AXS TV Will Premiere THE X FACTOR: CELEBRITY on October 14

By: Kaitlin Milligan Oct. 03, 2019

AXS TV is proud to serve as the stateside home of the hit singing competition THE X FACTOR: CELEBRITY for the sixth consecutive year, as the series makes its anticipated return with a celebrity spin on Monday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The upcoming season puts a fresh spin on the long-standing series, pitting stars from film, television, sports, and more against each other as they put their singing talents on full display in THE X FACTOR: CELEBRITY.

The landmark 16TH season of THE X FACTOR franchise delivers eight all new episodes featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment. The contestants will begin their journey with a trip to series mastermind Simon Cowell's home in Los Angeles, to compete for the chance to make it through the audition stage and onto the live shows in London. The season puts the spotlight on several notable American performers, including EMMY(C) Award-winning talk show host and actress Ricki Lake; Glee standout Kevin McHale; actress and model Hayley Hasselhoff, daughter of entertainment icon David Hasselhoff; actress and singer Olivia Olson (Love Actually, Phineas & Ferb), among others. The full list of celebrity contestants is below.

For this special event, Cowell will once again be joined on the judges panel by a pair of series favorites, as chart-topping artist Nicole Scherzinger returns for her fifth season and esteemed music manager Louis Walsh returns for his 14th season. Taking his post to preside over each night's proceedings is beloved X FACTOR mainstay Dermot O'Leary, who returns as emcee for the 12th season.

"THE X FACTOR: CELEBRITY is one of the most exciting talent competitions in the world, and this year's edition sets the stage for what is sure to be the most anticipated season yet," said Lucia McCalmont, Vice President of Program Acquisitions at AXS TV. "The series has long stood as one of the most popular offerings on our network, and has particularly resonated with our younger viewers who are excited to be among the first to see the up-and-coming international stars of tomorrow. We are proud to continue to provide our audience with even more of the show-stopping performances, surprising eliminations, and blockbuster backdrops that have fueled the series to become the global sensation it is today."

Leading up to the season premiere, AXS TV will air a THE X FACTOR UK recap marathon on Saturday, Oct. 12 starting at 9aE/6pP. The daylong event showcases the final four weeks of last season's unforgettable live shows and results specials, including the two-night finale. Featured episodes boast musical guest performances by legendary entertainers such as Michael Bublé, Olly Murs, Cheryl, George Ezra, James Arthur and Robbie Williams; as well as a special ABBA episode with guest judge and original band member Bj'rn Ulvaeus; and performances by 2018 X FACTOR Winner Dalton Harris, along with season finalists Anthony Russell, Scarlett Lee, and other up-and-coming talent, performing a diverse range of hits including The Mama's & The Papa's "California Dreamin'," Franki Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," The Beatles' "Let it Be," Oasis' "Don't' Look Back in Anger," and many more.

For more than a decade, THE X FACTOR UK has established itself as the premier platform for discovering the international superstars of the future. X FACTOR UK talent have sold a combined total of more than 250 million records worldwide, and taken over the charts with over 200 Number-one hit singles. Throughout its 16-season run, the series has introduced an unprecedented roster of successful acts to the world, including global standouts One Direction; GRAMMY'-nominated siren Leona Lewis; 2018 multi-platinum vocalist Olly Murs; hit-making songstress Cher Lloyd; and fan-favorite Pop group Little Mix, who were the first group to win the competition en route to becoming one of the most successful British female acts of all time.

THE X FACTOR is a global hit entertainment format created by Simon Cowell and co-produced by Syco Entertainment and Fremantle. THE X FACTOR franchise has discovered and launched more international breakout artists than any other singing competition series. AXS TV is the first American television network to air the UK edition of the show.

THE X FACTOR CELEBRITY contestants include:

OVERS

Journalist Martin Bashir

Talk Show host Ricki Lake

Quiz show champion Jenny Ryan

Actress Victoria Ekanoye

UNDERS

Reality star Megan McKenna

Model and Actress Hayley Hasselhoff

Soap star Jonny Labey

Film star Olivia Olson

Actor Kevin McHale

GROUPS

Reality stars Samira Mighty, Zara McDermott, Wes Nelson, and Eyal Booker who form The Islanders

Sports stars Ben Foden, Thom Evans, and Levi Davis who form Try Star

Professional dancer Brendan Cole, and actor Jeremy Edwards, who form Cole and Edwards