It’s already given us One Direction, Little Mix, JLS, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke and Olly Murs, and if that wasn’t enough The X Factor is reportedly poised for a comeback at ITV eight years after it was scrapped due to waning audience interest.
The singing competition, devised and spearheaded by Simon Cowell, was a cultural powerhouse for several years after launching in 2004, attracting massive viewership to its live shows and launching the career of numerous artists and peaking in 2010, when 17.7 million tuned in to see Matt Cardle crowned winner.
The format limped on briefly after the main show was scrapped, but spin-offs Celebrity and The Band never achieved the same popularity as their forerunner.
According to The Sun, however, we can expect a “modern makeover” of the show soon.
The paper reports that ITV and Talkback Thames are in talks for a revival that would recruit a younger judging panel, with the intention of establishing the show in the minds of a new generation.
ITV is apparently hoping that a revamped X Factor could boost their current weekend line-up, following the disappointing performances of The Neighbourhood, The Fortune Hotel and The Voice UK.
A source told The Sun: “ITV have a giant gaping hole that needs filling in its entertainment schedule, particularly over weekends when bigger viewing figures are up for grabs.
“Rather than creating more ‘flop’ formats they have the opportunity to give The X Factor, a sure-fire hit, a modern makeover.”
They continued: “They can explore a younger, fresher panel, with new faces and have Cowell behind the scenes. The plan is for the show’s return to take on a new life and be updated to envelop the social media generation.”
Those modernisation efforts may involve treating contestants a bit more nicely, given the well-publicised sensitivities of the social media generation. BBC Radio 4 documentary Offstage: Inside the X Factor has detailed stressful experiences that some of the show’s participants had, with daily reprimands par for the course in the tough world of 15 minutes of global pop superstardom and a BBC spokesperson telling the doc: “Duty of care is of the utmost importance to us, and we always take contributor welfare extremely seriously.”
In January, Sky announced it was collaborating with Cowell on another documentary about The X Factor, which The Sun’s source describes as “celebratory” and “likely to remind fans about its success”.
They added: “The X Factor was one of the most iconic shows in TV history and created dozens of stars and household names who are still riding high today. Executives at Talkback Thames have had discussions with ITV chiefs about a comeback and they are super-keen for it.”
Whether the hypothetical show’s next Harry Styles will co-fund the building of another mega arena in Manchester was unconfirmed at the time of writing.
