The X Factor is a new American television singing competition program to be contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions al around the United States. It will be part of the international X Factor franchise. The show will be broadcast on the FOX network in the United States as a direct competition to the highly successful American Idol.

Simon Cowell whose contract with the American Idol show expires in May 2010, has been in talks with broadcaster Fox since last summer. As well as being a judge, The X Factor'sAmerican version will be produced by Cowell himself, while in the Idol series he only appears as a judge. ^[1]