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Bands formed on Reality TV
From 1D to D10, KATSEYE to Danity Kane, here is a list of bands formed on reality TV survival shows and where you can see them live
Popular music is constantly undergoing cycles of The Pop Group™. Motown darlings such as The Marvelettes and The Jackson 5 marked the 60s and 70s, the fanfare around The Beatles was the progenitor of contemporary stan behaviour around boybands, and the 90s gave us Spice Girls, N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, Take That and so many more.
But today’s focus has shifted from solely being on western markets to groups from around the world. K-Pop’s meteoric global rise, alongside the emergence of popular music from Latin America as well as smaller Asian markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam, has made room for pop in different languages from stars from all over the world. But the one thing that unites the experiences of these global stars is the Survival Show.
You could argue that a Little Mix on X-Factor is no different from a KATSEYE on Dream Academy, a Twice on Sixteen or an Iz*One on Produce 48. While the recruitment processes may differ from show to show – be it amateurs auditioning for their one chance at pop fame, or trainees hoping for a coveted spot in a new group of idols – the premise is the same. They endure a gruelling programme of weekly challenges in front of an audience, with the promise of a lucrative pop career as a reward.
Allow us to traverse various bands formed on TV, how they came to be, and where you can see them (or their solo acts) live.
Little Mix – X-Factor
Cast your mind back to 2011. JADE, Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jesy were all strangers from their respective hometowns hoping to make it as the UK’s next pop sensation. While their solo dreams didn’t start with X-Factor, they went on to win as the group Little Mix (formerly Rhythmix). The group was put together by girl group royalty herself, Kelly Rowland, who saw something in the four members and knew there was star power there even though they had failed to pass Bootcamp.
In their newly appointed lineup, the group rose to be the first and only girl group to ever win the show, proceeding to spend multiple weeks at the top of the UK charts with hits such as ‘Black Magic’, ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ and ‘Sweet Melody’. The band made history as the first girl group to win Best British Group at the 2021 BRIT Awards, and even as a trio, continued to make history with their acclaimed final tour and solo acts since. Plus, they collaborated with fellow pop group CNCO on ‘Reggaeton Lento’ – CNCO was also formed on TV on the reality competition show La Banda.
Now on their solo journeys, you can catch Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie on the summer festival circuit. JADE will play Reading & Leeds festivals, Perrie’s got a slot at The Big Feastival, and Leigh-Anne will perform at this year’s Brighton Pride On The Park.
One Direction – X-Factor
Are there any people who have made an impact on the cultural zeitgeist like Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne? Forming on X-Factor in 2010, the nation’s favourite boys created a frenzy that has yet to be rivalled this decade. Another amalgamation of solo auditionees skilfully put together by an expert panel of judges – both Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger claim to be the ones who masterminded the group – One Direction rose to prominence as the third place act of their season. Once their proposed winners’ single ‘Forever Young’ was leaked to the internet in 2010, the band were signed to Simon Cowell’s label Syco Records and the rest was ‘History‘.
Their career as a band is considered one of X-Factor‘s biggest success stories – with four UK No.1 singles, four UK No.1 albums, with a total of 58 weeks spent in the Top 10 of the UK charts. The Directioner fandom practically laid out the blueprint for contemporary stan and wider internet culture. Multiple AO3 fan-fictions about or surrounding the boys were birthed. We all remember My mum sold me to One Direction. We all (unfortunately) remember Larry Stylinson.
Since their disbandment in 2016, the band members have all gone on to release their own music and headline individual tours. You can catch Niall Horan’s Dinner Party tour, and see highlights of Harry Styles’ Wembley residency on our Instagram.
December 10 – Simon Cowell’s The Next Big Act
![December 10 - Infinity (123) [Official Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WDxqbhQRNfo/0.jpg)
Another Simon Cowell special, December 10 were formed on the Netflix show The Next Act, a documentary-style reality series following the audition process for Cowell’s next generation boyband. Made up of Cruz Lee-Ojo, Danny Bretherton, Hendrik Christoffersen, John Fadare, Josh Oliver, Nicolas Alves and Seán Hayden, December 10 managed to impress Cowell beyond his initial idea to have five members, stating that all seven finalists “just popped”.
Now with the release of their debut singles, ‘Run My Way’, ‘Angel’ and ‘Infinity’, and a performance at Capital’s Summertime Ball in 2026, the band are gearing up for a slew of headline shows this summer. Find tickets here.
Katseye – Dream Academy
Who has captured international attention like global girl group KATSEYE? The perennial Beyoncé lyric “you know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation” couldn’t apply more. Forged through proverbial fire, the six-member international girl group was formed on the 2023 survival show Dream Academy, beating out hundreds of hopefuls who applied for the rare opportunity to by HYBE x Geffen’s very first global group. Documented on Netflix’s Popstar Academy, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung finished as the final six contestants and members of the group.
While their debut single, ‘Debut’ made a splash, it was their breakthrough ‘Touch’ that allowed the group to rise to prominence. Their inaugural EP SIS was released in 2024, but it was their Beautiful Chaos 2025 EP that took KATSEYE from internet sensation to pop royalty. Hits such as the brash hyperpop ‘Gnarly’, the Grammy-nominated reggaeton-inspired ‘Gabriela’ and sweet PinkPanthress-esque ‘Gameboy’ are in heavy rotation with Gen Z and beyond.
