Getty Simon Cowell at "The X Factor" auditions in the UK in 2016
Simon Cowell, one of the original judges on “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent,” has revealed that NBC wants him to revive another one of his hit shows, “The X Factor,” on the network. That’s good news for fans of the talent show, which hasn’t aired in the U.S. since 2013, but not necessarily for fans of “The Voice,” which would likely have to go back to airing just once a year, as it uncharacteristically did in 2022, according to industry insiders. Here’s what you need to know:
Reviving ‘The X Factor’ May Reduce ‘The Voice’ Schedule to Once a Year
GettySimon Cowell originally created “The X Factor” in the UK
Already a staple on NBC’s hit series “America’s Got Talent,” Cowell signed a major deal with NBCUniversal in 2021 to host and develop new shows for the network and its streaming service, Peacock.
On December 29, 2022, during a Los Angeles press event to promote NBC’s new “AGT: All Stars,” on which he’s also a judge, Cowell told The Sun that NBC is excited about re-launching singing competition “The X Factor” in the U.S. The show ran in the U.K. for 15 seasons, but for just three in America.
“I have a saying in life that’s ‘always go where you’ve got the best invitation’ and NBC has offered us to make the show here,” he said. “Which means we’ll make the show here.”
According to a report by Deadline on December 30, the deal to relaunch “The X Factor” isn’t official yet; one detail that still needs to be ironed out is whether NBC will have to scale back its schedule for “The Voice,” which typically has two seasons a year in the spring and fall. Though it uncharacteristically aired just one season in 2022, “The Voice” has already begun taping its next season, set to debut in March 2023, and has launched auditions for the following season, signaling that the network plans to return to airing two seasons this year.
However, airing two seasons per year is a major time commitment for “The Voice” coaches, with many of the show’s regulars needing time away from the series for personal reasons, creating a casting dilemma for NBC. This spring, Blake Shelton will retire from the show after his 23rd season, citing a desire to spend more time with family. Kelly Clarkson will return as a coach alongside Shelton, after taking off season 22 to also spend time with her kids, but John Legend will not appear, in order to be at home for the arrival of his and his wife Chriss Teigen’s third child.
Back when “The X-Factor” aired on FOX, it aired in the fall while “American Idol” aired one season each spring, according to Deadline. Since its move to ABC in 2018, “Idol” has continued to air once a year, in the spring.
Simon Cowell Says NBC is ‘Perfect Partner’ for ‘The X Factor’ Revival
GettySimon Cowell with Fifth Harmony in 2012, including member — and future “Voice” coach — Camila Cabello (far left)
Despite it already having a popular singing competition in “The Voice,” Cowell says NBC feels like the right network to bring “The X Factor” back to life.
“We found our perfect partner with NBC,” he told The Sun. “Honestly, I am not just saying that because they pay me, but they are brilliant. So you go where the best navigation is and, if I am being honest, there is more excitement to make it here than in the UK.”
After the huge success of “American Idol” in the U.S., which launched in 2002, Cowell launched “The X-Factor” in the UK in 2004. It ran for 15 seasons there and discovered global superstars One Direction as well as hitmakers like Leona Lewis and Little Mix. In 2011, an American version launched on FOX, which lasted for three seasons.
Though none of its U.S. winners became household names, Cowell did discover and sign a record deal with popular girl group Fifth Harmony, adding Camila Cabello to the group after her solo audition on the show. She later launched a huge solo career and joined “The Voice” as a season 22 coach last fall. Meanwhile, another talent Cowell discovered on “The X Factor” — Niall Horan of One Direction — will be one of “The Voice” coaches on season 23 of the show.
In recent interviews, Cowell has revealed he would differentiate “The X Factor” from other singing competitions like “The Voice.” For one thing, he told The Sun in October — before news of NBC’s interest broke — that he’d want any revival of the show to feature a judging panel of music industry executives instead of famous singers.
He said, “I would only do it with someone who was genuinely enthusiastic about it. I would also bring back the managers and the A&R people instead of having artists judge the talent because I don’t think that’s great.”
In November, he told “Access Hollywood” that he’d also make a concerted effort on “The X Factor” to find new music groups rather than just solo artists.
“I was thinking about Fifth Harmony, I was thinking about Camila, and I was just thinking about how much fun we had,” he said. “I like working with groups, and there aren’t that many groups at the moment, and we found some great groups on that show. And it was like, yeah, I would do it just for that reason.”