Israel: 'X-factor Israel' set to kick off on October 30

Israel: 'X-factor Israel' set to kick off on October 30
Sunday, 24 October 2021

  • X-factor Israel, the talent show that will determine the country's Eurovision 2022 hopeful and entry will kick off on October 30, 2021.

    Since 2015 the Israeli Eurovision representatives have been selected through the talent show 'The Next Star'. For the next edition of the contest the Israeli hopeful will be determined via the X-factor show which premiered on Israeli television in 2013 and continued for several seasons up to 2018.

    Now X-factor is returning on screen to select the country's Eurovision 2022 hopeful and entry starting on October 30,2021 at 20:30 CET.  During the first episode we will watch a number of auditions that took place previously. 

    Once the semi final is held and the four finalists are determined on  Channel 13, a second semi final will take place in order to determine the songs the four finalists will perform in the X-factor final show. Each of the four candidates will have to perform two songs selected out of the songs sent in during the submission period. In t this parallel semifinal show one of the two candidate songs will be chosen for each of the four finalists. 

    Thus, the final of X-factor will see the four finalists perform the song chosen in the side semi final show while the final winner will secure the right to represent Israel in Turin at Eurovision 2022. 

     

    The X-factor story so far

     All five winners of the "next star" in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2015 managed to reach the final of the international competition and even bring another win to Israel in 2018. So it a really challenge for the X-factor format to continue the sequel of good results. 

    So far, three seasons of the reality show "The X Factor" have been broadcast in Israel - all under the direction of Bar Refaeli,  who also served as a presenter at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv. The first season started in 2013, when Rose Fustans , who was a foreign caregiver working in Israel , won  . A few years after winning, Fustans returned to the Philippines.

    The second season started a year and a half later, in 2015, with the victory of  Daniel Yaffe,  who released a number of singles after winning, participated in the musical "Messiah", but did not have significant success on radio stations in Israel.

    The third season began airing in October 2017, about two and a half years after the second season, in which she won first place none other than Eden Alene , who represented the country at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest finish in 17th place of the final.  However, Eden was chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest thanks to winning the "Next Star for Eurovision 2020" program, which makes her the only act to have won two major different talent shows in the country. 

     

    Israel in Eurovision 

    Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 42 times since making its debut in 1973. Israel’s first appearance at the contest in 1973 was successful, with Ilanit finishing fourth. Israel has achieved 4  victories, in 1978 and 1979, with first two wins for Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, with the song “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” and Gali Atari and Milk and Honey, with “Hallelujah” .

    Its third victory came in 1998, with Dana International and “Diva”  and its fourth in ESC 2018 with Netta’s song Toy. The country’s best results apart from  its victories  were the second-place finishes for Avi Toledano in 1982 and Ofra Haza in 1983. Former winner Izhar Cohen returned to place fifth in 1985. Duo Datz finished third in 1991, before Israel achieved . Eden then finished fifth in 1999. Israel has hosted the contest three times, in 1979 and 1999, both in Jerusalem and in 2019 in Tel Aviv. 

    After the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, Israel has failed to reach the final six times. In 2014, the country failed to qualify for the fourth consecutive year, when Mei Feingold finished 14th (out of 15) in the second semi final, despite being one of the favorites to qualify. In 2015, Israel reached the final for the first time in five years, with Nadav Guedj finishing ninth. The only Israeli entrant to achieve a better result in the 21st century before their 2018 win was Shiri Maimon in 2005, who gave the country its tenth top five result in the contest, finishing fourth. In 2019 Kobi Marimi winner of the Rising Star, rerpesented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest on home soil  with his entry Home.

    Last year Eden Alene  won the talent show “The next Star” and the ticket to Rotterdam where she was going to perform the nationally selected song Feker Libi. Due to the covid-19 pandemic the contest was cancelled interrupting Eden's Eurovision journey. 

    Nevertheless, Eden Alene had the chance to complete this year her Eurovision journey  performing "Set Me Free" in the 12 position of the first semi final and after qualifying to the Grand final she finished 17th with a total of 93 points. 

     

    News Source: Euromix.co.il / Eurovoix

    Image: Euromix.co.il / X-factor Israel