Based on the British format, the competition consists of auditions, in front of producers and then the judges with a live audience; bootcamp; judges' houses and then the live finals.[2] Auditions for the show began in September and concluded in October 2011. The show is hosted by Albanian singer Alketa Vejsiu, while the judging panel consists of the biggest Albanian artists. Albanian famous writer, composer and TV presenter Pandi Laço, Albanian Kosovar pop singer Vesa Luma, Albania's representative at the 2010 Eurovision Song ContestJuliana Pasha and the Albanian superstar Alban Skënderaj. The winner of the first season of X factor Albania was Sheila Haxhiraj.
Judges
The X Factor's host television Klan invited over 10 Albanian artists to be a part of The X Factor judging panel. It was rumored that Albanian singer Aurela Gaçe will be a judge/mentor. But, after giving birth to her first child, Aurela posted in Facebook that she will be staying with her family the whole month.[3] Until the show started, the judges were not confirmed. In Vlorë auditions, Besa Kokëdhima was a "Guest-judge" even though, she was rumored to be a part of the judging panel. While the current judge, Vesa Luma to an interview, she told that she was only a guest in X Factor first, but later she was asked to be a part of it.[4] Later that month, Vesa did not continue the contract with Digitalb, where she was signed.[5] In Summer of 2011, Vesa was entertaining Albanian public on "E Diell" in Top Channel, a part of Digitalb platform. After not continuing the contract with Digitalb, she accepted the offer to be a judge on X Factor. Vesa is an Albanian singer from Kosovo, she is known for her hit song, "Jemi dhe S'jemi", which hit the charts in Balkan. In 2006 that song was awarded as the Best Song in Kosovo for 2006 in Videofest.
Albanian singer Juliana Pasha, was on the cover of Eurovision magazines, that she will be a guest judge.[6][7] Later that week, she was officially asked to be a permanent mentor. Juliana represented Albania in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway. She got through to the final, finishing 16th.[8]
While Pandi Laço was in every audition around Albania, after TV Klan released the news, he was officially a judge. Pandi is an Albanian writer, composer and previously a TV presenter. He is four-time winner in Festivali i Këngës for his songs. He wrote three Albanian Eurovision songs, Tomorrow I Go by Ledina Çelo, Hear My Plea by Frederik Ndoci and Zemrën e lamë peng by Olta Boka. Since a couple of years, Pandi has started his own show in TV Klan, about Albanian culture in film.
The biggest superstar in Albania Alban Skënderaj, was rumored to be a judge, since the beginning of the show. His fiancé Miriam Cani, Albanian-German singer, who is currently a judge in The Voice of Albania, to an interview told that it has been difficult to be away in two major shows in Albania. Skënderaj it is one of the most followed Albanian singers. He's songs "Let Me Die With You", "Vetëm ti" and many more, were hits in Albania in previous years.
Audition process was based on the British and American version. First up were "The Producer's Audition", where the producers chose singers to proceed to the second phase which was "The Audition before the Judging panel". The Auditions took place in the biggest centers of Albania, including Kosovo's capital Pristina. The producer's auditions started in September 2011, while the Auditions before the judging panel started in October. The Producer's auditions took place in over 10 cities of Albania, including Pogradec, Durrës and Korçë.[9]
The first city to start the auditions was Vlora in 11 and 12 October 2011. It was announced that there was over 3,000 applicants, where 800 got to perform. The auditions were held in the city's Palace of Sports. From the southern capital of Albania, judges traveled to the northern capital of Albania, Shkodër. The auditions in Shkodra took place in 17 and 18 October 2011. The auditions took place in the "Migjeni" theatre. In 25 and 26 October, judges moved to Albania's center city Elbasan. The auditions took place in the city's Palace of Sports.[10]
After that, the judges left Albania and went to Pristina. The auditions took place in "Palace of Youth Complex" in Amphitheater Studios on 29 October. From the producer's auditions, there were 10 qualifiers.[11]
The last city to hold the auditions was Albania's capital and biggest city Tirana. The auditions took place in Klan Television Studios from 1–4 November 2011.
Bootcamp
The Bootcamp phase was broadcast on 12 February. There were 150 contestants in Bootcamp from each category. In the first day, the producers of the show decided to test the participants on dancing, by telling them that the only way to proceed in the Judges' houses would be by dancing. But, after the time passed on midnight, the producers told the participants it was just a joke. However, after each contestant performed once and by group performing, the judges advanced 32 participants for the judges houses.
Judges' houses
Two days after the phase of Bootcamp was over, the producers of X Factor, telephoned each judge to communicate the category they would coach. Alban Skënderaj took the Boys category, Vesa Luma took the Over 23s, Juliana Pasha got the Girls category while Pandi Laço got the Groups category.
The judges traveled to several cities of Albania, while Juliana Pasha traveled to Venice, Italy. Pandi Laço, who got the Groups Category, chose only 7 acts in Bootcamp, making thirty one participants in Judges' houses. The results were shown in the second week of the Judge's houses where 16 acts proceeded to the live shows.
