Kate Thornton returned as presenter of the main show on ITV and Ben Shephard presented the spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2, while Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Walsh returned as judges.

Aired on 24 September 2005, the mentoring selection was made, with Cowell in charge of Groups, Osbourne with the 25 and overs and Walsh managing the 16–24s.

Over 25s: Location: Café de Paris Task 1: Perform a song of their choice to Sharon and the rest of the contestants.

Task 2: Choose a song from a list of five and learn it overnight to perform for a place in Judges Houses.

^3 In Lawson's 2008 autobiography, Life Starts Now, she revealed she had topped the vote the week before her elimination.

The quarter-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the contestant with the fewest public votes, Chico Slimani, was automatically eliminated.

The semi-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the contestant with the fewest public votes, Brenda Edwards, was automatically eliminated.

Osbourne later claimed that Lawson was the victim of the "Irish Mafia" after Walsh chose to keep The Conway Sisters in.

[4] Rumours later circulated that Walsh had quit the show after being humiliated and "bullied" by Osbourne and Cowell.

at the start of her (positive) critique of Journey South's performance of Robbie Williams' 1997 hit single "Angels".