As the emerging icons prepare for the release of their third EP WILD alongside their corresponding world tour, keep your eyes peeled for even more record-breaking daring pop tracks.
GIRLSET – A2K
It’s hard to think that there was a global girl group formed on TV before KATSEYE, but JYP’s GIRLSET (formerly known as VCHA) are actually the group’s predecessors. A2K (an abbreviation for America2Korea) was JYP’s very own online survival show, airing and concluding a few months ahead of HYBE’s Dream Academy in 2023. The premise was simple; JYP (famous for forming TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY) teamed up with Republic Records (Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Sub Focus etc.) to form the first Western girl group under the K-Pop method. The result was six-member girl group VCHA. The line-up included members Camila, Kendall, Lexi, Savanna, Kaylee
and KG.
After the departures of Kaylee and KG, the band rebranded as GIRLSET in 2025, with lead single ‘Commas’. Since their relaunch, the group has collaborated with Missy Elliot, and been featured in Teen Vogue and The Fader. Their rise has been slow but steady, and we should all be on the lookout for their new move and future shows.
Fifth Harmony – X-Factor US
Ah, Fifth Harmony. Another X-Factor Simon Cowell special. Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and Camila Cabello were put together by Cowell, Demi Lovato, LA Reid and the Britney Spears after failing to audition as solo acts. Their original name was Lylas (Love You Like A Sister) before changing their name to 1432 (I Love You Too) and finally settling on Fifth Harmony after a public name vote.
Fifth Harmony gave us so much; ‘Work From Home’, ‘Reflection’, ‘Sledgehammer’, ‘Worth It’, ‘Boss’, a dramatic member exit, a correspondingly dramatic post-Camila VMA performance – to name a few. Each of the members went on to launch their own solo careers, collectively collaborating with Timbaland, Cardi B, Rauw Alejandro, Drake, Brandy and more. With Normani getting back into the festival circuit and Camila in album mode, you can expect another wave of hits from the Fifth Harmony alums, alongside some future tour dates.
Saint Satine – World Scout: The Final Piece
![[HYBE x Geffen] WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE ‘PARTY b4 the PARTY’ Live Performance](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ofI7CPSvk60/0.jpg)
Post Popstar Academy, there were some breakout stars waiting for their moment. Among them were soloists ADÉLA and Marquise, but also fan favourites Lexie Levin, Emily Kelavos and Samara Siqueira who continued training under HYBE. Under their temporary project name, Prelude, the three trainees went in search of their Final Piece in partnership with Japanese streaming service ABEMA. Similarly to Dream Academy, Final Piece had a host of finalists from Japan hoping to joining Lexie, Emily and Samara as the the fourth member of HYBE’s next pop group. After a host of gruelling dance and vocal missions, the live finale saw Sakura Tobi chosen as the final member, alongside the release of the group’s first song as a four-piece, ‘Party B4 the Party’.
Whilst no official debut has been announced yet for Saint Satine, if Party B4 the Party’ is anything to go by, we’re in for a KATSEYE-level ride.
Danity Kane – Making The Band
The children of today have HYBE’s pop groups; the children of the 2010s had Fifth Harmony and Little Mix; but Danity Kane were my childhood’s Roman Empire. The first girl group formed on MTV’s Making The Band in 2005, Danity Kane was a R&B-pop five-piece made up of Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, Aubrey O’Day, Aundrea Fimbres
and D. Woods. We watched them go through choreography bootcamp under the tutelage of Laurieann Gibson (choreographer for Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé), vocal bootcamp under Doc Holiday and various weekly challenges. The result was Danity Kane, with lead single ‘Show Stopper’ – a song that shaped a generation of baddies into the adults they are today.
The group took its name from an anime character created and drawn by Dawn Richard, who has since left the group to pursue a solo career (that includes features from Durand Bernarr and Kaytranada). Bex also left to pursue creative endeavours, and Danity Kane in its most recent revival has gone through line-up changes that include O’Day, Fimbres and Woods. Here’s hoping they all work it out enough to give us one last reunion tour à la PCD.
Santos Bravos – Santos Bravos
The success of HYBE’s foray into cross-cultural pop groups wasn’t going to stop at girlbands. After being the masterminds behind the biggest boyband of the last decade, BTS, it was only a matter of time before the music juggernaut reached into the sky to make lightning strike twice. This time opting for a boyband more focused on the Latin America market, Santos Bravos was the product of bringing HYBE’s K-pop methodology to Latin pop, reggaeton and Baile funk. Alejandro Aramburú, Drew Venegas, Gabi Bermúdez, Kauê Penna, and Kenneth Lavíll were all selected as the final line-up of the eponymous TV show, and were the first ever group under HYBE Latin America’s record label. (Fun fact: Penna was no stranger to a reality singing competition, successfully winning The Voice Kids: Brazil in 2020. Reality TV pop royalty all around)
We’re sure the all-dancing, all-singing multilingual group (they perform in Spanish, Portuguese, and English) will be on international stages very soon – stay tuned for tour announcements.
