The X Factor (Australian TV series) season 4
| Company type | Television series season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television, Music competition |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Luke Jacobz (host), Mel B (judge), Guy Sebastian (judge), Natalie Bassingthwaighte (judge), Ronan Keating (judge), Johnny Ruffo (The X Stream host) |
| Products | Reality music contest |
The X Factor is an Australian reality music contest adapted from the original British format, designed to uncover emerging vocal talent. The champion was awarded a recording deal with Sony Music Australia alongside a brand-new automobile. The show's fourth installment was broadcast on the Seven Network between 20 August and 20 November 2012. The victor, Samantha Jade, released her winner's single "What You've Done to Me" immediately following the finale. Mentored by Guy Sebastian, this marked his second straight triumph as a mentor and made Jade the second winner hailing from the Over 25s division.
Hosting duties for the live broadcasts were carried out by Luke Jacobz, while The X Stream, a digital live streaming program, was presented by season three alum Johnny Ruffo. Returning judges for this season included Mel B, Guy Sebastian, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Ronan Keating.
The competition structure consisted of auditions, super bootcamp, home visits, and live performance shows. Initial producer auditions took place in February and March 2012, followed by judge auditions conducted before a live audience in May. During super bootcamp, all four judges collectively selected 24 contestants—six representatives from each category: Boys, Girls, Over 25s, and Groups. At the home visits stage, judges reduced their six contestants to three with assistance from guest mentors such as Alicia Keys, Kesha, One Direction, and Usher. The live shows began on 17 September 2012.
A controversy arose when contestant Josh Brookes was removed from the competition due to inappropriate behavior on social media and was subsequently replaced by Carmelo Munzone. The grand final episode drew an audience of 1.92 million viewers, becoming the season’s highest-rated broadcast.
Judges and Presenter
In 2012, the judging panel returned unchanged with Mel B, Guy Sebastian, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Ronan Keating all reprising their roles.
Auditions
Producer auditions commenced in February 2012 across multiple locations including Hobart, Launceston, Albury, Dubbo, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne. To broaden participation opportunities for those unable to attend in person, online auditions were also introduced. Contestants who passed producer auditions advanced to judge auditions held before a live studio audience at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Sydney Entertainment Centre during May 2012.
Super bootcamp
Unlike earlier seasons where judges managed separate categories independently, this stage involved all four judges working together. Filmed over three days in May 2012, contestants were initially sorted into four categories: Boys, Girls, Over 25s, and Groups. Each category selected one song from a choice of four to perform before a first elimination cut that removed one-third of participants.
On the second day, the remaining 74 contestants performed group numbers assigned to them while receiving vocal coaching from Gary Pinto and choreography guidance from Squared Division. This round eliminated 28 acts. The third day featured solo performances before an audience of one thousand attendees. By the fourth day’s conclusion, judges had reduced the field to 24 finalists.
Contestants eliminated from the Boys and Girls categories were regrouped into two new ensembles: The Collective (a boy band) and Black Ivory (a girl band).
The 24 successful contestants were:
- Boys: Josh Brookes, Matt Cenere, Matt Gresham, Adil Memon, Carmelo Munzone, Jason Owen
- Girls: Bella Ferraro, Shiane Hawke, Bella Hunter, Morgan Sheather, Angel Tupai, Vendulka Wichta
- Over 25s: Danielle Blakey, Chris Cayzer, Samantha Jade, Justin Standley, Rob Vegas, Nathaniel Willemse
- Groups: Black Ivory, D&D, Fourtunate, Good Question, The Collective, What About Tonight
Home visits
During the concluding phase of selection, known as the home visits, the leading 24 contestants journeyed to prestigious destinations to meet their mentors. The Boys, Girls, and Over 25s categories were taken to New York City, whereas the Groups traveled to London. Each judge was tasked with narrowing down their six acts to three finalists, supported by prominent guest mentors: Mel B's Boys collaborated with Usher; Natalie Bassingthwaighte's Girls were guided by Kesha; Guy Sebastian's Over 25s received mentorship from Alicia Keys; and Ronan Keating's Groups worked alongside One Direction. Contestants underwent individual coaching sessions before delivering solo performances in front of their mentors and guests, after which judges made their final selections.
