Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

Bar Refaeli Will Host Israel’s "X Factor"

Move over, Simon Cowell.

Israeli model Bar Refaeli is confirmed to host the upcoming show of Israel’s “The X Factor,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Following a giant success of the Israeli version of “The Voice,” Israel’s Channel 2 bought the rights last year for the FremantleMedia format and the show will debut this fall.

Refaeli is reportedly the highest paid talent on the show, with her salary banking in at roughly 1 million shekel (about $270,000). Other talent on the show include veteran Israeli rocker Rami Fortis, Mizrahi singer Moshe Peretz, and pop star Ivri Lider.

The show’s choice of host comes as no surprise. The 27-year-old model is arguably Israel’s most popular celebrity, topping Maxim’s Hot 100 list in 2012 and making headlines earlier this year after making out with Jewish actor Jesse Heiman in a Super Bowl ad.

A message from our editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren

We're building on 127 years of independent journalism to help you develop deeper connections to what it means to be Jewish today.

With so much at stake for the Jewish people right now — war, rising antisemitism, a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — American Jews depend on the Forward's perspective, integrity and courage.

—  Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief 

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.