Premiering in January 2008, the Danish version of X Factor quickly became a major success for public broadcaster DR. The disagreements of the judging panel and particularly the antics of Thomas Blachman made newspaper headlines, and the Friday night competition was shattered. The first season opened with three episodes of auditions in Copenhagen and Aarhus. The contestants were split into three groups selected and mentored by one judge each: 15 to 25 years old, over 25, and groups. Two episodes of boot camp eliminations followed. The nine selected acts then competed in eight live shows with one or more musical themes, with the contestant and their mentor choosing their song and facing the judges' comments and the viewers' votes. One contestant was eliminated each week, first with the judges choosing between the bottom two, later based exclusively on the votes.