| Judge | Category | Location | Guest Mentor | Eliminated Contestants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel B | Boys | New York City | Usher | Matt Cenere, Matt Gresham, Carmelo Munzone |
| Bassingthwaighte | Girls | Kesha | Bella Hunter, Morgan Sheather, Vendulka Wichta | |
| Sebastian | Over 25s | Alicia Keys | Danielle Blakey, Chris Cayzer, Rob Vegas | |
| Keating | Groups | London | One Direction | Black Ivory, D&D, Good Question |
Contestants
Key:
- – Champion
- – Second Place
- – Removed
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Category (Mentor) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samantha Jade | 25 | Perth, Western Australia | Over 25s (Sebastian) | Champion |
| Jason Owen | 18 | Dubbo, New South Wales | Boys (Mel B) | Second Place |
| The Collective | 17–22 | Various Locations | Groups (Keating) | Third Place |
| Bella Ferraro | 18 | Sydney, New South Wales | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | Fourth Place |
| Shiane Hawke | 14 | Darwin, Northern Territory | Fifth Place | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | 27 | South Africa/Melbourne | Over 25s (Sebastian) | Sixth Place |
| Fourtunate | 17–20 | Sydney, New South Wales | Groups (Keating) | Seventh Place |
| Angel Tupai | 19 | Parramatta, New South Wales | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | Eighth Place |
| Carmelo Munzone | 23 | Sydney, New South Wales | Boys (Mel B) | Ninth Place |
| Justin Standley | 41 | Bundaberg | Over 25s (Sebastian) | Tenth Place |
| What About Tonight | 15–19 | Various Locations | Groups (Keating) | Eleventh Place |
| Josh Brooks | 20 | 'Perth, Western Australia' | 'Boys (Mel B)' | 'Twelfth Place (Removed)' |
| Adil Memon | 18 | Ipswich, Queensland | Boys (Mel B) | Thirteenth Place |
Results summary
- Colour legend
Contestant in Boys category Contestant in Girls category Contestant in Over 25s category Contestant in Groups category
- – Bottom two contestants performed in the final showdown
- – Eliminated immediately due to lowest public votes
- – Removed from competition without public voting
- – Received highest number of public votes
| Contestant | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Quarter-Final | Semi-Final | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background:lightgreen" |1st | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | 7th | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | 5th | 2nd | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | style="background:gold" |Champion | ||||||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | style="background:#C0C0C0" |Second Place | ||||||||||||
| 8th | 8th | 7th | 6th | 5th | 4th | 5th | 3rd | pink | salmon | ||||||||||||
| 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 6th | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | style="background:lightgreen" |1st | 4th | salmon | Eliminated (Semi-Final) | |||||||||
| 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | Eliminated (Quarter-Final) | ||||
| 6th | 10th | 5th | 6th | 4th | 4th | 6th | (Week 7 Elimination) | |||||
| 10th | 9th | 7th | 9th | 5th | 7th | (Week 6 Elimination) | ||||||
| 5th | 5th | 10th | 5th | 8th | (Week 5 Elimination) | |||||||
| salmon (Home Visits) | 6th | 6th | 8th | (Week 4 Elimination) | ||||||||
| 7th | 7th | 9th | (Week 3 Elimination) | |||||||||
| 9th | (Week 2 Elimination) | |||||||||||
| 2nd colspan=10 style="background:orange;" align=center valign=middle|(Removed Week 2) | ||||||||||||
| 12th colspan=10 style="background:#FA8072;" align=center valign=middle|(Week 1 Elimination) | ||||||||||||
- Additional Information
- Josh Brookes was removed from the competition due to breaches of rules; Carmelo Munzone took his place starting from the second live show.
