One Direction

Entering The X Factor as five individual contestants dreaming of pop stardom in 2010, it was guest judge Nicole Scherzinger's master plan to unite the lads into all conquering boy band One Direction. Mentored by Simon Cowell, the group finished third in the competition behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle after performing a duet of She's The One with Robbie Williams in the live final. The lads were part of the show's charity record Heroes, which reached Number 1 in the UK, before signing to Cowell's Syco Music and heading out on The X Factor tour. Every inch the doe-eyed, heartthrob boy band, their debut single sent the nation's teen and pre-teens all a flutter, reaching Number 1 and becoming the fastest selling track of the year with 153,965 copies sold in the first week. Its follow-up Gotta Be You also fared well, reaching Number 3 before the lads worked with acclaimed producers Steve Mac, Matt Squire and Rami Yacoub on debut album Up All Night (2011).