The X Factor UK companion series, Xtra Factor, is coming to AXS TV. Plus, details on when X Factor premieres in the US and in the UK.
We’ll be covering X Factor UK LIVE here on the blog, when the show premieres on ITV with a 90 minute episode on Saturday August 29, followed by another show on Sunday August 3o. We’ll post links to livestreams where you can follow the X Factor UK and Xtra Factor along with us, as it happens, no matter where you live.
However, if you want to catch X Factor UK on television in the US, cable channel AXS TV is airing the show for the second consecutive season. What’s more, AXS TV has signed an agreement with FremantleMedia International and Syco Entertainment, bringing the hour-long program to the United States for the first time ever. The Xtra Factor will make its debut on Sunday, August 30, immediately following the season 12 premiere of The X Factor UK at 8pE. Episodes will air every Sunday and Monday after each of the network’s The X Factor UK broadcasts and will move to an earlier time mid-season.
XTra Factor has two new hosts: KISS FM radio DJ Melvin Odoom and multi-platinum pop star Rochelle Humes, who will be on-hand to moderate each night’s show.
The Xtra Factor delivers “the ultimate fan experience” by giving viewers backstage access to The X Factor UK, including behind-the-scenes footage, auditions and performances, states the AXIS press release. The show also features exclusive interviews with the judges and contestants, as the contestants candidly react to the judges’ comments. There are interactive components that include phone calls and live tweets, but that won’t mean much to US audiences, as the X Factor UK airs in the US one day after the show broadcasts on ITV in the UK.
The upcoming X Factor season marks the return of judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who will be joined at the judges’ table by two new faces, pop singer Rita Ora and BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw. There are two new hosts: former X Factor UK contestant Olly Murs and TV personality Caroline Flack. The X Factor UK is co-produced by Syco Entertainment and Thames TV (part of FremantleMedia UK).
