The latest series of the very popular talent show on TV – The X Factor has just started on Italian TV.
This week they were showing contestants from Turin and Bologna but towards the end of the program an image arrived on the screen which made a large group of people here in Barga suddenly sit up and take a bit more notice.
Along with the large words advertising the following weeks program – surely that face in the background could only be that of Barga’s very own Emma Morton?
Emma is out of Barga at the moment, apparently on holiday in Scotland so we will all have to wait until next Thursday to see if that person with the head scarf and short fringe really is the ex singer of the Aristodemo’s who has appeared on this site so many times over the past few years (articles here)
The X Factor is a television music competition franchise created by Simon Cowell. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol.
It is held in various countries. The programmes are produced by executive producer Simon Cowell and his company SYCOtv.
The “X Factor” of the title refers to the undefinable “something” that makes for star quality.
The prize is usually a recording contract, in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but also for other highly ranked contestants.
Series 1, 2008: Aram Quartet
Series 2, 2008–2009: Matteo Becucci
Series 3, 2009: Marco Mengoni
Series 4, 2010: Nathalie
Series 5, 2011: Francesca Michielin
Series 6, 2012: Chiara Galiazzo
Series 7, 2013: Michele Bravi
X FACTOR STORY
X Factor è la versione italiana di The X Factor, talent show ideato dal discografico Simon Cowell: il programma consiste in una sfida tra tre o quattro giudici, ognuno a capo di un gruppo di aspiranti cantanti di una precisa categoria. Attualmente le categorie sono le seguenti: Under 24 Uomini, Under 24 Donne, Gruppi e Over.
Lo svolgimento della trasmissione è diviso in quattro fasi: i casting, la seconda selezione per la scelta definitiva chiamata Home Visit, la scuola di canto durante la settimana e la performance dal vivo durante la puntata serale.
Durante i casting, un cantante passa il turno se riceve almeno tre sì dai quattro giudici.
La puntata serale, invece, si svolge in due manche: i due cantanti che ricevono il minor numero di voti vanno al ballottaggio. I giudici sono chiamati, quindi, a decidere l’eliminazione. In caso di parità, la decisione spetta al pubblico tramite televoto.
Il trionfatore di X Factor vince un contratto con la Sony Music e la partecipazione di diritto tra i big del Festival di Sanremo.