‘X Factor Italia’ Makes Huge Change to Traditional Show Format
2019 Pietro D'aprano Reading Time: 2 minutes
X Factor Italia is undergoing one big change after 14 seasons. The show will no longer be sorting its contestants into gender and age categories. This is the first time any of Simon Cowell’s X Factor spinoffs will adopt this new format. The franchise first started 17 years ago in the UK. Executives are now pushing to give all artists equal opportunities to reach their full potential.
In September, X Factor Italia will be returning to Sky Italia for a brand new season. The contestants will be divided into teams without any age restrictions or being sorted by gender. Normally, the contestants are sorted into teams like over 25’s, girls, boys, and groups. The teams this season will be mentored by Emma, Hell Raton, Manuel Agnelli, and Mika. Each team will have at least one solo artist and one band on them. Actor Ludovico Tersigni will serve as host of the show.
‘X Factor Italia’ Ditches Age and Gender Rules for Upcoming Season
“By removing the historical division by categories, X Factor welcomes change and wants to become a torchbearer and, in a world that no longer needs to make distinctions of gender or age, talent is for us a neutral noun,” Antonella d’Errico, executive vice president of programming at Sky Italia told Deadline. “We will ask all the contestants of this year’s edition to bring the only thing they really need: their personal, unique X Factor.“
With this updated format of X Factor Italia, the judges will each select three finalists from their teams for an equal shot at bringing home the prize in the live shows. X Factor Italia is the very first X Factor series in the entire world to make this change. Fremantle Italy CEO Gabriele Immirzi echoed that the show wants to “support the growth of music talents without labels and distinctions other than the value and artistic quality of their projects.”
The show has launched the careers of some of Europe’s biggest stars. This includes the rock group, Måneskin who just won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Zitti e buoni.” These rockstars have dominated the Top 20 and Top 5 charts in Europe. They have the first Italian song in 30 years to chart in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart. This show is all about producing huge artists and breaking barriers.
