X Factor Italia is an Italian television show and singing competition, based on the British TV programme The X Factor, and part of The X Factor franchise, created by Simon Cowell. The show's first series premiered on 10 March 2008 and was broadcast by Rai Due, but since its fifth series, launched on 20 October 2011, it moved to Sky Uno, becoming the first version of the franchise to be broadcast by a pay television channel.
Each series of the show sees amateur singers of all ages and backgrounds auditioning in front of a panel of judges, selected for their role in the Italian or international music industry. Through several selection stages, each judge chooses a set of singers to mentor. Selected singers later compete on live shows, with a public vote eliminating these contestants one by one, until the final winner is declared.
X Factor was initially presented by Francesco Facchinetti (series 1–series 4). Alessandro Cattelan was the show's presenter from series 5 to series 14, followed by Ludovico Tersigni (series 15), Francesca Michielin (series 16 and series 17) and Giorgia (series 18 and series 19).
The show launched the career of several popular Italian singers, including Giusy Ferreri (series 1), Noemi (series 2), Marco Mengoni (series 3), Francesca Michielin (series 5), Chiara Galiazzo and Mahmood (series 6), Michele Bravi (series 7), Lorenzo Fragola (series 8), Enrico Nigiotti and Måneskin (series 11).
Judges and presenters
Color key
Cast Member Series1234567891011121314151617181920 ● ● ● ● colspan="16" colspan="4" ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● colspan="6" colspan="14" ● colspan="5" colspan="4" ● colspan="10" ● ● colspan="3" Giorgia colspan="17" ● ● ● colspan="13" ●1 colspan="6" ● ● ● ● colspan="6" ● ● ● colspan="7" ● ● ● ● ● ● ● colspan="8" ●2 colspan="3" ● ● colspan="2" ● ● ● colspan="13" colspan="2" ● colspan="17" colspan="3" ● ● ● ● ● colspan="11" colspan="3" ● colspan="16" colspan="3" ● colspan="16" colspan="4" ● ● colspan="3" ● colspan="10" colspan="6" ● ● ● colspan="4" ● ● colspan="8" colspan="7" ● colspan="12" colspan="7" ● ● ● ● ● colspan="3" ● ● colspan="3" colspan="8" ● colspan="11" colspan="9" ● colspan="12" colspan="9" ● ● ● colspan="1" ● ● colspan="2" ● colspan="2" colspan="10" ● colspan="11" colspan="11" ●3 colspan="10" colspan="11" ●3 colspan="10" colspan="12" ● colspan="10" colspan="12" ● colspan="9" colspan="12" ● colspan="9" colspan="13" ● ● colspan="5" colspan="13" ● ● colspan="5" colspan="15" ● colspan="4" colspan="15" ● ● colspan="3" colspan="15" ● ● colspan="3" colspan="17" ● ● ● colspan="17" ● ● ● colspan="17" ● ● colspan="1" colspan="18" ● ● colspan="19" ●
Annotations 1 Daniela Collu presented the second and third live show of X Factor series 14, replacing Alessandro Cattelan, who tested positive to COVID-19. 2 Morgan was fired after the fourth live show of the seventeenth series of X Factor for «inappropriate behaviors», and was not replaced by any other judge for the last three episodes of the show. 3 Asia Argento served as a judge on the pre-recorded selection stages of the twelfth series of X Factor, but was replaced by Lodo Guenzi for the live shows, following allegations that Argento sexually assaulted actor Jimmy Bennett.
