# X Factor (Romanian TV series) season 7

X Factor is a Romanian television music competition that aims to find a new music talent to become a star. The seventh season will started airing on 10 September 2017 on Antena 1.
The hosts are the same as in the first six seasons: Răzvan Simion and Dani Oțil, who are also known for hosting a well known morning show on Antena 1. Delia Matache, Horia Brenciu, Carla's Dreams and Ștefan Bănică, Jr. returned to the judging panel.
Jeremy Ragsdale won the competition, making Horia Brenciu's second win as a mentor.

## Judges

* Delia Matache
Delia Matache is a famous Romanian eurobeat singer-songwriter, TV celebrity, dancer, philanthropist, former model, fashion designer. She has started her stage music activity in 1999 in N&D music band with Nicolae Marin and had released 4 albums, and after the split off in 2003 she had released another two solo albums.
* Horia Brenciu
Horia Brenciu is a Romanian singer, television host for the Romanian version of Dancing with the Stars, successful entertainer, and philanthropist. He studied at National College Andrei Şaguna from Braşov, then he continued to Şcoala Populară de Artă Braşov, at piano and canto class, and in 1998 he graduated The Theater Academy in Bucharest.
* Ștefan Bănică, Jr.
Ștefan Bănică, Jr. is a Romanian entertainer, of Roma people origin on his father side, TV presenter, one of the most important Romanian TV personality, the son of actor Ștefan Bănică. He is well known in Romanian for presenting the Romanian version of “Dancing with the Stars”, the largest dance competition ever aired in Romania, broadcast on Pro TV.
* Carla's Dreams
Carla's Dreams is a Moldavian musical project which was initiated by Dobra Robert in 2012. The band is an anonymous group of singers and composers who sing in Romanian, Russian and English. During concerts the band's vocalist wears hood, sunglasses and a masked to hide his identity.
Established in Chișinău, Carla's Dreams combines several musical styles, including hip hop, jazz, rock and pop. The first song produced by Carla's Dreams was Dă-te ("Get Off"). Carla's Dreams has launched in Romania in 2013, along with Inna with the song P.O.H.U.I., later to sing with Loredana "Lumea Ta" ("Your World"), and in 2015 with Delia, releasing songs "Cum Ne Noi" ("How We Us") and "Da, Mamă" ("Yes, Mother").

## Auditions

Audition process was based on the British and American version. First up were "The Producer's Audition", where the producers chose singers to proceed to the second phase which was "The Audition before the Judging panel".
Summary of auditions :
| City | Auditions date |
| Craiova | May 5, 2017 |
| Arad | May 7, 2017 |
| Cluj Napoca | May 9, 2017 |
| Sibiu | May 12, 2017 |
| Iași | May 14, 2017 |
| Galați | May 17, 2017 |
| Chișinău | May 18, 2017 |
| Bucharest | May 21, 2017 |
The auditions were broadcast from 8 September 2017 until 17 November 2017. The auditions consisted in 11 episodes.

## Bootcamp

This season, there will be four categories : Boys (14–24 years), Girls (14–24 years), Over 24s and the Groups.
Brenciu will mentor the Over 24s, Bănică the Boys, Carla's Dream the Groups and Matache will mentor the Girls.
Complete Teams

### Color key

    – Eliminated in Four-chair challenge
    – Eliminated in Duels
    – Finalist
    – Wildcard
| Category (mentor) | Top 41 acts | Top 41 acts | Top 41 acts | Top 41 acts | Top 41 acts | Top 41 acts |
| Boys (Bănică) | Anton Banaghan | Pierluca Salvatore | Alin Buruiană | Gabriel Haralambie | Viorel Grecu | Cristian Porcari |
| Boys (Bănică) | Sebastian Hădărean | Lilian Dobândă | Simone Venditti | Radu Mitrea | | |
| Girls (Matache) | Alina Mocanu | Teodora Sava | Ioana Mîrți | Francesca Nicolescu | Costina Crăciun | Ana Nica Văcari |
| Girls (Matache) | Isabela Chitoșcă | Ioana Savu | Narcisa Stănescu | Mikayla Kachur | Geanina Mîndrescu | |
| Over 24s (Brenciu) | Katerina Biehu | Jeremy Ragsdale | Alexandra Crăescu | Vlad Gliga | Armando Drăgan | Georgi Simeonov |
| Over 24s (Brenciu) | Cristi Nistor | Maria Gogu | Miruna Ionescu | Mike Obinna | | |
| Groups (Carla's) | Ad Libitum | Flashback | 18:27 | Dream Girls | X Fusion | Daudia |
| Groups (Carla's) | Random | Artizan | Debu & Vasâi | Denisa & Rebeca | | |

### Four-chair challenge

This season, the categories will face the four-chair challenge. From the 41 acts competing (the Girls category had an extra act), at the end of this round, only 16 acts will go further in the competition.
The four-chair challenge were broadcast from 23 November 2017 until 7 December 2017. This consisted in 4 episodes, one for each group.