- Guy Sebastian was absent during one results episode; a vote in favor of Nathaniel Willemse was cast on his behalf.
Week 1 (17/18 September)
- Theme: Judges' Selection
- Guest artists: Ronan Keating performing "Fires" and Guy Sebastian alongside Lupe Fiasco with "Battle Scars"
- Ensemble performance: "Call Me Maybe"
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Running order | Song performed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What About Tonight | Groups (Keating) | 1 | "Glad You Came" | Safe |
| Josh Brookes | Boys (Mel B) | 2 | "Don't Wanna Go Home" | |
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 3 | "Happy" | |
| Justin Standley | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 4 | "Father and Son" | |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 5 | "Payphone" | |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 6 | "Heaven" | |
| Adil Memon | Boys (Mel B) | 7 | "Fast Car" | Bottom Two |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 8 | "Wide Awake" | |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 9 | "Domino" | Safe |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 10 | "Brother" | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 11 | "Love on Top" | |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 12 | "Crazy" |
- Showdown results
|- style="background:pink;" ! scope="row"| Adil Memon | Boys (Mel B) | 1 | "Just the Way You Are" | Eliminated |- ! scope="row"| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 2 | "Without You" | Safe
- Judges' elimination votes
- Mel B: Voted to eliminate Samantha Jade, supporting her own contestant Adil Memon.
- Sebastian: Chose to eliminate Adil Memon, backing his own act Samantha Jade.
- Bassingthwaighte: Opted to eliminate Adil Memon, citing Jade’s stronger progress.
- Keating: Selected Adil Memon for elimination, based on the final showdown performance.
- Additional information
- On 24 September 2012, The Collective's rendition of "Domino" debuted at number 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Week 2 (25/26 September)
- Theme: Nightlong Party
- Guest performers included James Morrison with "I Won't Let You Go" and The Script performing "Hall of Fame"
- Group number: "R.I.P."/"How We Do (Party)" featuring Rita Ora
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Running order | Song performed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 1 | "Young Hearts Run Free" | Safe |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 2 | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 3 | "Blame It on the Boogie" | |
| What About Tonight | Groups (Keating) | 4 | "Year 3000" | Bottom Two |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 5 | "What Makes You Beautiful" | Safe |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 6 | "Canned Heat" | Bottom Two |
| Justin Standley | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 7 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Safe |
| Carmelo Munzone | Boys (Mel B) | 8 | "Everlasting Love" | |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 9 | "Freefallin" | |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 10 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 11 | "Footloose" | |
| Showdown details | ||||
| What About Tonight | Groups (Keating) | 1 | "The Way You Make Me Feel" | Eliminated |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 2 | "It Will Rain" | Safe |
- Judges' elimination decisions
- Sebastian automatically voted to save Nathaniel Willemse due to his absence, thus voting against What About Tonight.
- Bassingthwaighte chose to eliminate What About Tonight based on their final showdown performance.
- Keating supported his own group, What About Tonight, voting to eliminate Nathaniel Willemse.
- Mel B was undecided and sent the vote to deadlock.
With each act receiving two votes, the public vote determined the outcome, leading to What About Tonight's elimination as they had fewer viewer votes.
- Additional notes
- Due to Seven Network's broadcast of the 2012 Brownlow Medal, this week's live shows were scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Sebastian was absent from the results episode while promoting "Battle Scars" on Late Show with David Letterman.
- On September 30, three contestants’ songs entered the ARIA Singles Chart: The Collective’s "Footloose" (#41), Bella Ferraro’s "What Makes You Beautiful" (#62), and What About Tonight’s "Year 3000" (#97).
- Josh Brookes was disqualified and replaced by Carmelo Munzone.
