X Factor is the Italian version of the British musical talent show The X Factor. The first four seasons aired on Rai 2, but since 2011 it has been broadcast on Sky Uno, with reruns on TV8, after Rai dropped the show due to high costs. Sky Italia acquired the format, extending its broadcast until 2024. Starting from the eleventh season, RTL 102.5 became the official radio station, replacing Radio Deejay and Radio 105. The show was hosted by Francesco Facchinetti (2008-2010), Alessandro Cattelan (2011-2020), Ludovico Tersigni (2021), and Francesca Michielin (2022-2023). From 2024 onwards, Giorgia will take over as host. Since the seventh season, the show has been produced by Fremantle Italia without the collaboration of Magnolia, which had produced the selection episodes in the early seasons.

The show is a spin-off of the format Alessandro Borghese - 4 Ristoranti, where hotels, rather than restaurants, compete against each other. These hotels belong to the same commercial category and are located in the same geographical area. Each of the four hotel owners takes turns hosting the other three colleagues and Barbieri for a day and a night at their establishment. The hoteliers rate the location, services, rooms, prices, and, starting from the fourth season, the quality of the breakfast, giving scores from 0 to 10.