It was the Saturday night talent show that defined an era: a glossy singing competition where backstage tension mattered almost as much as the thousands of aspiring stars hoping for a life-changing break.
At its height, The X Factor delivered exactly the kind of prime-time spectacle ITV craved. There were public clashes between celebrity judges, off-screen feuds that filled the papers, and contestant romances that kept viewers talking long after the credits rolled. Week after week, millions tuned in, turning the series into a ratings powerhouse.
Simon Cowell, the show’s creator and famously sharp-tongued head judge, appeared to thrive on every moment of it. Few television figures have ever understood — or enjoyed — the value of publicity quite like him.
Now, eight years after The X Factor’s final series ended following a decline in viewing figures, the once-dominant ITV singing contest is poised for a comeback.
But bringing the prime-time juggernaut back to life is, I’m told, already creating the sort of behind-the-scenes drama that once made the show irresistible. One insider says: ‘The problem with The X Factor was always that there were so many people involved – you had ITV, Simon Cowell’s team and the production company, Talkback Thames. That is why so many of the disagreements happened. Many of them were around money and that hasn’t changed.
‘There are lots of big ideas but little being agreed on right now.’
One of those big disagreements is said to be between ITV and Talkback, who are yet to finalise the fee the network will pay to broadcast the show. Half of that fee will go to Cowell, who owns the format and will have the final say on any decisions about how the show is made.
And those unresolved negotiations have led to an unedifying briefing war against ITV’s other singing show, The Voice, which moved from the BBC in 2017.
Simon Cowell with Cheryl Tweedy in the judges’ houses episode of The X Factor back in 2018
‘The Voice has always been a thorn in The X Factor’s side,’ says Katie Hind’s insider. The Voice is judged by Danny Jones, will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Sir Tom Jones and Tom Fletcher
The aim, sources say, is to drive up the cost for The X Factor as much as possible by spreading allegations – very publicly – that The Voice isn’t doing well.
The show opened with a peak audience of 2.5 million in its Saturday night slot two weeks ago, which is a respectable figure on terrestrial channels today but doesn’t compare to the 19.4 million who watched Matt Cardle win The X Factor in 2010.
‘The Voice has always been a thorn in The X Factor’s side,’ says my insider. ‘It was once its BBC rival but when it moved to ITV things got very vicious on The X Factor side of things. It used The Voice as a stick to beat ITV with to get more money.’
The other sticking point that has led to ‘very irked people’ is Cheryl Tweedy’s move to The Voice. In nabbing the ex-Girls Aloud star, the show has denied The X Factor its hugely popular former judge as a mentor for the next series, which starts being filmed this month.
‘Even though she has been out of the limelight for a long time, she’s a national treasure, people love her,’ says the source.
Despite the row over money between ITV and Talkback, the numbers this time are significantly smaller than the eyewatering deals between Cowell and ITV in the past.
Regardless, Cowell will not allow it to be made cheaply. ‘He has far, far too much pride to do that,’ says a source who knows him. ‘He’s a perfectionist.’
That has left ITV, which is struggling financially, with a problem: It needs to find a way to afford it.
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In previous years, individual judges’ salaries alone were reported to be £1.5 million for the series – and up to £10 million for Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field.
‘Back in the day, each live episode might have cost around £1 million to make,’ says the source.
‘But back then, ITV made a lot of money from advertising. That doesn’t happen anymore, so you are looking at a huge reduction in costs. It would have half of the old sum, if not less.
‘Like other terrestrial broadcasters, ITV doesn’t have the money it used to have so it will struggle to make a big budget show now, but then Cowell won’t cut corners.
‘The problem for ITV is that Simon holds the keys. The X Factor cannot come back without his blessing and it if isn’t going to be up to his high standards then it won’t happen.’
I’m told one solution might be to have fewer live shows and more pre-recorded room auditions, which are cheaper to make.
As for the judges, sources at ITV say the channel is ‘beyond obsessed’ with influencers, while Talkback Thames is minded to stay with traditional celebrities.
‘Simon Cowell, who created the X Factor format and was head judge, revelled in it all – never has there been a man who enjoys column inches so much,’ writes Katie Hind
In nabbing ex-Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole, fellow ITV music show The Voice has denied The X Factor its hugely popular former judge as a mentor for the next series
The X Factor final in 2010 earned 19.4 million viewers, who all watched Matt Cardle (centre) win. He beat runner-up Rebecca Ferguson and third-place finalist One Direction
Simon, however, won’t be taking centre stage again, sources have stressed. The live shows are a gruelling commitment and I understand he would rather do a second Netflix series. His first, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, last year created the boyband December 10.
‘ITV, like all channels, is really struggling to pull in viewers on Saturdays,’ an insider says. ‘Any return for The X Factor would have to be lower budget and there will need to be compromises.’
They are also discussing changing the format to appeal to a younger generation who do not typically watch TV on Saturday night. Some have suggested creating more controversial moments that can be shared on social media.
The insider added: ‘While Simon doesn’t want to be a judge, he could play some role on the show given how much he has learnt about appealing to the younger audience from work with December 10. Its success has convinced Simon that real talent can still be found on shows like this.’
This is something The Voice has failed at, repeatedly. ‘Can you name one winner?’ asks a source once heavily connected to The X Factor. They have a point.
The X Factor, which launched in 2004 with Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh as judges, has spawned some of the world’s most successful stars after winners and some runners-up secured deals with Cowell’s record label Syco Music.
Among them are Leona Lewis, with three number ones, One Direction (70 million records sold worldwide), and Little Mix (five number ones). ‘Simon is very proud of this,’ says a friend. ‘It would be a shame to undermine it all by bringing a Poundland version of The X Factor back.’