Week 3 (1/2 October)
- Theme: Top 10 Chart-Toppers
- Featured guest artists: Lady Antebellum performing "Need You Now" and Pink with "Try"
- Collaborative act: "Lolita"/"Untouched"/"4ever" alongside The Veronicas
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Song performed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Standley | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 1 | "Some Nights" | Bottom Two |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 2 | "You Got It (The Right Stuff)"/"Billie Jean" | Safe |
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 3 | "Next to Me" | Bottom Two |
| Carmelo Munzone | Boys (Mel B) | 4 | "Whataya Want from Me" | Safe |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 5 | "Everytime" | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 6 | "Big Yellow Taxi" | |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 7 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 8 | "Try a Little Tenderness" | |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 9 | "Beautiful" | |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 10 | "Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)" | |
| Details of the final showdown | ||||
| Justin Standley | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 1 | "The Reason" | Eliminated |
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | "Open Arms" | Safe |
- Judges' elimination votes
- Bassingthwaighte: Chose to save her contestant Angel Tupai, voting against Justin Standley.
- Sebastian: Voted to eliminate Angel Tupai, backing his own mentee Justin Standley.
- Mel B: Opted to send home Justin Standley, highlighting Angel Tupai’s potential for advancement.
- Keating: Selected Justin Standley for elimination, recognizing Tupai as a strong rival but refraining from tactical voting.
- Additional information
- On 7 October 2012, two performances from this week entered the ARIA Singles Chart: The Collective’s rendition of "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" debuted at number 78, while Bella Ferraro’s "Big Yellow Taxi" appeared at number 84.
- Justin Standley marked the third contestant from the Over 25s category to be placed in the bottom two for three consecutive weeks, following Samantha Jade and Nathaniel Willemse.
Week 4 (8/9 October)
- Theme: Tributes to Legends
- Guest performers included Labrinth with "Earthquake" and Birdy performing "Skinny Love"
- Group number: A medley of "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "What a Man", and "Land of a Thousand Dances" featuring Jessica Mauboy
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance sequence | Song performed | Honored Legend | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmelo Munzone | Boys (Mel B) | 1 | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | The Police | Bottom Two |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 2 | "Easy Lover" | Phil Collins | |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 3 | "Piece of My Heart" | Erma Franklin | Safe |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 4 | "Run to You" | Whitney Houston | |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 5 | "Dancing in the Dark" | Bruce Springsteen | |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 6 | "A Hard Day's Night" | The Beatles | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 7 | "Ray of Light" | Madonna | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 8 | "The Scientist" | Coldplay | |
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 9 | "Dirty Diana" | Michael Jackson | |
| Final showdown details | |||||
| Carmelo Munzone | Boys (Mel B) | 1 | "Feeling Good" | Eliminated | |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 2 | "Without You" | Safe | |
- Judges' decisions on elimination
- Bassingthwaighte: Voted to eliminate Carmelo Munzone, favoring Fourtunate’s prospects.
- Keating: Supported Fourtunate by voting against Carmelo Munzone, his own act.
- Mel B: Chose to save Carmelo Munzone, casting her vote against Fourtunate.
- Sebastian: Opted to eliminate Carmelo Munzone, believing he required more growth.
- Additional notes
- On the ARIA Singles Chart dated 14 October 2012, Nathaniel Willemse’s performance of "The Scientist" entered at position number 75.
Week 5 (15/16 October)
- Theme: Hits from the 1980s
- Featured guest artists: Reece Mastin performing "Rock Star" and Psy with "Gangnam Style"
- Collaborative performance: "Do You Remember"/"So High"/"Down" alongside Jay Sean
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Song choice | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 1 | "I'm Still Standing" | Safe |
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Bottom Two |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 3 | "What's Love Got to Do with It" | Safe |
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 4 | "How Will I Know" | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 5 | "99 Red Balloons" | |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 6 | "You Can't Hurry Love" | Bottom Two |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 7 | "True Colors" | Safe |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 8 | "Like a Prayer" | |
| Details of the final showdown | ||||
| Angel Tupai | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 1 | "Family Portrait" | Eliminated |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 2 | "I Will Be" | Safe |
- Judges' elimination votes
- Sebastian: Voted to eliminate Angel Tupai, supporting Samantha Jade.
