The X Factor (American TV series) season 3 - Wikipedia

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The X Factor
Season 3
Hosted by	Mario Lopez
Judges	Demi Lovato Simon Cowell Paulina Rubio Kelly Rowland
Winner	Alex & Sierra
Winning mentor	Simon Cowell
Runner-up	Jeff Gutt
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 11 – December 19, 2013
Season chronology
← Previous Season 2

The third season of the American music competition television show The X Factor premiered on Fox on September 11, 2013, and ended on December 19, 2013.^[1] This season was hosted by Mario Lopez. Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato returned to the judging panel, while Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio joined the panel as replacements for the departing judges.

Producer auditions began on March 6, 2013, in Los Angeles, and ended on May 4, 2013, in Denver. The judges auditions, which are televised, began on May 21, 2013, in Charleston, and ended on July 12, 2013, in Los Angeles. New for this season is the removal of the boot camp and judges' houses rounds of the competition which have been replaced with a new middle section, more reminiscent of the live shows.

On December 19, 2013, Alex & Sierra won the show, as mentored by Cowell. On February 7, 2014, Cowell announced he was returning to the UK show to judge the 2014 UK series, which was followed by Fox announcing that they would not be renewing the show for a fourth season.^[2]

On October 22, 2012, it was announced that The X Factor would be returning for a third season,^[3] with Simon Cowell confirmed to be returning.^[4] On December 14, 2012, L.A. Reid announced he would not return to the show for its third season, as he wished to refocus his work on his record company, Epic Records.^[5] Britney Spears stated her intentions on returning to the show for its third season,^[6] but she eventually did not return, in order to focus on her music career.^[7]

Following the conclusion of season two, Demi Lovato questioned whether she would return for another season, or instead focus on her own career as a performer, stating, "I have no idea what's gonna happen next season, and I don't think anybody does."^[8] On March 28, 2013, it was confirmed that Lovato would return. On April 22, it was confirmed by Fox that Mario Lopez would be returning to host season three, along with the news of Khloé Kardashian not returning as co-host.^[9]

Rumors passed that Reba McEntire and Jennifer Love Hewitt would be judges.^[10]

Eventually, Cowell confirmed via his Twitter account that the full judging panel would be announced on May 20, 2013, with auditions beginning the next day.^[11] On that same day, Fox confirmed that Destiny's Child member and judge on the 2011 series of the UK show (who previously replaced Dannii Minogue), Kelly Rowland, and Mexican singer and former La Voz... México judge Paulina Rubio had been hired to replace Reid and Spears.^[12]

In addition to having online auditions, it was announced at the conclusion of season 2 that auditions for season 3 would be held throughout the country in Charleston, South Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Long Island, New York; Los Angeles, California and New Orleans, Louisiana. On the "Registration and Audition Rules" document^[13] on The X Factor's website about the auditions, it was announced where the auditions were going to be taking place.

Instead of the traditional bootcamp stages, a deliberation stage (very similar to Britain's Got Talent) was introduced to cut down the "yes" from the auditions to perform at Four-chair challenge. The judges cut the acts from 218 to 40. This took place on July 31, 2013.

After the Deliberation and Reveal Stages, but before the start of the four-chair challenge, the judges found out their categories and they are as follows: Rowland has the Overs, Rubio has the Boys, Lovato has the Girls and Cowell has the groups. They were revealed at Shrine Auditorium.

For this season of The X Factor, Cowell confirmed that the boot camp and judges' houses sections of the competition, which traditionally followed the audition rounds, had been dropped and replaced with a brand new stage called "The Four-Chair challenge", which took place at the Shrine Auditorium and was filmed over 2 days in September 2013. Speaking on the change, he said "It [boot camp and Judges' houses] was the one element of the show I wasn't happy with, and it looked too similar to what everybody else is doing." He went on to describe the new "middle section" as "really dramatic, very tough on us and the contestants, and very high pressure", and compared the new round as similar to the live shows.^[15]

This season, the categories did not follow the age-based format from season two but rather the format from season one: Boys, Girls, Over 25s and Groups. Rowland mentored Over 25s, Lovato the Girls, Rubio the Boys, and for the second season in a row, Cowell mentored the Groups.^[16] Groups Restless Road, Sweet Suspense, and Forever in Your Mind all consist of contestants who originally auditioned as soloists.

The four-chair challenge episodes were broadcast on two 2-hour Wednesdays and two 1-hour Thursdays shows on October 2, 3, 9 and 10.

Key:

  – Act was immediately eliminated after performance without switch

  – Act was switched out later in the competition and eventually eliminated

  – Act was not switched out and made the final four of their own category

^1 Rubio initially switched out Tim Olstad for Timmy Thames, but after some consideration brought him back and instead switched out Al Calderon.