Series summary
Act in Mara's Category Act in Morgan's Category Act in Simona's Category Act in Claudia's Category Act in Elio's Category Act in Enrico's Category Act in Arisa's Category Act in Mika's Category Act in Victoria's Category Act in Fedez's Category Act in Skin's Category Act in Álvaro's Category Act in Manuel's Category Act in Asia/Lodo's Category Act in Samuel's Category Act in Malika's Category Act in Sfera's Category Act in Emma's Category Act in Hell's Category Act in Ambra's Category Act in Dargen's Category Act in Rkomi's Category Act in Lauro's Category Act in Paola's Category Act in Jake's Category Act in Francesco's Category
Season Start Finish Winner Runner-up Third place Fourth place Winning mentor Host Judges (seating order) 1 10 March 200827 May 2008 Aram QuartetGroups Giusy FerreriOver 25s Emanuele DabbonoOver 25s Tony Maiello16-24s MorganFrancesco Facchinetti Mara Morgan Simona rowspan="3" 212 January 200919 April 2009 Matteo BecucciOver 25sThe Bastards Sons of DionisoGroups Jury Magliolo16-24s Daniele Magro16-24s 3 10 September 20092 December 2009 Marco Mengoni16-24s Guilano RassuOver 25s YavannaGroups Silver16-24s Claudia 47 September 201023 November 2010 NathalieOver 25s DavideBoys Nevruz JokuOver 25s KymeraGroups Elio Elio Mara Anna Enrico 520 October 20116 January 2012 Francesca MichielinGirls I ModerniGroups Antonella Lo CocoOver 25s Nicole TuzziGirls Simona VenturaAlessandro Cattelan Morgan Arisa Simona Elio 620 September 20127 December 2012 Chiara GaliazzoOver 25s IcsOver 25s Davide MerliniBoys CixiGirls Morgan Simona Arisa 726 September 201312 December 2013 Michele BraviBoys Ape EscapeGroups Violetta ZironiGirls AbaOvers Mika 818 September 201411 December 2014 Lorenzo FragolaBoys MadhBoys Ilaria RastrelliGirls Mario Gavino GarrucciuOvers Fedez Victoria Fedez 910 September 201510 December 2015 GiosadaOvers Urban StrangersGroups Davide ShortyOvers Enrica TaraGirls Elio Elio Skin 1015 September 201615 December 2016 Soul SystemGroups Gaia GozziGirls Eva PevarelloOvers RoshelleGirls Álvaro Soler Manuel Arisa Álvaro 1114 September 201714 December 2017 Lorenzo LicitraOvers MåneskinGroups Enrico NigiottiOvers Samuel StormBoys Mara Maionchi Levante Mara 126 September 201813 December 2018 AnastasioBoys Naomi RivieccioOvers Luna MelisGirls BowLandGroups Mara Manuel Asia Manuel Lodo Mara 1312 September 201912 December 2019 Sofia TornambeneGirls BoodaGroups SierraGroups Davide RossiBoys Sfera Ebbasta Sfera Mara Malika Samuel 1417 September 202010 December 2020 CasadilegoGirls Little Pieces of MarmeladeGroups BlindBoys N.A.I.P.Overs Hell Raton Manuel Emma Mika Hell 1516 September20219 December 2021 Baltimora Gianmaria Bengala Fire Fellow Ludovico Tersigni 1615 September20228 December 2022 Santi FrancesiBeatrice Quinta LindaTropea Rkomi Francesca MichielinDargen Ambra Rkomi Fedez 1714 September20237 December 2023SarafineStunt PilotsII Solito DandyMaria Tomba Fedez Morgan Ambra 18 12 September 2024 5 December 2024 Mimì Caruso Les Votives I Patagarri Lorenzo Salvetti Manuel Agnelli Giorgia Manuel Jake Paola Lauro 19 11 September 2025 4 December 2025 Rob EroCaddeo Delia Buglisi PierC Paola Iezzi Francesco 20 10 September 2026 TBA December 2026 Current season Irama
Contestants, categories and judges
Key:
– Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