- Bassingthwaighte: Chose to send home Samantha Jade, backing Angel Tupai.
- Keating: Opted for Angel Tupai’s elimination, based on the final showdown performances.
- Mel B: Selected Samantha Jade for elimination, considering overall competition progress.
The judges’ decision resulted in a 2-2 tie, activating deadlock and reverting to the public vote. Consequently, Angel Tupai was eliminated as the contestant with the lowest viewer support.
- Additional notes
- Viewers participated in selecting which judge would perform the "Gangnam Style" dance; Mel B won and joined Psy for the performance.
- The Collective’s rendition of "Like a Prayer" entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number 65 on 21 October 2012.
Week 6 (22/23 October)
- Theme: Contemporary Hits and Classics
- Guest performers: Cher Lloyd presenting "Want U Back" and Matchbox Twenty performing "She's So Mean"
- Group act: "Part of Me"
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Song performed | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 1 | "You Make Me Feel..." | Bottom Two |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 2 | "You Belong with Me" | Safe |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 3 | "Hometown Glory" | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 4 | "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)" | |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 5 | "Lego House" | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 6 | "Shake It Out" | Bottom Two |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 7 | "Scream" | Safe |
| Final showdown specifics | ||||
| Fourtunate | Groups (Keating) | 1 | "Man in the Mirror" | Eliminated |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | "Tonight" | Safe |
- Judges' elimination decisions
- Sebastian: Voted against Fourtunate, citing Bella Ferraro’s stronger potential.
- Bassingthwaighte: Chose Fourtunate’s elimination, supporting her own act Bella Ferraro.
- Keating: Selected Bella Ferraro for elimination, backing his own group Fourtunate.
- Mel B: Voted to eliminate Fourtunate, favoring Bella Ferraro’s development and promise.
- Additional information
- The Collective’s performance of "Lego House" debuted at number 70 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated 28 October 2012.
Week 7 (29/30 October)
- Theme: Australian Creations
- Featured artists: Little Mix performing "Wings" and Ellie Goulding with "Anything Could Happen"
- Collective performance: "Touch" alongside Silver Sneakerz
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Song performed | Original Australian artist | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 1 | "UFO" | Sneaky Sound System | Bottom Two |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | "Shine" | Vanessa Amorosi | Safe |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 3 | "Incredible" | Timomatic | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 4 | "Red" | Daniel Merriweather | Bottom Two |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 5 | "Sweet Disposition" | The Temper Trap | Safe |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 6 | "What's My Scene?" | Hoodoo Gurus | |
| Details of the final showdown | |||||
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 1 | "At Last" | Safe | |
| Nathaniel Willemse | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 2 | "Sexual Healing" | Eliminated | |
- Judges' elimination votes
- Bassingthwaighte: Voted to eliminate Samantha Jade, believing Nathaniel Willemse showed greater promise.
- Keating: Chose to eliminate Nathaniel Willemse based on their final showdown performances.
- Mel B: Opted to send home Samantha Jade, noting that neither contestant's performance was compelling.
- Sebastian: Unable to decide between his two acts, took the vote to deadlock.
As the judges' votes resulted in a tie, the public vote was used as the tiebreaker, leading to Nathaniel Willemse's departure for receiving the fewest votes.
- Additional information
- Two tracks from this week entered the ARIA Singles Chart on 4 November 2012: Bella Ferraro’s rendition of "Sweet Disposition" at position 59 and Nathaniel Willemse’s "Red" at number 91.