Girls: Antonela Çekixhi, Flaka Salihaj, Maria Prifti, Sigi Bastri
Over 23s: Anxhela Dusha, Doriana Bircaj, Edmond Themeli, Florian Kollaj
Groups: Different Girls, New Born, X Angels
Contestants
The top 16 contestants were confirmed as follows;
Key:
– Winner
– Runner up
Category (mentor)
Acts
Boys (Skënderaj)
Amarildo Shahinaj
Anxhelo Miho
Arianit Bellopoja
Kristo Thano
Girls (Pasha)
Festina Mejzini
Savjana Vjerdha
Sheila Haxhiraj
Xhesika Polo
Over 23s (Luma)
Besa Breca
Gerald Zyfi
Lirije Rashiti
Matilda Shushari
Groups (Laço)
Classic Boys
Focus
Red Roses
X Group
Live shows
After four phases of selection and audition, X Factor arrived to the Live Shows. Sixteen acts proceeded to this round, four from each category. The
first live show began on 3 March.
Results summary
Color key
–
Contestant was in the bottom two/three and had to sing again in the final showdown
–
Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown)
–
Contestant received the most public votes
Weekly results per contestant
Contestant
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Round One
Round Two
Sheila Haxhiraj
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
Safe
Safe
Winner
Kristo Thano
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Runner-Up
Xhesika Polo
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
3rd
3rd
Eliminated (week 15)
Classic Boys
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
4th
4th
Eliminated (week 14)
Festina Mejzini
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
5th
Eliminated (week 13)
Lirije Rashiti
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 12)
X Group
Safe
Safe
14th
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 11)
Anxhelo Miho
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
9th
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 10)
Savjana Vjerdha
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 9)
Amarildo Shahinaj
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Safe
10th
Eliminated (week 8)
Focus
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 7)
Besa Breca
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 6)
Gerald Zyfi
Safe
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 5)
Matilda Shushari
Safe
Safe
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 4)
Arianit Bellopoja
Safe
Bottom two
15th
Eliminated (week 3)
Red Roses
Safe
Bottom two
Eliminated (week 2)
Final showdown
—
Arianit Bellopoja Red Roses
Arianit Bellopoja X Group
Matilda Shushari Savjana Vjerdha
Gerald Zyfi Kristo Thano
Amarildo Shahinaj Besa Breca
Focus Xhesika Polo
Amarildo Shahinaj Anxhelo Miho
Savjana Vjerdha Xhesika Polo
Anxhelo Miho X Group
Festina Mejzini X Group
Lirije Rashiti Sheila Haxhiraj
Classic Boys Festina Mejzini
Classic Boys Xhesika Polo
No final showdown or judges' vote: results are based on public votes alone
Judges voted to:
Eliminate
Skënderaj's vote
—
Red Roses
X Group
Matilda Shushari
Gerald Zyfi
Besa Breca
Focus
Anxhelo Miho
Savjana Vjerdha
X Group
X Group
Lirije Rashiti
Classic Boys
Xhesika Polo
Pasha's vote
—
Red Roses
X Group
Matilda Shushari
Gerald Zyfi
Besa Breca
Focus
Amarildo Shahinaj
Savjana Vjerdha
Anxhelo Miho
X Group
Lirije Rashiti
Classic Boys
Classic Boys
Luma's vote
—
Red Roses
Arianit Bellopoja
Savjana Vjerdha
Kristo Thano
Amarildo Shahinaj
Focus
Anxhelo Miho
Xhesika Polo
Anxhelo Miho
X Group
Sheila Haxhiraj
Festina Mejzini
Classic Boys
Laço's vote
—
Arianit Bellopoja
Arianit Bellopoja
Matilda Shushari
Gerald Zyfi
Besa Breca
Xhesika Polo
Amarildo Shahinaj
Savjana Vjerdha
Anxhelo Miho
Festina Mejzini
Lirije Rashiti
Festina Mejzini
Xhesika Polo
Eliminated
None
Red Roses 3 of 4 votes Majority
Arianit Bellopoja 2 of 4 votes Deadlock
Matilda Shushari 3 of 4 votes Majority
Gerald Zyfi 3 of 4 votes Majority
Besa Breca 3 of 4 votes Majority
Focus 3 of 4 votes Majority
Amarildo Shahinaj 2 of 4 votes Deadlock
Savjana Vjerdha 3 of 4 votes Majority
Anxhelo Miho 3 of 4 votes Majority
X Group 3 of 4 votes Majority
Lirije Rashiti 3 of 4 votes Majority
Festina Mejzini 2 of 4 votes Deadlock
Classic Boys 2 of 4 votes Deadlock
Xhesika Polo Third Place
Kritso Thano Runner-Up
Sheila Haxhiraj Winner
Live show details
Week 1 (4 March 2012)
The first live show was held on 4 March in Klan Studios in Tirana. For the first time, X Factor debuted a high definition format in TV Klan; the show was broadcast entirely in 1080i HD. After sixteen artists performed, the host of the show, Alketa Vejsiu, communicated to the public that the X Factor Albania producers, in collaboration with the producers of The X Factor, decided to eliminate none of the performers.
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