Boasting an impressive array of megastar mentors including Alicia Keys, Usher, Ke$ha and The X Factor's own One Direction, the competition is set to be off the charts ah-may-zing!

Our top-notch judging panel - Mel B, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Ronan Keating and Guy Sebastian - have been searching far and wide for our newest crop of superstars. With the guidance of our dapper host Luke Jacobz, thousands of hopefuls climbed the stairs of our audition stages and faced packed out arenas across the country.

The survivors from these all-important auditions will meet the ultimate test of skill: The X Factor boot camp. The lucky ones who have what it takes to pass this round will find themselves on the roller coaster journey that is home visits with their assigned mentor. These whirlwind sessions are the last hurdle on the way to our blockbuster live performance shows!

Each act will fall into one of the following categories: boys 14 – 24, girls 14 – 24, over 25s and groups. This leaves us with the following all-important questions: which mentor will be paired with which category? Will Guy Sebastian make it back-to-back mentoring wins? (And how many times will he boast about his 2011 mentoring record?!)

In addition to the spectacular performances, sonically super voices and stunning stage productions that The X Factor Australia is known for, this year will be packed with twists and turns that are guaranteed to make you cheer!

In 2011 we witnessed the meteoric rise of schoolboy rocker and The X Factor Australia superstar Reece Mastin. In 2012... who's next?

Will Shiane be next?