And the winner is ...

Yesterday was the X-Factor (UK version) finale. As you know, the three contestants that went through the eight weeks of competition were Jahméne Douglas, James Arthur and Christopher Maloney. Well, one of them won and all I can say is that I'm really happy about it ! :)

But before telling you the winner's name - for those who haven't watched it - I'll quickly explain how the TV-show works.

The X-Factor is originally a British TV-show created by Simon Cowell (Britain's Got Talent, American Idol, Pop Idol...). It began for the first time on September 2004 and was since on air from August to December annually. It was such a success that - as his other TV-Shows - Simon Cowell created franchises around them which began international.

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The first step of the show is the Auditions. There are pre-selection (called the producers' auditions) before having the chance to sing in front of thousands of people in arenas and, of course, in front a the jury. The jury is composed of 4 judges: 

• Louis Walsh ( the only one that was present during the 9 seasons )
• Two female-judges ( one is absolutely adorable, a cutie pie that everyone loves that has sweet words for the contestants (a judge that is sometimes useless at that stage); the other one is less adorable but yet, she is not a total b***h (she a girl after all, and we cannot ask a girl to be mean, unless it is Mel B or Britney Spears). This one can be really nice, as she can break a contestant's dream) This years' two female-judges were Nicole Scherzinger and Tulisa. (I let you decide the role they played)
• The bad guy. For seven years, this role was played by Simon Cowell himself - who left the UK version to play the very same role in the US version (with his two beautiful sentences to end the suspense of elimination "It's good news" & "It's bad news"!). Eating during the presentation and performance, he seems not to pay attention to what is happening in front of him when in fact he can sometimes see the dollar sign when looking at good singer. He was replaced by Gary Barlow - member of the 90s boysband Take That that made a triumphal come-back with the late return of Robbie Williams. Barlow was considered as a nice man with right opinion on people - musically. But with this series, people were shocked by his behaviour and words. Well, he is not as perfect as people were thinking after all !

Then comes the second step, the so-called Bootcamp. This step happens in two days. It can be considered as the last Auditions of the show. But I consider it as a huge torture for both judges and contestants. Indeed, the number of contestants comes from hundreds to thirty-two (since the 7th series). Which song will show their entire talent? Who the judges are going to save?

The third step, and last before the live shows, is the one called Judges House. The last thirty-two contentants are separated in four categories (eight by categories):

1. Boys
2. Girls
3. Groups
4. Over 25s

These categories are given one by one to one of the judges. They spend a couple of days in a destination the judge has chosen for them. Nevada, Australia, California, Ireland, Spain... At the end of the Judges Houses, the number of contestants decreases once again: from 32 to 16.

Finally comes the live shows. The judges are from that moment on... well, "useless" is the word. Ok, they are giving advices to contestants but they are also and mainly acting like clowns. "My category is better than yours" blah, blah, blah ! Funny enough, it is always the-bad-guy-judge that becomes kind of aggressive with another one. Sometimes it is Louis, sometimes it is Tulisa, isn't it Gary ?

It is presented by Dermot O'Leary since 2007. Well, I have nothing to say about him. He is a TV-Presenter, and a good one. He follows the contestants backstage from the auditions until the end of the show and therefore, may be a good support for them.

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