Simon Cowell teases X Factor’s ‘biggest shake up yet’

The X Factor launches on Saturday and Simon Cowell says the new series sees possibly the biggest shake up yet.

Series 15 of the singing contest begins on Saturday, September 1 at 8PM on ITV.

Headlining the changes for the 2018 season is a new line up of judges.

This year sees Ayda Williams, Robbie Williams and Louis Tomlinson join Simon Cowell on the panel.

Simon said: “This new panel is all about optimism, everyone has a real passion for finding a new star. The three new judges bring a whole new energy and I’m excited.”

Speaking to Daily Mail’s You magazine, Simon insisted that the move wasn’t an attempt to ‘save’ the show.

“But we’re always striving to make it better,” he added. “This is a big shake-up, maybe the biggest yet, but the show is constantly evolving.”

It’s not just the judges that are changing this year.

The arena auditions are back once again, with ITV confirming this year the first round will head out of the rooms.

What’s more, bootcamp has been scrapped with acts instead going straight through to the six chair challenge if they make it through to the audition.

Plus, the six chair challenge will see a new Britain’s Got Talent golden buzzer style twist. Each judge can put one act straight through to judges’ houses in a ‘safe seat’.

“This year each of our judges has one Guaranteed Safe Seat to give away in this round,” a source told The Sun newspaper. “If the judge likes an act enough and they definitely want to see them at judges houses they’ll press this golden X and give that act a Safe Seat.

“This means the act cannot be swapped out of their chair and they’ll go straight through to judges houses.”

In addition to that, the live shows will see Sharon Osborne return to the panel in a new capacity as a fifth judge.

The X Factor airs on ITV from Saturday.