The X Factor is a popular show in the United Kingdom aired on ITV channel. We are going to look at all winners of X-Factor from season one to the present season.
Quick answer: Fifteen series of The X Factor aired in the UK between 2004 and 2018. Steve Brookstein won the first and Dalton Harris won the last. There was never a series 16 – ITV ran two spin-offs in 2019 and then cancelled the show in July 2021.
The X Factor winners at a glance
- Series aired: 15, from 2004 to 2018, on ITV
- First winner: Steve Brookstein, series 1, 2004
- Last winner: Dalton Harris, series 15, 2018
- Most successful winners: Little Mix (series 8) and Leona Lewis (series 3)
- Most winning mentor: Simon Cowell, with four winning acts
- Status: cancelled by ITV on 28 July 2021; a revival was reported in August 2026 but not confirmed
The X Factor winners list: all 15 series
Every UK winner, the act they beat in the final, and the judge who mentored them. The mentor column is worth reading down – it shows how much of the show’s outcome came down to who drew which category.
| Series | Year | Winner | Runner-up | Winning mentor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004 | Steve Brookstein | G4 | Simon Cowell |
| 2 | 2005 | Shayne Ward | Andy Abraham | Louis Walsh |
| 3 | 2006 | Leona Lewis | Ray Quinn | Simon Cowell |
| 4 | 2007 | Leon Jackson | Rhydian Roberts | Dannii Minogue |
| 5 | 2008 | Alexandra Burke | JLS | Cheryl Cole |
| 6 | 2009 | Joe McElderry | Olly Murs | Simon Cowell |
| 7 | 2010 | Matt Cardle | Rebecca Ferguson | Dannii Minogue |
| 8 | 2011 | Little Mix | Marcus Collins | Tulisa |
| 9 | 2012 | James Arthur | Jahméne Douglas | Nicole Scherzinger |
| 10 | 2013 | Sam Bailey | Nicholas McDonald | Sharon Osbourne |
| 11 | 2014 | Ben Haenow | Fleur East | Simon Cowell |
| 12 | 2015 | Louisa Johnson | Reggie ‘n’ Bollie | Rita Ora |
| 13 | 2016 | Matt Terry | Saara Aalto | Nicole Scherzinger |
| 14 | 2017 | Rak-Su | Grace Davies | Simon Cowell |
| 15 | 2018 | Dalton Harris | Scarlett Lee | Louis Tomlinson |
Simon Cowell mentored four winning acts (series 1, 3, 11 and 14), more than any other judge. Dannii Minogue and Nicole Scherzinger each mentored two. Louis Tomlinson, a former contestant himself as part of One Direction, mentored the final winner in 2018.
The X Factor (UK TV Series) Winners List
1] The X Factor Season 1 Winner: Steve Brookstein (2004)
Steve Brookstein went through many obstacles throughout the journey, and he became first-ever champion X Factor in 2004. In the finals, Steve mentored by Simon Cowell to beat young singer Tabby Callaghan & opera group G4 in the finals. Brookstein released “Against All Odds” album, which landed on number one in the United Kingdom.
2] The X Factor Season 2 Winner: Shayne Ward (2005)
Shayne Ward is the winner of the second season of X Factor. Ward beat finalist Andy Abraham and released “That’s My Goal” album in the same year, which landed on the number one spot in the UK.
Over the years, Shayne released four albums, and some of them failed to impress the audience. Currently, Ward is known for playing acting chops in the movies and he is a regular cast in Coronation Street since 2015.
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3] The X Factor Season 3 Winner: Leona Lewis (2006)
Leona Lewis released “A Moment Like This” song and it beat every single song for four weeks. Lewis fought hard against Ray Quinn to become the series three of X Factor. Lewis debut album sold over nine million copies, and it helped gain momentum in the music industry.
Leona released five albums over the years, and she has a net worth of $35 million. The X Factor winner made a fortune at a very young age.
4] The X Factor Season 4 Winner: Leon Jackson (2007)
Loen Jackson was the underdog in the season, and he emerged as the winner of S4 after beating Rhydian Roberts. Jackson was the first-ever Scottish singer to lead the charts in Christmas time.
The single song “When You Believe” became the fastest selling single of 2007. The label “SyCo” released an album with him in the same year, and he broke ties with the label. Currently, he is working as a songwriter and travels Los Angles a lot.
5] The X Factor Season 5 Winner: Alexandra Burke (2008)
24 hours in Vienna with my amazing team. Haven’t laughed that much in such a long time… ???? sending you all love and hugs x pic.twitter.com/KiJK0nvqzu
— Alexandra Burke (@alexandramusic) April 8, 2019
Alexandra Burke & the first runner-up JLS ended up having a successful career a head of the X Factor. Burke released “Overcome” in 2009, “Heartbreak” on Hold in 2012, and “EP Renegade” in 2015.
Beyonce mesmerized by the performance of Alexandra, and she added Burke to the collaboration list. Two deals came her way to become the face of fashion label Gabbana and Dolce.
