diamonds | 13 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 8th |
| Luke Friend | 10 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 3rd |
| Futureproof | 4 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 9th |
| F.Y.D. | 7 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 15th |
| Honey G | 13 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 5th |
| G4 | 1 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 2nd |
| Girlband | 5 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 11th |
| Aiden Grimshaw | 7 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 9th |
| Sophie Habibis | 8 | Girls | Kelly Rowland | 11th |
| Ben Haenow | 11 | Over 26s | Simon Cowell | 1st |
| Dalton Harris | 15 | Boys | Louis Tomlinson | 1st |
| Ella Henderson | 9 | Girls | Tulisa | 6th |
| Hope | 4 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 5th |
| Roberta Howett | 1 | 16-24s | Sharon Osbourne | 9th |
| Rachel Hylton | 5 | Over 25s | Dannii Minogue | 6th |
| Jack & Joel | 14 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 12th |
| Leon Jackson | 4 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 1st |
| Jay James | 11 | Over 26s | Simon Cowell | 8th |
| Chloe Jasmine | 11 | Girls | Cheryl | 13th |
| Tracy Leanne Jefford | 14 | Over 28s | Nicole Scherzinger | 13th |
| JLS | 5 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 2nd |
| John & Edward | 6 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 6th |
| Danyl Johnson | 6 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 4th |
| Louisa Johnson | 12 | Girls | Rita Ora | 1st |
| Lucie Jones | 6 | Girls | Dannii Minogue | 8th |
| Journey South | 2 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 3rd |
| Kandy Rain | 6 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Verity Keays | 1 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 8th |
| Jonjo Kerr | 8 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 14th (joint) |
| Kingsland Road | 10 | Groups | Gary Barlow | 9th |
| Sam Lavery | 13 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 7th |
| Ryan Lawrie | 13 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 6th |
| Maria Lawson | 2 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 8th |
| Scarlett Lee | 15 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 2nd |
| Storm Lee | 7 | Over 28s | Louis Walsh | 14th |
| Leona Lewis | 3 | 16-24s | Simon Cowell | 1st |
| Amelia Lily | 8 | Girls | Kelly Rowland | 3rd |
| Matt Linnen | 14 | Over 28s | Nicole Scherzinger | 6th |
| Little Mix (née Rhythmix) | 8 | Groups | Tulisa | 1st |
| Cher Lloyd | 7 | Girls | Cheryl | 4th |
| LMA Choir | 15 | Groups | Robbie Williams | 13th |
| Rikki Loney | 6 | Boys | Cheryl | 11th |
| Ruth Lorenzo | 5 | Over 25s | Dannii Minogue | 5th |
| Gifty Louise | 13 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 9th |
| The MacDonald Brothers | 3 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 4th |
| Lloyd Macey | 14 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 4th |
| Phillip Magee | 2 | 16-24s | Louis Walsh | 10th |
| Leon Mallett | 14 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 14th |
| Christopher Maloney | 9 | Over 28s | Gary Barlow | 3rd |
| Armstrong Martins | 15 | Boys | Louis Tomlinson | 15th |
| Melanie Masson | 9 | Over 28s | Gary Barlow | 12th |
| Nicholas McDonald | 10 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 2nd |
| Joe McElderry | 6 | Boys | Cheryl | 1st |
| Kerry McGregor | 3 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 9th |
| Ashley McKenzie | 3 | 16-24s | Simon Cowell | 8th |
| James Michael | 8 | Boys | Gary Barlow | 14th (joint) |
| Monica Michael | 12 | Girls | Rita Ora | 8th |
| Emily Middlemas | 13 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 4th |
| Ben Mills | 3 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 3rd |
| Miss Dynamix | 10 | Groups | Gary Barlow | 10th |
| Miss Frank | 6 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 10th |
| Misunderstood | 15 | Groups | Robbie Williams | 10th |
| Dionne Mitchell | 3 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 10th |
| MK1 | 9 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 11th |
| Seann Miley Moore | 12 | Boys | Nick Grimshaw | 10th |
| Brendan Murray | 15 | Boys | Louis Tomlinson | 5th |
| Lauren Murray | 12 | Girls | Rita Ora | 4th |
| Olly Murs | 6 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 2nd |
| Emily Nakanda | 4 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 10th (withdrew) |
| Stephanie Nala | 11 | Girls | Cheryl | 14th |
| Mason Noise | 12 | Boys | Nick Grimshaw | 7th |
| Nu Vibe | 8 | Groups | Tulisa | 13th |
