Has anyone here ever auditioned for the show and if so could you describe what the process is like?

I applied to go on this years show but heard nothing, what is supposed to happen after you have applied?

I'm really anxious to audition and would be gutted if I didn't hear anything again next year.

Can someone who has auditioned or knows someone else who has auditioned explain to me the process after you have sent off the application form.

Thanks.

I applied and got my letter but didn't actually audition.

I know some-one who did audition (she was 20 but had Down's Syndrome) and she audition on her birthday but didn't get past the producers. I was at her cousins house when she came back in floods of tears because she didn't get to meet Simon Cowell - who she adores. Apparently the producers weren't very friendly either.

So you are supposed to get a letter from them after you've sent off the application form?

And if you recieve that and then go to wherever to audition what happens then?

I applied last year and auditioned in Manchester.

I received a letter stating my audition date, time and place a few weeks after I'd applied (I applied at the end of March and auditions were announced in April).

I auditioned one afternoon in May last year and queued for about an hour before being let into the hotel where they were being held. We waited in a holding room and were segregated into different zones and assigned a number.

We were made to do fake cheering to the camera in a big circle for about 20 minutes then 15 minutes later I was called with about 4 other people to go and sit in a corridor outside a number of rooms. One by one we were called in to audition in front of the producers - which I did. They told me I could definitely sing but unfortunately the standard was so high it was a no.

Overall a good experience, no regrets apart my song choice. I changed it a few days earlier to "Stop Me" by Mark Ronson when I had originally intended to do "Wonderful World" by James Morrison - wish I'd stuck to it!

Oh okay thanks very much for the info.

How easy do you think it is to get in an honestly, would you say you had an above average voice?

KMX, did you meet the judges or the producers?

I applied and auditioned this year in Manchester. I got a letter at the end of March saying that my application had been successful and with the date of my audition. On the day I got to Old Trafford at about 8ish, and the queue was already huge. The production team made us do 'silent cheering' and Dermot came out to film the MANCHESTER! bit for the audition rounds. The production team played all cheesy music (which was fun) and told us all basically to look like we were having the time of our life for about an hour and a half even though it was freezing cold and raining, he was saying stuff like, 'the people who are going to judge you are watching and if you're not dancing you're not going to go through' yeah, cos the 'judges' are gonna remember exactly who's dancing and who's not

After four hours of queuing outside the doors finally opened at 12, and about an hour and a half after that I got inside the stadium. People were handing out stickers with numbers on them, but there was no registration process even though apparently only people who got the letters could audition, people could basically just get their mate to get a sticker too and have two goes with different judges (wish I'd thought of that). When we got inside we were all ushered back outside into the actual stadium bit and were made to do more silent cheering and they put the judging stations (curtains and a chair) up at about half 2ish. Then people started to be allowed to audition. You could see all of the judges (about 12) had a pile of letters for successful auditionees and had to make them last all day. It was obvious that the judges were all looking for different things as some were letting loads of young girls through etc and some were letting hardly any people through. At half five I was still waiting and the people on my row noticed that the man our section was going to hadn't put anybody through for like an hour, so we think he was running low on letters, especially as the man in front of me was AMAZING and he never got through. I finally auditioned at about half six and my judge just said 'sorry it's a no.' My mate who auditioned never got through either and asked if he could give any feedback and the judge just said, 'sorry it's a no.'
It wasn't my favourite day ever, but I can see why they need to do it like that, and I got a day off work . I'm thinking of going back next year though, and I'd say to anybody who was going to audition to get there SUPER early because the judges still have most of their letters then, wrap up really warm if it's a football stadium audition cos chances are you'll be our in the rain all day, and to keep in mind you'll probably not get through, it's basically pot luck, but stay positive as well, cos someone has to go through...and if all else fails just be really really horrific on your producers auditions, so they put you through for the 'entertainment' factor then when you get to the judges wow them!

I only auditioned in front of the producers, I believe you don't see the judges until your third (or even fourth in some cases) audition.

As for my voice, in all honesty I'd say it was above average but not as good as the likes of Shayne or Will Young. I do think I'm better than some who've made the Top 12 though such as Philip, MacDonald Brothers, Chico, Eoghan, Andy Williams... I guess I just don't have quite the "look" they want!

I'm so glad I didn't audition again this year, I would never have wanted to go an open audition because of the horror stories you hear about hanging around for hours on end to just get a quick no!

My Cousin auditioned, I Went with him and it was a great experience, He got to the 3rd round then a No! He really enjoyed the show, despite not getting to Simon and will be Back next year!

So did he get to sing in front of the judges then?

My goodness 3 auditions before the judges part I hope they are pretty close together. Thats quite alot to go through and have resting on your mind.

That would always be my plan if I ever went back. I did Birmingham in 2005, got past the 1st set of producers but not the second. There was so much contrived fake cheesiness waving red slips about. After getting through my first one, I was told to find researcher and 'go mental!' To be fair, so many good singers were being sent away that day I knew I had no hope when the girl who went in two before me got a no because I thought she was outstanding.

I'm glad I had a go though, you get to see through the hype pretty early on as result.

As for applying? Well I applied to the address given on telly for an application form, filled it i in the January and think I got the letter a few weeks later telling me I had an audition. Don't know how it works now though as there are so many more people applying for it now.

Do they make you sing infront of everyone in the waiting room before hand? If someone just asked me to sing randomly on the spot, I hate it and never can

They don't make you do it, it's optional.

I did it AFTER being turned down(I like to be different!). The Nokia bloke there said he'd take a pic of me and my little un as a souvenir if I sang! So I did. On the way out I heard a lady say'I can't believe she didn't get through.' Made my day that did!!!

Aw thats a shame. You obviously deserved to get through. My mum tried 2 years ago. She used to be a backing singing but got turned down despite being pulled aside and having long interviews done and everything. I look VERY different and have a different sorta voice so hopefully that might help me next year. Im really dreading the producer stages.

They're quite clipped and clinical, they don't mess around!

You go for it and good luck. Even if you don't get to the judges at least you had a go and it's fun soaking up the atmos and meeting the other auditionees too, you see some right sights!!

Like I said before, I don't know what the format is now because I auditioned for series two - but the first audition was on one day, then I got a call back slip for the next one a few weeks later. Then, if you got through THAT one, you got to see Cowell and co on the third audition, same day. I have heard say that you have to get through more than two producer auditions now though I am unsure as to how true that is, Faria would probably know.

You go for it - you're only here once, that's what I say!

Diana gives me hope as she is very different vocally and has reached the live shows. Infact this year has seen alot of sorta more quirky singers. The fact I look different to (like a young Pete Burns) could help me at least progress to the judges stages as they might put me down as abit of a character. Rachel took my planned audition song though

And true you only live once. The DIVA shall arive

The very first year I auditioned. I was auditoned by
the producers. I think you only get to see
Simon etc if you are completely naff and are so
deluded believing your something special, but
absolutely laughable.... or they think you may be
worth putting in front of the judges. Lets be
honest can you see them sitting through hundreds of thousands of audtions.

So am I getting this right, you:

1. Send off an application form.
2. Recieve a confirmation letter.
3. Go on the day it told you to on the letter, queue up, recieve a contestant number, sing in front of producers.
4. If the first set of producers like you, you sing in front of another set.
5. If the second set like you, you sing in front of the judges.

Ooops double post.

Yeah but I think sometimes there are 3 producer rounds rather than 2