6] The X Factor Season 6 Winner: Joe McElderry (2009)
18-years-old Joe McElderry is the winner of 2009 series X Factor, and Cheryl Cole mentored him throughout the journey. Joe is has beaten Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon at the finals, and good for all finalist because of they successful careers in the music industry. Fortunately, he is in the music industry and relevant enough to make a fortune of $5 million.
7] The X Factor Season 7 Winner: Matt Cardle (2010)
Matt Cardle is the winner of S7 of X Factor, and One Direction overtook the success. Cardle understood the success behind One Direction, and he cut off the tied “needed to be selfish” with the label and released four studio albums. Matt returned to West End on 31 July 2018, and it ends on 27 October 2018.
8] The X Factor Season 8 Winner: Little Mix (2011)
The #SundayVibes playlist is updated!! What else should we add? ???? https://t.co/jpdocC430V pic.twitter.com/Hkxr3eTnF3
— Little Mix (@LittleMix) March 24, 2019
Little Mix four-piece girl group are the most successful band in the X Factor United Kingdom history. One Direction and Olly Murs achieved commercial success, but Little Mix broke the records, and they became successful from the show itself.
Little Mix single song “Salute” selected for WWE Evolution pay-per-view theme song and millions of WWE universe fans loved it. Skilled band songs such as Salute, Black Magic and Shout Out To My Ex made it to the top of the charts.
9] The X Factor Season 9 Winner: James Arthur (2012)
Jahmene Douglas defeated by the James Arthur in 2012 to become the UK X Factor winner. The song “Shontelle’s Impossible” featured him became the fastest-selling X Factor winner album.
The single song ‘You’re Nobody ’til Somebody Loves You’ reached number two spot in the charts. Arthur took one-year to release a self-titled debut album, and it reached number two position.
Later on, many news comes out about his ‘sexcapades’ acts, and he was not limelight for a long time. However, he released “Say You Won’t Let Go” in September 2016 and it landed on number 11 in the American Billboard Hot 100.
10] The X Factor Season 10 Winner: Sam Bailey (2013)
Sam Bailey worked extremely hard throughout the S10 and beaten Sam Callahan, Luke Friend and Tamera Foster for the X Factor UK crown. Sam rose to the top by Demi Lovato’s Skyscraper.
The debut album “The Power Of Love” in March 2014 reached top charts and sold over 160,000 copies. Simon Cowell’s record label released Sam from the contract, she released self-funded second album “Sing My Heart Out,” and it reached #33 position in UK and #53 in Scotland.
11] The X Factor Season 11 Winner: Ben Haenow (2014)
Ben Haenow overcomes the obstacles to become the winner of X Factor in 2014. The cover “Something I Need by One Republic” charted Christmas number one, and he repeated the same success after collaborating with Kelly Clarkson on single Second Hand Heart and self-titled debut album releasing in the same year.
The Simon Cowell record label SyCo was working independently, so Ben left the label in January 2016. Haenow achieved a lot of success later on in life beating many winners from the past.
12] The X Factor Season 12 Winner: Louisa Johnson (2015)
Louisa Johnson is the youngest X Factor winner crowned in 2015 and the “Forever Young” single released in the same year. The winner of X Factor completed the debut album in 2016, but the label pushed it in 2017.
Former X Factor star, Olly Murs, teamed up with Johnson for the song “unpredictable” and toured with him to support him.
13] The X Factor Season 13 Winner: Matt Terry (2016)
???? pic.twitter.com/I8WqYVzU3u
— M A T T T E R R Y (@MattTerry93) March 21, 2019
Matthew Terry is an English singer-songwriter. In 2016, he was crowned as the winner of the 13th series of The X Factor UK. He is best known for his debut single, “When Christmas Comes Around”, which was released in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2016, and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.
14] The X Factor Season 14 Winner: Rak-Su (2017)
Rak-Su are a British manband, formed in Watford. The band’s name is a shortening of “Tracks v. Suits”, i.e. “music and fun vs. adult life.” They rose to fame when they won the 14th series of The X Factor in 2017 mentored by Simon Cowell. The group is made up of Ashley Fongho, Mustafa Rahimtulla, Jamaal Shurland and Myles Stephenson.
15] The X Factor Season 15 Winner: Dalton Harris (2018)
No place like home, and my face says it all. Meeting and seeing familiar faces and my chosen family has been awesome. And way more to go.#daltonharris #nowehnuhbettadanyaad#grateful pic.twitter.com/Mitz6QaFLW
— Dalton Harris (@harrisdalton) April 5, 2019
Dalton Harris is a Jamaican singer. In 2010, he won Digicel Rising Star, and subsequently signed with VP Records. In 2018, he was crowned as the winner of the 15th series of The X Factor.