| One Direction | 7 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 3rd |
| Only The Young | 11 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 7th |
| Overload Generation | 11 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 15th |
| Freddy Parker | 13 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 11th |
| Bella Penfold | 15 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 8th |
| Lauren Platt | 11 | Girls | Cheryl | 4th |
| Carolynne Poole | 9 | Over 28s | Gary Barlow | 13th |
| Jake Quickenden | 11 | Boys | Mel B | 12th |
| Eoghan Quigg | 5 | Boys | Simon Cowell | 3rd |
| Ray Quinn | 3 | 16-24s | Simon Cowell | 2nd |
| Rak-Su | 14 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 1st |
| Reggie 'n' Bollie | 12 | Groups | Cheryl | 2nd |
| Paije Richardson | 7 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 8th |
| The Risk | 8 | Groups | Tulisa | 10th |
| Stevi Ritchie | 11 | Over 26s | Simon Cowell | 6th |
| Rhydian Roberts | 4 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 2nd |
| Janice Robinson | 15 | Over 29s | Ayda Field | 14th |
| Johnny Robinson | 8 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 9th |
| Rough Copy | 10 | Groups | Gary Barlow | 4th |
| Anthony Russell | 15 | Boys | Louis Tomlinson | 3rd |
| Same Difference | 4 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 3rd |
| Rowetta Satchell | 1 | Over 25s | Simon Cowell | 4th |
| Lola Saunders | 11 | Girls | Cheryl | 10th |
| Molly Scott | 15 | Girls | Simon Cowell | 11th |
| Sean & Conor Price | 14 | Groups | Simon Cowell | 9th |
| Lorna Simpson | 10 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 12th |
| Chico Slimani | 2 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 5th |
| Shelley Smith | 10 | Over 25s | Sharon Osbourne | 11th |
| Stacey Solomon | 6 | Girls | Dannii Minogue | 3rd |
| Kye Sones | 9 | Over 28s | Gary Barlow | 8th |
| Kimberley Southwick | 4 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 12th |
| Giovanni Spano | 15 | Over 29s | Ayda Field | 9th |
| Lucy Spraggan | 9 | Girls | Tulisa | 9th (withdrew) |
| Anton Stephans | 12 | Over 27s | Simon Cowell | 6th |
| Stereo Kicks | 11 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 5th |
| Max Stone | 12 | Over 27s | Simon Cowell | 9th |
| Spencer Sutherland | 14 | Boys | Louis Walsh | 16th |
| Holly Tandy | 14 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 7th |
| Matt Terry | 13 | Boys | Nicole Scherzinger | 1st |
| Danny Tetley | 15 | Over 29s | Ayda Field | 6th |
| Beverley Trotman | 4 | Over 25s | Louis Walsh | 6th |
| The Unconventionals | 3 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 12th |
| Union J | 9 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 4th |
| United Vibe | 15 | Groups | Robbie Williams | 12th |
| Diana Vickers | 5 | Girls | Cheryl | 4th |
| Voices with Soul | 1 | Groups | Louis Walsh | 6th |
| Wagner | 7 | Over 28s | Louis Walsh | 6th |
| Katie Waissel | 7 | Girls | Cheryl | 7th |
| Jack Walton | 11 | Boys | Mel B | 11th |
| Shayne Ward | 2 | 16-24s | Louis Walsh | 1st |
| Kiera Weathers | 12 | Girls | Rita Ora | 11th |
| Kevin Davy White | 14 | Over 28s | Nicole Scherzinger | 3rd |
| Laura White | 5 | Girls | Cheryl | 8th |
| Andy Williams | 4 | Boys | Dannii Minogue | 8th |
| Rai-Elle Williams | 14 | Girls | Sharon Osbourne | 8th |
| Olatunji Yearwood | 15 | Over 29s | Ayda Field | 16th |
| Chenai Zinyuku | 2 | 16-24s | Louis Walsh | 9th |
* On four occasions, contestants have left the show under different circumstances than regular elimination. In series 4, Emily Nakanda withdrew from the show. In series 8, Frankie Cocozza was removed from the show after breaking a "golden rule" of the show. In the ninth series, Lucy Spraggan withdrew in week 5 of the live shows due to illness, after not performing in week 4, and not having had a full rehearsal session for week 5. Brooks Way withdrew from series 13 by mutual agreement after being absent from the first live show, due to events in the personal life of one of the band's members.
* Little Mix were originally known on the show as "Rhythmix" until they changed their name following pressure from a children's charity with the same name.
* In 2011, four contestants were eliminated from the show following the first live show by the judges, without facing a public vote, so should be listed as finishing joint 13th. However, following the removal of Cocozza 5 weeks later, the public were given the opportunity to vote for one of the four contestants to return. With 48% of votes cast, Amelia Lily was reinstated to the show. As a result, 2 Shoes, Jonjo Kerr, and James Michael are classed as joint 14th with Lily going on to finish in third place.