Could hit reality singing show The X Factor be coming back this year?
👉 Jump To: What happened to The X Factor? | Will The X Factor be back this year? | What channel will it air? |
With the return of TV favourites like Deal Or No Deal, there’s rumours the iconic talent competition could be next in line for a reboot.
Crated by Simon Cowell, The X Factor first aired in 2004 and quickly became a Saturday night staple for more than a decade. It launched the careers of several high-profile artists, including One Direction, Leona Lewis, and Little Mix.
What happened to The X Factor?
However, after 15 series, the show took a break amid declining viewership and changing TV habits.
It last aired its full series in 2018 while 2019 saw Celebrity and Band spin-offs.
Then in 2020, Simon announced he was resting the format: “We have to come back with a show that is relevant, different, a show that takes into account all the different things kids are watching and being influenced by.”
Will The X Factor be back this year?
While nothing is official just yet, Simon previously suggested 2024 is when the show would “more likely than not” return to screens.
He said: “The funny thing is that when young people approach me on the street, all they want to know is when X Factor is coming back. They all watch it on YouTube. When we stopped the show, I genuinely thought there was no need for it — that everyone would be signed from YouTube. But there are so many people wanting to be signed that we could use that extra platform.”
And Simon also revealed his early plans for a potential reboot: “There would have to be a genuine opportunity to make it how it was in the early years, and I would only do it with someone who was genuinely enthusiastic about it.
“I would also bring back the managers and the A&R [artists and repertoire] people instead of having artists judge the talent because I don’t think that’s great.”
What channel will it air?
Although The X Factor has always aired on ITV1 in the UK, there were recent rumours the show could be rebooted on Channel 5.
“Moving to a new channel gives the creative team a chance to completely revamp the format and do something different,” a source said at the time.
Separately, Simon has said he hoped The X Factor’s comeback would prove a “big event”.
He shared: “I think we did the right thing in resting it, as it was a huge show to produce and I think people were tired.”
“When it comes back – and it will – it will hopefully be a big event”.
If X Factor does return, it will be interesting to see how it adapts to the current entertainment environment. Will it regain its status as a prime-time giant, or has the world moved on from the traditional talent show format?
Only time will tell…
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