Top 10 Best X-Factor Judges

With a show like The X Factor, where finding talent is the goal, the people in the judging chairs make all the difference. Some judges have become icons of the show, shaping it with their charisma, brutal honesty, humor, and genuine passion for discovering new talent.

Do you prefer the tell it like it is approach of certain judges, or maybe the encouraging and supportive vibe some others brought to the table? Either way, your opinion counts. Join in voting for your favorite judges and see who makes it to the top.
The Top Ten
1 Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English reality television judge, entrepreneur, philanthropist, film, record, and television producer.

Simon Cowell is actually my favorite judge of all time.

#1. If it weren't for Simon Cowell, he wouldn't have discovered so many amazing artists like Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, etc.

#2. He gave golden buzzers to all those talented kids like Jackie Evancho, Grace VanderWaal, Darci Lynne (and her adorable singing puppet), and then who could forget my favorite, Angelica Hale! Oh my god, she was awesome!

#3. He also has a great sense of humor. Some girl was singing on American Idol, and Simon was literally dead with laughter. The contestant took it so well!

#4. He's one of the only people who actually know what talent is. His attitude toward the contestants doesn't bother me at all because, honestly, some of them are so rude to him. People like Abby Lisa or Triple Trouble, or this one girl who threw a massive tantrum - what the actual hell - when she didn't get anything and literally shoved the camera guy.

#5. What would X Factor, America's Got Talent, or American Idol be without Simon Cowell?

2 Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger, born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente on June 29, 1978, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She first rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop/r&b group The Pussycat Dolls.

In my opinion, she's better than Simon the snake because she doesn't tell other judges to "shut up" when they are just giving their opinions, which is what they are supposed to do.

She's the best female judge ever. She's beautiful, smart, she can sing, she can dance, and she can do opera! I mean, she is just so bloody stunning. I love her!

She can actually sing, dance, act, and is multitalented. The best judge ever - her energy lifts the show, and I would not watch the show if she weren't in it.

3 Tulisa Contostavlos Tula Paulinea "Tulisa" Contostavlos is a British singer-songwriter, actress, and television personality.

Feisty, fiery, and bolshy, Tulisa had that great edge as a judge. She's a born fighter who was committed to her acts.

She was fiery! Feisty! Amazing! She was one of the best judges X Factor has ever seen! Tulisa needs to make a comeback to X Factor!

Stunning! Just amazing! They need to bring her back!

4 Gary Barlow Gary Barlow OBE is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of British pop-group Take That.

He's a very honest, decent, and loyal man with a voice of pure gold. Vote GazzaB!

He writes great songs, and he's funny.

Funny, smart, and actually musically gifted (unlike all of the other male judges).

5 Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (formerly Cheryl Cole, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini) known as Cheryl is an English singer, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame in late 2002 as a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV's Popstars: The Rivals, and stayed with the group until they split up in 2013.

She's simply amazing! I adore her songs, and she is a good specialist in the field of music. Though Cheryl is pretty young, she's a really wise person. And above all, she is so kind inside! She can always support and encourage participants.

She is just amazing! I love her voice, she is pretty, her comments are always good, I just LOVE listening to her when she speaks, and above all, I just love her smile.

Cheryl is quite decent among the judges.
She never teases the unfit candidates.

6 Louis Walsh

Let's face it, X Factor isn't the same without Louis. All the jokes, the mistakes, the arguments with Simon Cowell, the crazy contestant choices... Last year, X Factor was so bland without him because he brought something different to the table while everyone else tries to copy Simon's style. Thank goodness he's returning!

Hands down, the absolute best. Why isn't he higher than Tulisa? I don't like Tulisa...

7 Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is a Grammy Award winning American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality.
8 Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne is a British-American television personality, music manager, and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to public prominence after appearing on The Osbournes, a reality television show that aired on MTV, which followed her family's daily... read more

She should be in 2nd place. People have no respect for the good judges.

Very funny judge. Sharon is back on X Factor UK.

9 Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends as a child, she received her breakthrough role as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam... read more
10 Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, talent competition judge, actress, television and radio personality, and fashion designer.

The first judge to ever give proper vocal feedback and still be able to shine despite Simon championing Cheryl to be the new, young, pretty face on X Factor.

The most honest, smart, and graceful judge! She made Cheryl look like a dumb schoolgirl!

Best judge - she has talent, she's funny, sweet, and makes it about her acts and not herself.

The Contenders
11 L.A. Reid
12 Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora is a British singer and actress . Her debut studio album, Ora, released in 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom . She dated Rob Kardashian .

She is one of the best Albanian singers.
She is really nice and pretty.

13 Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Malaysian-Australian singer and songwriter. He was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003, and a judge on Australia's The X Factor from 2010 to 2012 and then again in 2015 and 2016.
14 Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears, born on December 2, 1981, is an American former singer and actress. She was born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. As a child, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows, such as "The Mickey Mouse Club," before signing with Jive... read more

I think she has that something special. She's very cute, and it was very funny to see her as a judge. I know that she's not the best singer, but who says that the judge must sing well?

15 Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), also known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Brown rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Scary Spice. With over 85 million records... read more

She can be scary at times, but I still think she's one of the best judges.

16 Louis Tomlinson Louis Tomlinson is an English singer-songwriter, known as a member of the boy band One Direction. He was born on 24 December 1991 in Doncaster.
17 Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.
18 Alesha Dixon
19 Ronan Keating

I think he is the best of the Australian panel because, as we all know, a good musician has to be sensitive, and he really feels it. He lives the music, the tune, the tone, the melody, and, yeah, you can simply see it.

20 Nick Grimshaw
21 Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995 and again from 2009 to 2012. He has also had commercial success as a solo artist.
22 Paulina Rubio
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