In the initial televised audition phase as well as the three semi-finals and final, contestants sang in front of the judges – Jamie Cullum, Sharleen Spiteri and Dizzee Rascal.

[4] Among the notable artists competing in the show were Irish fiddler Daithí Ó Drónaí and The Trinity Band, who went on to win Live and Unsigned in 2011.

"[6] The audition process culminated in the judges selecting 15 acts for the semi-finals which took place at the Fountain Studios in Wembley (which is also used for The X Factor).

The winner of the show received a £100,000 cash fund rather than a record contract with an emphasis on giving the acts control over their careers.

Numerous Polish artists launched their careers through the program, such as LemON, Red Lips, Oberschlesien, Marcin Patrzalek, Tune or Shata QS.