The sixth series of British television music talent show The X Factor began airing on ITV on 22 August 2009. It is presented by Dermot O'Leary.

Public auditions by aspiring pop singers began in June 2009 and were held in five cities across the United Kingdom. Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, and Cheryl Cole returned to judge the contestants, with auditions being held in front of a live audience for the first time. Following initial auditions, the "Bootcamp" stage took place in August 2009, where the number of contestants was narrowed down to 24. The 24 contestants were split into their categories, Boys, Girls, Over 25s and Groups, and given a judge to mentor them at the "Judges' Houses" stage and throughout the finals.