The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a $5 million recording contract with Epic Records. The first season began airing on Fox on September 21, 2011 and concluded December 22, 2011. Melanie Amaro was announced as the winner, and Simon Cowell emerged as the winning mentor. Based on the UK format, the competition consists of auditions, in front of producers and then the judges with a live audience; bootcamp; judges' houses and then the live finals. Auditions for the show began in March 2011 and concluded in June 2011. The show was hosted by Welsh TV presenter Steve Jones, while the original judging panel consisted of Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid. Cole was later axed from the show after just 2 audition cities and replaced by Nicole Scherzinger. An early preview of The X Factor aired during the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 12, 2011. Another preview was shown following American football coverage on Fox on September 11. The show was simultaneously broadcast in Canada on CTV or CTV Two, depending on schedule.