The top 16 contestants were confirmed as follows;

Key:

  – Winner

  – Runner-Up

Act	Age(s)	Hometown	Category (mentor)	Result
Alex & Sierra	22	New Smyrna Beach, Florida/Orlando, Florida	Groups (Cowell)	Winner
Jeff Gutt	37	Marine City, Michigan	Over 25s (Rowland)	Runner-Up
Carlito Olivero	24	Chicago, Illinois	Boys (Rubio)	3rd Place
Restless Road	18-19	Various	Groups (Cowell)	4th Place
Rion Paige	13	Jacksonville, Florida	Girls (Lovato)	5th Place
Ellona Santiago	17	San Lorenzo, California	6th Place
Josh Levi	15	Houston, Texas	Boys (Rubio)	7th Place
Lillie McCloud	55	Orlando, Florida	Over 25s (Rowland)	8th Place
Tim Olstad	23	Winona, Minnesota	Boys (Rubio)	9th Place
Khaya Cohen	16	New York City, New York	Girls (Lovato)	10th Place
Rachel Potter	29	New Orleans, Louisiana	Over 25s (Rowland)	11th Place
Sweet Suspense	14-17	Various	Groups (Cowell)	12th Place
Carlos Guevara	16	Lexington, South Carolina	Boys (Rubio)	13rd Place
RoXxy Montana	20-22	Wayne, Michigan	Groups (Cowell)	14th-16th Place
James Kenney	35	Portland, Oregon	Over 25s (Rowland)	14th-16th Place
Danie Geimer	15	Northridge, California	Girls (Lovato)	14th-16th Place

The first two-hour live show aired on a special Tuesday time slot on October 29; which followed the same format as the first season with each of the judges narrowing their number of acts down to three, without a public vote. The public vote then started with the following performance and results shows starting November 6, which aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively. As with previous seasons, each live show had a different theme. The live final took place in on December 18 and 19. Cowell had also said on Twitter that there may be a wildcard this season.^[21] The leaderboard that showed which act had received the most public votes did not return.^{[citation needed]}

Each results show featured musical performances from at least two artists. There was no guest performer on the first result show. Selena Gomez was supposed to perform on the second result show, but was postponed to third result show night^[22] which featured a performance from season 2 finalist Fifth Harmony.^[23] One Direction performed on the third results show.^[24] Michael Bublé performed on the fifth performance show,^[25] then again on the fifth results show alongside judge Demi Lovato.^[26] Emblem3 and Little Mix performed on the sixth results show,^[27] while Enrique Iglesias performed during the seventh results show.^[28] Paulina Rubio,^[29] Mary J. Blige, Lea Michele,^[30] Leona Lewis, Pitbull and One Direction performed on the finale.^[31]

Color key

  Act in Boys

  Act in Girls

  Act in Over 25s

  Act in Groups

–	Act did not face the public vote
–	Act was eliminated by their mentor (no public vote or final showdown)
–	Act was in the bottom three and had to sing again in the final showdown
–	Act was in the bottom three but received the fewest votes and was immediately eliminated
–	Act received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown)
–	Act received the most public votes

Weekly results per act

Act	Week 1	Week 23	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Quarter-Final	Semi-Final	Final
Wednesday Vote3	Thursday Vote	First Vote	Second Vote
	Alex & Sierra	Saved	—3	1st5	1st5	2nd5	1st5	1st5	1st5	1st5	Winner
	Jeff Gutt	6th	5th	4th	4th	2nd	2nd	2nd	Runner-Up
	Carlito Olivero	7th	8th	8th	5th	4th	3rd	3rd	Eliminated (final)
	Restless Road	8th	3rd	7th	3rd	3rd	4th	Eliminated (semi-final)
	Rion Paige	3rd	6th	1st	6th	5th	Eliminated (quarter-final)
	Ellona Santiago	2nd	2nd	6th	2nd	6th
	Josh Levi	Eliminated2	5th	4th	3rd	7th	Eliminated (week 5)
	Lillie McCloud	Saved	9th	7th	5th	8th
	Tim Olstad	12th	9th	9th	Eliminated (week 4)
	Khaya Cohen	11th	11th	10th
	Rachel Potter	4th	10th	Eliminated (week 3)
	Sweet Suspense	10th	12th
	Carlos Guevara	13th	Eliminated (week 3)
	RoXxy Montana	Eliminated	Eliminated (week 1)
	James Kenney
	Danie Geimer
Final Showdown	None1	—3	No final showdown or judges' votes; results were based on public votes alone	Cohen, Potter	Olivero, Olstad	Levi, Paige	Olivero, Paige	No final showdown or judges' votes; results were based on public votes alone
Judges voted to	Send Through	Eliminate
Rowland's vote	Potter, Gutt, McCloud	Cohen	Olstad	Paige	Paige
Rubio's vote	Olivero, Guevara, Olstad	Potter	Olstad	Paige	Paige
Lovato's vote	Santiago, Paige, Cohen	Potter	Olstad	Levi	Olivero
Cowell's vote	Restless Road, Alex & Sierra, Sweet Suspense	Potter	—4	Levi	Paige
Eliminated	Danie Geimer by Lovato	Carlos Guevara Public vote to save	Sweet Suspense Public vote to save	Khaya Cohen Public vote to save	Lillie McCloud Public vote to save	Ellona Santiago Public vote to save	Restless Road Public vote to save	Carlito Olivero Public vote to win	Jeff Gutt Public vote to win
Josh Levi by Rubio
James Kenney by Rowland	Rachel Potter 3 of 4 votes Majority	Tim Olstad 3 of 3 votes Majority	Josh Levi 2 of 4 votes Deadlock	Rion Paige 3 of 4 votes Majority
RoXxy Montana by Cowell
Reference(s)	[32]	[33]	[34]	[35]	[36]	[37]	[38]	[39]	[40]