Week 8: Quarter-Final (5/6 November)
- Theme: Challenge Set by Judges
- Guest performers: Johnny Ruffo with "Take It Home" and Kesha presenting "Die Young"
- Group number: "Turn Up the Love"
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Song selection | Song chosen by | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 1 | ”A Thousand Years” | Guy Sebastian | Bottom Two |
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | Mel B | ||
| Over 25s (Sebastian) | 3 | "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" | Natalie Bassingthwaighte | Safe | |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 4 | "If Tomorrow Never Comes" | Ronan Keating | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 5 | "Dreams" | Mel B | |
| Final showdown details | |||||
| Groups (Keating) | 1 | "As Long as You Love Me" | Safe | ||
| Shiane Hawke | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 2 | "Wherever You Will Go" | Eliminated | |
- Elimination votes from judges
- Bassingthwaighte: Voted against The Collective, supporting her own act Shiane Hawke.
- Keating: Chose to eliminate Shiane Hawke, backing his own group The Collective.
- Mel B: Opted to send home Shiane Hawke, expressing a desire for The Collective to develop further.
- Sebastian: Voted for Shiane Hawke’s elimination, believing The Collective had stronger prospects.
- Additional notes
- On 11 November 2012, Bella Ferraro's performance of "Dreams" entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number 82, while The Collective's "Beauty and a Beat" appeared at position 94. Samantha Jade's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" debuted at number 96 on the chart dated 18 November 2012.
Week 9: Semi-Final (12/13 November)
- Theme: Power and Passion
- Guest artists: Sam and the Womp ("Bom Bom") alongside Elton John versus Pnau performing "Sad" and "Good Morning to the Night"
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | First song | Performance order | Second song | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 1 | "Life Is a Highway" | 5 | "How Do I Live" | Safe |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 2 | "Heartless" | 6 | "Where Have You Been" | |
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 3 | "Bulletproof" | 7 | "The Last Day on Earth" | Bottom Two |
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 4 | "Apologize" | 8 | "Yeah 3x" | |
| Details of final showdown | ||||||
| Bella Ferraro | Girls (Bassingthwaighte) | 1 | "Angel" | Safe | ||
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 2 | "Use Somebody" | Eliminated | ||
- Judges' decisions for grand final qualification
- Bassingthwaighte: Supported Bella Ferraro, her own act.
- Keating: Chose The Collective, his own act.
- Mel B: Voted for Bella Ferraro, highlighting her progress.
- Sebastian: Opted for The Collective but left the final decision to deadlock.
With an even split of two votes apiece, the outcome went to deadlock, with public voting determining that The Collective progressed.
- Additional information
- This week marked the first occasion this season where each contestant performed two songs.
- Judges exercised their authority to decide which bottom two contestant advanced to the grand final for the first time.
- On 18 November 2012, three contestants' performances charted on the ARIA Singles Chart: Samantha Jade's "Heartless" (#12) and "Where Have You Been" (#51); The Collective's "Apologize" (#47) and "Yeah 3x" (#72); Bella Ferraro's "The Last Day On Earth" (#90).
Week 10: Final (19/20 November)
- 19 November
- Guest artist: Guy Sebastian performing "Get Along"
- Group number: "On the Floor" featuring all finalists except Josh Brooks and Adil Memon
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Audition song | Performance order | Winner's single | Performance order | Final chance song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Collective | Groups (Keating) | 1 | "We Found Love" | 4 | "Surrender" | 7 | "Brokenhearted" | Eliminated |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 2 | "Annie's Song" | 5 | "Make It Last" | 8 | "Lonely Boy" | Safe |
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 3 | "Breakeven" | 6 | "What You've Done to Me" | 9 | "Take a Bow" |
The Collective received the lowest public votes and were therefore eliminated.
- 20 November
- Guest performers: One Direction with their track "Little Things"
- Group performances included:
- Top three contestants performing "I Can Only Imagine"
- All finalists except Josh Brooks and Adil Memon performing "Good Time" alongside Owl City
- Top three contestants collaborating with Boyz II Men on "End of the Road"
| Contestant | Category (mentor) | Performance order | Series-winning song | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samantha Jade | Over 25s (Sebastian) | 1 | "Scream" | Winner |
| Jason Owen | Boys (Mel B) | 2 | "Dancing in the Dark" | Runner-Up |
- Additional notes
- This finale was unique in that it did not feature a theme, a first for this season.
