X Factor (Albanian TV series)


X Factor Albania is the Albanian version of The X Factor, adapted from the original UK series to find new singing talent. The first season started on January 8, 2012, and it is broadcast by TV Klan. The judges are: Albanian singer from Macedonia Altuna Sejdiu, Albanian singer Soni Malaj, Albanian superstar Alban Skënderaj, and the famous composer Pandi Laço. The show is hosted by Alketa Vejsiu. She applied to acquire the rights of the show along with Top Channel and TV Klan. Syco TV gave the rights to her, then she sold parts of the rights to TV Klan. After losing the rights of The X Factor, Top Channel acquired the rights of the talent show, The Voice.

Overview

It was announced that there would be four categories on the show, Males 15 to 23, Females 15 to 23, over 23s and The Groups.
Also it was announced that there would be five stages of the competition. The first stage is known as the "Producers audition", the producers of the show choose which of the contestants will have the right to audition in front of the judges. Next the contestants audition in front of the judges where they sing at least one song with instrumentals or A Capella. The third stage of the competition is Bootcamp, where from thousands of contestants only 150 are left. The fourth stage includes the "Judge's houses" or known in Albania as "Vilat e Jurive", where only 32 contestants,8 per category would fight for their place in the live shows. And the last stage of the competition would be the Live shows, where four contestants per category will make it.
In the first live show the public couldn't vote or make a decision. In the second live show and on, only the public had the right to vote and decide which contestants from all categories would end up in the bottom two. The two contestants with the lowest number of votes would end up in the bottom two, then they sing again for survival, the four judges would decide which contestant they want to eliminate. If one of the judges has his or her contestant on the bottom two, he or she usually decides to eliminate the other contestant in the bottom two, so the real decision is in the hands of the two or three judges that don't have their own contestants in the bottom two. The show goes this way on the live shows every week one or two contestants are voted off, until the grand finale on June 10 when the winner is announced.
The auditions were held in different cities across Albania and Kosovo, the producers auditions included many cities but the auditions in front of the judges were held only in a few. The cities that auditions were held with the judges are Tirana, Vlora, Elbasan, Shkoder and the Kosovan capital Pristina. The first episode aired half of Tirana's auditions on January 8. Vesa Luma wasn't the judge on all of the city auditions, she was chosen as the fourth judge only after all of the city auditions ended. She judged on the Shkodra's audition also. It was reported that more than 7000 people auditioned for the show, which broke a record for the biggest number of auditions in any talent show across Albania, Kosovo and the Balkans.
On the official Facebook page of the X Factor, it was announced that the show would be first aired on January 8, 2012. It was reported that the winner of the show would be signed to the famous label Syco Music, which has signed the likes of Leona Lewis, One Direction, Susan Boyle, Little Mix, Cher Lloyd, Alexandra Burke, Westlife etc. The winner of the first season of X factor Albania was Sheila Haxhiraj.

Judges' categories and their finalists

In each season, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses four acts to progress to the live shows. This table shows, for each season, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live shows.
Key:
SeasonPandi LaçoVesa LumaJuliana PashaAlban Skënderaj
OneGroups
Classic Boys
X Group
Focus
Red Roses
Over 23s
Lirije Rashiti
Besa Breca
Gerald Zyfi
Matilda Shushari
Girls
Sheila Haxhiraj
Xhesika Polo
Festina Mejzini
Savjana Vjerdha
Boys
Kristo Thano
Anxhelo Miho
Amarildo Shahinaj
Arianit Bellopoja
TwoPandi LaçoAltuna SejdiuSoni MalajAlban Skënderaj
TwoNo Limit
Kanita Suma
Egzona Ademi
Suela Malasi
Ina Torba
Rezart Saliasi
Girls
Arilena Ara
Antonela Çekixhi
Elisa Salla
Xhina Kelmendi
Shkelqesa Sadiku
Boys
Aldo Bardhi
Sardi Strugaj
Petro Xhori
Herri Beluli
Groups
Natyral
KSAL
Soul Sisters
Foxy Ladies
ThreeGirls
Enxhi Nasufi
Laura Kërliu
Arissa Rexho
Kristina Leka
Boys
Ergi Dini
Leotrim Zejnullahu
Amadeo Gjura
Ademir Fresku
Groups
Exception
Free Spirit
Nimfat
Dream Girls
Over 23s
Senad Rrahmani
Sarah Memmola
Mia Morina
Fatmir Durmishi
FourPandi LaçoMiriam CaniBleona QeretiAlban Skënderaj
FourGroups
Brunetts
X Roads
Mama Pop
Double F
Girls
Edea Demaliaj
Floriana Rexhepi
Lediana Matoshi
Mirela Boka
Boys
Genti Deda
Dilan Reka
Matteo Brento
Igli Zarka
Gerald Celibashi
Over 23s
Manuel Moscati
Alice
Ylenia Iorio
Adela Curra

Series summary

Boys category
Girls category
Over 23s/No Limit category
Groups category