The X Factor in 2019: Celebrity and The Band – Why There Was No Series 16
This is where most X Factor lists go wrong, including older versions of this one. There was never a series 16. After Dalton Harris won in December 2018 the main format never came back. What ITV aired in 2019 were two separate spin-offs, and neither is counted as a sixteenth series.
- The X Factor: Celebrity (October 2019) was won by Megan McKenna, with the duo Max and Harvey and quizzer Jenny Ryan as runners-up.
- The X Factor: The Band (December 2019) was won by Real Like You, a girl group assembled during the series.
Both were one-off formats built around the X Factor brand rather than continuations of the competition, which is why the numbered series stops at 15.
The X Factor acts who lost and won anyway
The show’s real legacy is not its winners list. Several acts eliminated before the final went on to bigger careers than the people who beat them, which is why “did they actually win?” is such a common question about this show.
- One Direction finished third in series 7 in 2010, behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson. They were put together as a group during the competition and mentored by Simon Cowell, and became the most commercially successful act the show ever produced.
- Olly Murs was runner-up in series 6 in 2009, losing to Joe McElderry, and went on to a long run of chart albums and a television presenting career.
- JLS were runners-up in series 5 in 2008, beaten by Alexandra Burke.
- Fleur East was runner-up in series 11 in 2014, and Rebecca Ferguson runner-up in series 7.
- Rylan Clark did not even reach the final – he was the ninth act eliminated from series 9 in 2012 – and went on to win Celebrity Big Brother a few months later and build a career as a presenter.
The pattern is consistent enough to be worth stating: winning The X Factor guaranteed a Christmas number one far more reliably than it guaranteed a career.
The X Factor US winners
The American version was a separate show on Fox with its own numbering, judges and winners. If you searched for X Factor winners and meant the US series, these are the three.
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-up | Winning mentor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Melanie Amaro | Josh Krajcik | Simon Cowell |
| 2 | 2012 | Tate Stevens | Carly Rose Sonenclar | L.A. Reid |
| 3 | 2013 | Alex & Sierra | Jeff Gutt | Simon Cowell |
The US run ended after its third season in 2013. Simon Cowell judged the first and third winning acts there as well, making him the most successful mentor on both sides of the Atlantic.
Is The X Factor coming back?
Not as things stand. ITV announced on 28 July 2021 that it had no plans to air another series, which effectively cancelled the show after seventeen years. By then it had already been off air since 2018, with only the two 2019 spin-offs in between.
In August 2026 it was reported that ITV and the production company were in discussions about reviving the format with younger judges aimed at a social-media audience, with Simon Cowell involved in some capacity. Those reports were not confirmed by ITV, and no series has been commissioned. Until that changes, Dalton Harris remains the last X Factor winner.
If you follow the other long-running British talent shows, our Britain’s Got Talent winners list covers the format that outlasted it, and the American Idol winners list covers the show The X Factor was created to compete with.
The X Factor winners: frequently asked questions
Who won the last series of The X Factor?
Dalton Harris won series 15 in 2018, mentored by Louis Tomlinson, with Scarlett Lee as runner-up. That was the final series of the main show, so he remains the last X Factor winner.
Was there ever an X Factor series 16?
No. After series 15 in 2018 the main format did not return. ITV aired two spin-offs in 2019 instead: The X Factor: Celebrity, won by Megan McKenna, and The X Factor: The Band, won by the girl group Real Like You. Neither is numbered as series 16.
Why was The X Factor cancelled?
ITV announced on 28 July 2021 that it had no plans to air another series, which effectively cancelled the show. It had already been off air since 2018, with only the two 2019 spin-offs in between.
Is The X Factor coming back?
Nothing has been confirmed. In August 2026 it was reported that ITV and the production company were discussing a revival with a revamped format and younger judges, and that Simon Cowell would be involved in some capacity. Those reports are unconfirmed and no series has been commissioned.
Did One Direction win The X Factor?
No. One Direction finished third in series 7 in 2010, behind winner Matt Cardle and runner-up Rebecca Ferguson. They were formed during the competition and mentored by Simon Cowell in the Groups category, and went on to be far more commercially successful than that year’s winner.
Which X Factor acts became the biggest stars?
Little Mix are the only winners to have sustained a long international career, taking series 8 in 2011. Leona Lewis, who won series 3 in 2006, had the biggest immediate success. Several who did not win did better than those who did, including One Direction, Olly Murs and JLS.
Is the American X Factor the same show?
No. The US version was a separate series on Fox with its own numbering and winners: Melanie Amaro in 2011, Tate Stevens in 2012 and Alex & Sierra in 2013. It ended after three seasons.
Conclusion
The X Factor is no longer in production. ITV announced on 28 July 2021 that it had no plans to air another series, which ended a run that began in 2004 and produced fifteen winners.
Reports in August 2026 suggested ITV was considering a revival with a new judging panel, but nothing has been confirmed and no auditions have been announced. Dalton Harris remains the last winner. My favorite X Factor winner is Little Mix UK band and tells us about yours in the comment section below.