Charity single
The leading 12 contestants collaborated to produce a rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" as a charity single benefiting Sony Foundation's You Can initiative, which supports specialised youth cancer centres throughout Australia. This track was made available on the iTunes Store on 18 September 2012, immediately after their live presentation on the results episode. This release represented the inaugural charity single by the top twelve participants on X Factor Australia.
Winner's single
On 16 November 2012, it was announced that the winner's singles for finalists Samantha Jade, The Collective, and Jason Owen were composed by the Australian production team DNA Songs. Jade's track was titled "What You've Done to Me", The Collective's was "Surrender", and Owen's was "Make It Last". Each finalist performed their respective song during the grand final held on 19 November. Following Samantha Jade’s victory, "What You've Done to Me" was released and debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart on 26 November. Soon after the season concluded, The Collective and Owen secured recording deals with Sony Music Australia and intended to launch their singles as debut releases.
The X Factor: One Direction to Superstardom
The X Factor: One Direction to Superstardom was a special broadcast on the Seven Network aired on 27 September 2012. It documented One Direction’s journey from their participation in the seventh season of The X Factor UK to achieving international fame, featuring an interview with X Factor Australia host Luke Jacobz. The program also showcased success stories from X Factor UK season three winner Leona Lewis, X Factor Australia season three champion Reece Mastin, contestant Johnny Ruffo, along with judges’ perspectives on how the show can propel artists into global music careers. The special attracted an audience of 691,000 viewers, placing fifteenth in the nightly ratings.
Contestants
On 20 September 2012, contestant Josh Brookes was expelled from the competition by the Seven Network due to inappropriate conduct on social media. A Twitcam broadcast revealed Brookes and fellow contestant Adil Memon requesting explicit images from underage girls. After an investigation, FremantleMedia Australia and Channel Seven jointly decided to remove Brookes from the show. During the second live broadcast on 25 September, judge Mel B revealed that Carmelo Munzone, who had been eliminated during the "home visits" phase, would take Brookes’ place.
Ratings
The premiere of The X Factor on 20 August 2012 led all programs that evening with an audience of 1.598 million viewers. The subsequent five audition episodes also secured first place in viewership each night they aired. The initial live performance episode on 17 September 2012 drew 1.588 million viewers, topping that night’s ratings as well. The grand final decider episode on 20 November 2012 attracted the highest audience of the season with 1.921 million viewers.
- Colour key
- – Peak rating for the season
- – Lowest rating for the season
| Episode | Original airdate | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) |
Nightly rank |
Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auditions | Template:Sort | Monday 7:30 pm–9:00 pm | 1.598 | #1 | |
| 2 | Template:Sort | Tuesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.526 | #1 | ||
| 3 | Template:Sort | Wednesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.478 | #1 | ||
| 4 | Template:Sort | Monday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.385 | #1 | ||
| 5 | Template:Sort | Tuesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.578 | #1 | ||
| 6 | Template:Sort | Wednesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.435 | #1 | ||
| 7 | Super Bootcamp | Template:Sort | Monday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.469 | #1 | |
| 8 | Template:Sort | Tuesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.573 | #1 | ||
| 9 | Template:Sort | Wednesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.542 | #1 | ||
| 10 | Home Visits | Template:Sort | Monday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.384 | #1 | |
| 11 | Template:Sort | Tuesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.662 | #1 | ||
| 12 | Template:Sort | Wednesday 7:30 pm–8:30 pm | 1.502 | #1 | ||
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank |
|---|
(Viewership for episodes from #26 onward generally maintained first place with audiences typically exceeding one million viewers, except for a significant decline during episode #17.)