Series Morgan Simona Ventura Mara Maionchi N/A One GroupsAram QuartetClusterSei Ottavi4 SoundFMCherries 25+Giusy FerreriEmanuele DabbonoAnnalisa BaldiGino ScannapiegoAntonio MarinoDante PontoneAdriano De Pasquale 16-24Tony MaielloIlaria PorcedduSilvia AprileLuna Di NardoVittoria HydeMaria Teresa d'AliseTwo 25+Matteo BecucciNoemiLaura BindaEnrico NordioChiarastella CalconiAndrea GioacchiniElisa Rossi 16-24Jury MaglioloDaniele MagroAmbra Marie FacchettiSerena AbramiGiacomo Salvietti GroupsThe Bastard Sons of DionisoFariasSisters of SoulSinacria SinphonyThree Morgan Claudia Mori Mara Maionchi 16-24Marco MengoniSilverChiara RanieriCristiana SorianoMario SpadaOrnella Felicetti 25+Giuliano RassuPaola CanestrelliSofiaDamiano FiorellaFrancesca CiampaFrancesco Gramegna GroupsYavannaLuana BizA&KHorrible Porno StuntmenFour Enrico Ruggeri Anna Tatangelo Mara Maionchi Elio GroupsKymeraEffetto DopplerBorghi Bros GirlsMarika LermaniDorina LekaSofia BuconiAlessandra Falconieri BoysDavide MogaveroStefano FilipponiRuggero PasquarelliDami25+Nathalie GiannitrapaniNevruz JokuCassandra RaffaeleManuela Zanier Five Morgan Simona Ventura Arisa Elio BoysVincenzo Di BellaValerio De RosaDavide Papasidero GirlsFrancesca MichielinNicole TuziiJessica Mazzoli 25+Antonella Lo CocoClaudio CeraRahma Hafsi GroupsI ModerniCafè MargotLe 5 Six25+Chiara GaliazzoIcsRomina Falconi BoysDavide MerliniDaniele ColettaAlessandro MahmoudNicola Aliotta GroupsFrères ChaosLe DonatellaAkmé GirlsCixiNiceYendry Fiorentino Seven Morgan Simona Ventura Mika ElioBoysMichele BraviAndrea D'AlessioLorenzo Iuracà GroupsApe EscapeStreet ClerksFreeBoys GirlsVioletta ZironiGaia GaliziaValentina TioliRoberta Pompa 25+AbaFabio SantiniAlan Scaffardi Eight Morgan Fedez Mika Victoria Cabello GroupsKomminuetSpritz for FiveThe WiseBoysLorenzo FragolaMadhLeiner RiflessiRiccardo Schiara 25+Mario Gavino GarrucciuEmma MortonDiluvio GirlsIlaria RastrelliVivian GrilloCamilla Andrea Magli Nine Skin Fedez Mika Elio GirlsEnrica TaraMargherita PrincipiEleonora Anania GroupsUrban StrangersMoseekLandlord BoysLuca ValentiLeonardo Marius DragusinEva25+GiosadaDavide SciortinoMassimiliano D'Alessandro Ten Álvaro Soler Fedez Arisa Manuel AgnelliGroupsSoul SystemDaiana LouLes Enfants GirlsGaia GozziRoshelleCaterina Cropelli BoysLoomyFemDiego Conti 25+Eva PevarelloAndrea BiagioniSilva Fortes Eleven Levante Fedez Mara Maionchi Manuel Agnelli GirlsRita BellanzaCamille CabalteraVirginia Perbellini BoysSamuel StormGabriele EspositoLorenzo Bonamano 25+Lorenzo LicitraEnrico NigiottiAndrea Radice GroupsMåneskinRosSem & Stenn Twelve Asia Argento/Lodo Guenzi Fedez Mara Maionchi Manuel Agnelli GroupsBowLandSeveso Casino PalaceRed Bricks Foundation 25+Naomi RivieccioRenza CastelliMatteo CostanzoBoysAnastasio Leo GassmanEmanuele Bertelli GirlsLuna MelisMartina AttiliSherol dos Santos Thirteen Samuel Sfera Ebbasta Mara Maionchi Malika Ayane GroupsBoodaSierraSeawards GirlsSofia TornambeneGiordana PetraliaMariam Rouass 25+Eugenio CampagnaNicola CavallaroMarco Saltari BoysDavide RossiLorenzo RinaldiEnrico Di Lauro Fourteen Mika Hell Raton Emma Marrone Manuel Agnelli 25+N.A.I.P.VergoEda Marì Girls CasadilegoMydramaCmqmartina BoysBlindBlue PhelixSanti GroupsLittle Pieces of MarmeladeMelancholiaManitoba Fifteen FellowNika ParisWestfalia BaltimoraVersaillesKarakaz GianmariaLe EndrigoVale LP Bengala FireErioMutonia Sixteen Dargen D'Amico Fedez Ambra Angiolini Rkomi Beatrice QuintaDisco Club ParadisoMatteo Orsi LindaOminiDadà TropeaLucreziaMatteo SiffrediSanti FrancesiJoėlleIako Seventeen Morgan Fedez Ambra Angiolini Dargen D'Amico AstromareSickteensSelmiAnimaux FormidablesSarafineMaria TombaAsia Angelica BoveAstromareMatteo AlienoGaetano De Caro Stunt PilotsIl Solito DandySettembre Eighteen Achille Lauro Jake La Furia Paola Iezzi Manuel Agnelli I PatagarriLes VotivesLorenzo Salvetti FrancamenteThe FoolzEl Ma LowrahPablo MurphyDimensione Brama Mimì CarusoPunkcakeDanielle Nineteen Achille Lauro Jake La Furia Paola Iezzi Francesco Gabbani EroCaddeoLayana OriotCopper Jitters Delia BuglisiTomasiAmanda Bottini RobViscardiMayu Lucisano PierCTellynonpiangereMichelle Lufo Twenty Irama Jake La Furia Paola Iezzi Francesco Gabbani Current season
First season (2008) In the first edition held in the period 10 March 2008 to 27 May 2008, Morgan's contestants (Vocal Groups) were labelled "pastel green contestants", Simona's contestants (25+ years) the "pink contestants" and Mara's (16–24 years) the "pastel blue contestants"