#### Color key

    – Contestant was immediately eliminated after performance without switch
    – Contestant was switched out later in the competition and eventually eliminated
    – Contestant was not switched out and made the final four of their own category
Notes
    ^ 1. The act Alina Mocanu was switched with Teodora Sava and therefore eliminated. After the performance of Isabela Chitoșcă, Delia decided to recall Alina Mocanu in the competition, stating she has made a mistake, concluding with Ana Nica Văcari elimination.
    ^ 2. The act Debu & Văsâi was offered a chair, but due to Debu's response when asked if they want a chair ("I don't care"), Carla's decided to eliminate them.

### Duels

At the end of this round there will be 8 acts remaining, two for each category. The duels were broadcast on 8 December 2017.

#### Colour key

- Artist won the Duel and advanced to the Live shows
- Artist lost the Duel and was eliminated

### Wildcard

In this season, like season 6, the public will have the chance to save one of the acts that competed in the Auditions. The most voted act will go directly to the Live Shows. In the first live show if one of the mentor decides to take him in his team, then he will go further in the competition, otherwise he will be sent home.
The winner of this season selected by the public was Francesca Nicolescu, from the Girls Category.

## Finalists

The nine finalists will compete in the Live Shows.

### Color Key

    – Winner
    – Runner-up
    – Third place
| Category (mentor) | Acts | Acts | Acts |
| Boys (Bănică) | Anton Banaghan | Pierluca Salvatore | |
| Girls (Matache) | Alina Mocanu | Francesca Nicolescu | Teodora Sava |
| Over 24s (Brenciu) | Katerina Biehu | Jeremy Ragsdale | |
| Groups (Carla's) | Ad Libitum | Flashback | |

## Live shows
### Results summary
#### Color key

| – | Contestant was announced as the winner. |
| – | Contestant has returned in the competition. |
| – | Contestant was not saved by its mentor and had to sing again in the duel. |
| – | Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated, no duel. |
Live shows results per contestant :
| Contestant | Live Show 1 | Live Show 1 | Live Show 2 | Live Show 2 | Live Show 3 | Live Show 3 |
| Contestant | Wildcard | Elimination | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 1 | Round 2 |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Ad Libitum | — | Duel | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-Up |
| Francesca Nicolescu | Returned Gala 1 | Duel | Safe | Safe | 3rd | Eliminated (Gala 3) |
| Pierluca Salvatore | — | Duel | Safe | Safe | 4th | Eliminated (Gala 3) |
| Anton Banaghan | — | Safe | Safe | 5th | Eliminated (Gala 2) | Eliminated (Gala 2) |
| Teodora Sava | — | Safe | Safe | 6th | Eliminated (Gala 2) | Eliminated (Gala 2) |
| Flashback | — | Safe | 7th | Eliminated (Gala 2) | Eliminated (Gala 2) | Eliminated (Gala 2) |
| Katerina Biehu | — | 8th | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) |
| Alina Mocanu | — | 9th | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) | Eliminated (Gala 1) |
| Brenciu's vote to save | None | Ragsdale | None | None | None | None |
| Matache's vote to save | None | Sava | None | None | None | None |
| Bănică's vote to save | None | Banaghan | None | None | None | None |
| Carla's vote to save | None | Flashback | None | None | None | None |
| Eliminated | None | Alina Mocanu by public vote | Flashback by public vote | Teodora Sava by public vote | Pierluca Salvatore by public vote | Ad Libitum by public vote |
| Eliminated | None | Katerina Biehu by public vote | Flashback by public vote | Anton Banaghan by public vote | Francesca Nicolescu by public vote | Jeremy Ragsdale by public vote |
| Reference(s) | | | | | | |

### Live show details
#### Live Show 1–15 December 2017

Contestants' performances on the first live show :
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Francesca Nicolescu | 1 | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | Duel |
| Anton Banaghan | 2 | "Zece" | Safe |
| Pierluca Salvatore | 3 | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Duel |
| Katerina Biehu | 4 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" | Duel |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | 5 | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" | Safe |
| Ad Libitum | 6 | "Can't Help Falling in Love" | Duel |
| Flashback | 7 | "Stressed Out" | Safe |
| Alina Mocanu | 8 | "Bird Set Free" | Duel |
| Teodora Sava | 9 | "Purple Rain" | Safe |
| Duel details ||||
| Alina Mocanu | 1 | "Figures" | Eliminated |
| Pierluca Salvatore | 2 | "Hold Back the River" | Safe |
| Ad Libitum | 3 | "Adagio" | Safe |
| Francesca Nicolescu | 4 | "People Help the People" | Safe |
| Katerina Biehu | 5 | "Nici o stea" | Eliminated |

