X Factor becomes X Actor
Soap stars and celebs to audition for judges in plan to ‘freshen up’ format
SIMON Cowell is in talks to overhaul The X Factor – by bringing in celebrities as contestants.
The music mogul believes that soap actors, newsreaders and comedians could inject “new energy” into the longrunning series.
A source said: “Imagine Strictly but with singers. That’s the plan being talked about. There is no doubt the X Factor format needs freshening up.”
Cowell, 59, is speaking to ITV chiefs about the changes, which he hopes to implement for the upcoming series due to go ahead later this year.
It will mean the end of public auditions as viewers know them for now.
A source close to the head judge said: “Bradley Walsh was the biggest-selling artist of 2016. They could find a similar type of celebrity not known for their musical skills and make them even more of a star.”
The X Factor’s viewing figures have been falling in recent years but ITV boss Kevin Lygo said last week he had no plans to axe the show. The 15th series of The X Factor was won by Dalton Harris in a final watched by a peak audience of 7.5 million viewers, up 500,000 on the previous year, according to ITV.
Lygo praised Cowell for bringing in Robbie Williams, and said: “You couldn’t, on paper, think of a bigger, better judge for a show like X Factor.”
A source close to Cowell insisted there are still plans to return to the original format in 2020.