• ^1 There was no public vote in the first week and therefore no final showdown. Each judge was required to save three of their own acts.
• ^2 Levi returned to the competition in week two because the judges felt that he should not have been eliminated in week one.
• ^3 Owing to graphic errors in which incorrect voting numbers were displayed on screen during the performance recap, there was no elimination in week two. All acts performed again on Thursday night in week two and a public re-vote was conducted. Carlos Guevara was eliminated on Wednesday night in week three after receiving the fewest votes in week two.
• ^4 Cowell was not required to vote as there was already a majority, but said after the show that he would have voted to eliminate Olstad.
• ^5 Cowell revealed in an interview that Alex & Sierra "won every single week" in the public vote except the fourth.

There was no public vote in the first week. Instead, each of the judges selected one of their own acts to eliminate.

Judges' votes to eliminate^[32]

• Lovato: Danie Geimer – gave no reason.
• Rubio: Josh Levi – gave no reason.
• Rowland: James Kenney – based on the performances.
• Cowell: RoXxy Montana – gave no reason.

November 6

• Theme: Motown songs (billed as "Motown Night")^[42]
• Group performance: "ABC" / "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" / "Reach Out I'll Be There" / "Dancing in the Street"^[43] (all top 13 finalists except Josh Levi)

One of the four acts that did not face the public vote in week 1, and was eliminated by their mentor, was reinstated to the show as the judges felt that the act "deserves a second shot". The reinstated act was announced as Josh Levi.^[44]

November 7

• Theme: "Save Me" songs^[33]

Owing to graphics error in which incorrect voting numbers were displayed on screen during the performance recap, there was no elimination this week, instead all the acts performed their "Save Me" songs on Thursday night and a public re-vote was conducted after the show. The results were announced the following week, at the start of the live show on Wednesday night.^[33]

Selena Gomez was going to perform her single "Slow Down" but due to graphics issues, she performed on the second night in week 3.^{[citation needed]}

• Theme: Songs from the 1980s (billed as "80s Night")^[46]
• Group performance: "Perfect Day"^[35]
• Musical guests: Selena Gomez ("Slow Down")^[22] and Fifth Harmony ("Me & My Girls")^[23]

Carlos Guevara, the act that received the fewest votes from the public re-vote in week 2, was eliminated at the start of the November 13 episode.^[34] He would have performed "Mad World".^[34] Starting from week three, two acts were eliminated from each results show until week six. The three acts with the fewest public votes were announced and then the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated. The remaining two acts then performed in the final showdown and face the judges' votes.^{[citation needed]}

Judges' votes to eliminate^[35]

• Rowland: Khaya Cohen – based on the final showdown performances, effectively backing her act, Rachel Potter.
• Rubio: Rachel Potter – gave no reason.
• Lovato: Rachel Potter – gave no reason, though effectively backed their own act, Khaya Cohen.
• Cowell: Rachel Potter – felt that Cohen had more potential.

However, voting statistics revealed that Potter received more votes than Cohen which meant that if Cowell sent the result to deadlock, Potter would have been saved.