#### Live Show 2: Semifinal - 17 December 2017

Contestants' performances on the second live show :
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Round 1 ||||
| Teodora Sava | 1 | "Listen" | Safe |
| Flashback | 2 | "Written in the Stars" | Eliminated |
| Anton Banaghan | 3 | "Who You Are" | Safe |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | 4 | "Tu eşti primăvara mea" | Safe |
| Pierluca Salvatore | 5 | "Recovery" | Safe |
| Francesca Nicolescu | 6 | "I Am Changing" | Safe |
| Ad Libitum | 7 | "Perfect" | Safe |
| Round 2 ||||
| Teodora Sava | 1 | "Alive" | Eliminated |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | 2 | "Unchained Melody" | Safe |
| Anton Banaghan | 3 | "Tears in Heaven" | Eliminated |
| Francesca Nicolescu | 4 | "Joyful, Joyful" | Safe |
| Ad Libitum | 5 | "Nessun dorma" | Safe |
| Pierluca Salvatore | 6 | "Caruso" | Safe |

#### Live Show 3: Final - 22 December 2017
##### Round 1

* Theme: Duet with special guest and with their mentor
Contestants' performances on the third live show :
| Act | Order | First Song (duet with special guest) | Order | Second Song (duet with mentor) | Result |
| Ad Libitum | 1 | "A fost o nebunie" (with Alina Eremia) | 8 | "Sub Pielea Mea (#Eroina)" (with Carla's Dreams) | Safe |
| Pierluca Salvatore | 2 | "Runnin' (Lose It All)" (with Nicoleta Nucă) | 5 | "Imagine" (with Ștefan Bănică Jr.) | 4th place |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | 3 | "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (with Santa Claus ) | 7 | "What a Wonderful World " (with Horia Brenciu) | Safe |
| Francesca Nicolescu | 4 | "Smells Like Teen Spirit " (with Liviu Teodorescu) | 6 | "Mulțumesc, iubită mamă" (with Delia Matache) | 3rd place |

##### Round 2

* Theme: Final
Contestants' performances on the final live show :
| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Ad Libitum | 1 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Runner-Up |
| Jeremy Ragsdale | 2 | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Winner |

## Ratings

| Ep | Title | Date | National | National | Urban | Urban | 18-49 | 18-49 | Source |
| Ep | Title | Date | Average (thousands) | Rating (%) | Average (thousands) | Rating (%) | Average (thousands) | Rating (%) | Source |
| 1 | Auditions 1 | 10 September 2017 | 1 048 | 5.8 | 646 | 6.6 | 300 | 13.1 | |
| 2 | Auditions 2 | 15 September 2017 | 890 | 5.0 | 481 | 4.9 | 250 | 5.6 | |
| 3 | Auditions 3 | 22 September 2017 | 1 116 | 6.2 | 542 | 5.6 | 301 | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Auditions 4 | 29 September 2017 | 967 | 5.4 | 557 | 5.7 | 291 | 6.4 | |
| 5 | Auditions 5 | 6 October 2017 | 1 091 | 6.1 | 570 | 5.9 | 298 | 6.6 | |
| 6 | Auditions 6 | 13 October 2017 | 925 | 5.1 | 484 | 5.0 | 257 | 5.7 | |
| 7 | Auditions 7 | 20 October 2017 | 1 106 | 6.1 | 602 | 6.2 | 319 | 7.1 | |
| 8 | Auditions 8 | 27 October 2017 | 1 066 | 5.9 | 608 | 6.2 | 316 | 7.0 | |
| 9 | Auditions 9 | 3 November 2017 | 1 027 | 5.7 | 568 | 5.8 | 314 | 7.0 | |
| 10 | Auditions 10 | 10 November 2017 | 906 | 5.0 | 468 | 4.8 | 263 | 5.9 | |
| 11 | Auditions 11 | 17 November 2017 | 826 | 5.0 | 480 | 4.9 | 261 | 5.8 | |
| 12 | Four-chair Challenge 1 | 23 November 2017 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 13 | Four-chair Challenge 2 | 24 November 2017 | 943 | 5.2 | 531 | 5.5 | 289 | 6.4 | |
| 14 | Four-chair Challenge 3 | 1 December 2017 | 787 | 4.4 | 429 | 4.5 | 235 | 5.3 | |
| 15 | Four-chair Challenge 4 | 7 December 2017 | | | | | | | |
| 16 | The Duels | 8 December 2017 | | | | | | | |
| 17 | Live Show 1 | 15 December 2017 | | | | | | | |
| 18 | Live Show 2 | 17 December 2017 | | | | | | | |
| 19 | Live Show 3 | 22 December 2017 | | | | | | | |