• Theme: Songs by British artists (billed as "British Invasion")^[47]
• Musical guest: One Direction ("Story of My Life")^[24]

Judges' votes to eliminate^[49]

• Rowland: Tim Olstad – based on the final showdown performances.
• Lovato: Tim Olstad – gave no reason.
• Rubio: Tim Olstad – gave no reason.
• Cowell was not required to vote since there was already a majority, but said after the show that his "heart went out to" Olivero, so he would have voted to eliminate Olstad.^[50]

• Theme: Big band (billed as "Big Band Night")^[26]
• Guest mentor: Michael Bublé^[51]
• Group performances:
  • Wednesday: "Cry Me a River"^[52]
  • Thursday: "Somewhere Only We Know"^[37]
• Musical guests:
  • Wednesday: Michael Bublé ("You Make Me Feel So Young")^[25][26]
  • Thursday: Demi Lovato ("Neon Lights") and Michael Bublé ("It's a Beautiful Day")^[26]

Judges' votes to eliminate^[54]

• Lovato: Josh Levi – gave no reason, though effectively backed their own act, Rion Paige.
• Rubio: Rion Paige – backed her own act, Josh Levi.
• Rowland: Rion Paige – gave no reason.
• Cowell: Josh Levi – could not decide and sent the result to deadlock.

With the acts in the bottom two receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Levi was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes.^[54]

• Themes: Divas; unplugged songs (billed as "stripped down songs")^[27]
• Musical guests: Emblem3 ("Just for One Day")^[55] and Little Mix ("Move")^[27][56]

For the first time this season, each act performed two songs.

Judges' votes to eliminate^[58]

• Lovato: Carlito Olivero – backed her own act, Rion Paige.
• Rubio: Rion Paige – backed her own act, Carlito Olivero.
• Rowland: Rion Paige – based on the final showdown performances though stated both acts did not give their best.
• Cowell: Rion Paige – wanted to give Olivero the opportunity to stay in the competition as he felt the competition was "probably his last chance".

• Themes: Viewers' choice;^[59] "songs to get you to the final" (no theme)^{[citation needed]}
• Group performances:
  • Wednesday: "Falling Slowly" (performed by Alex & Sierra and Carlito Olivero) and "Every Breath You Take" (performed by Jeff Gutt and Restless Road)^{[citation needed]}
  • Thursday: "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"^[39]
• Musical guest: Enrique Iglesias ("Heart Attack")^[28][60]

On December 4, the song choices for the public were revealed.^[59]

The semi-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the act with the fewest public votes, Restless Road, was automatically eliminated.^[39] The top three acts each then performed a victory song of their choice after they were announced safe, with Olivero performing "Suavemente", Alex & Sierra performing "Let Her Go", and Gutt performing "Open Arms".^[39]

The final consisted of two two-hour episodes on December 18 and 19.

December 18

• Themes: Winner's song (billed as "song to win"); celebrity duets (billed as "musical hero duets"); favorite performance (billed as "song of the season")
• Group performance: "We Will Rock You"^[63]
• Musical guest: Paulina Rubio ("Boys Will Be Boys")^[29]

December 19

• Theme: Christmas songs^[65]
• Group performances: "One" (all top 13 finalists) and "Love Me Again" (performed by Alex & Sierra and Jeff Gutt)^[65]
• Musical guests: Mary J. Blige ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), Lea Michele ("Cannonball"), Leona Lewis ("One More Sleep"), Pitbull ("Timber") and One Direction ("Midnight Memories")^[31]

• ^1 There was no public vote in the first week and therefore no final showdown. Each judge was required to save three of their own acts.^[66]
• ^2 Levi returned to the competition in week two because the judges felt that he should not have been eliminated in week one.^[44]
• ^3 Owing to graphic errors in which incorrect voting numbers were displayed on screen during the performance recap, there was no elimination in week two. All acts performed again on Thursday night in week two and a public re-vote was conducted. Carlos Guevara was eliminated on Wednesday night in week three after receiving the fewest votes in week two.^[33]
• ^4 Cowell was not required to vote as there was already a majority, but said after the show that he would have voted to eliminate Olstad.^[50]
• ^5 Cowell revealed in an interview that Alex & Sierra "won every single week" in the public vote except the fourth.^[67]

• James Kenney auditioned for Season 1, but was eliminated during the Judges' Home round.
• Jeff Gutt auditioned for Season 2, but was eliminated on the last day of the Bootcamp round.
• Ellona Santiago competed in Season 1 as a member of InTENsity, who were eliminated in 12th place.
• Carlito Olivero competed on Making Menudo on MTV under his real name "Carlos Olivero". He was one of the five contestants selected to become a member of Menudo
• Chase Goehring competed on the twelfth season of America's Got Talent. He received a golden buzzer from guest judge DJ Khaled during Judges' Cuts. He finished in the Top Ten.
• Stone Martin and Timmy Thames appeared on Boy Band. Both were eliminated on episode 1.

• Primrose Martin, who was eliminated during the Four Chair Challenge, is the daughter of Skip Martin

Notes

^1 Due to the 2013 MLB World Series running past October 28, the first live show of the season aired on October 29 to make room for Wednesday's potential deciding game.^[91]

Due to graphic errors made in the top 13 round of the live shows regarding voting, all voting results posted in that episode were invalidated, and the contestants sang once more in the show of November 7, with the results revealed on November 13.^[92]

• Official website