‘The X Factor’ UK: Is Simon Cowell’s return as a judge ‘official’?
Oh, the irony of the British tabloids declaring something as a done deal even though there is no statement proving it to be so. The story out there right now is that Simon Cowell is going to be returning for sure to “The X Factor” UK later this year, and that he is meeting up with the show’s bosses to secure a deal. However, there is no news from the Cowell camp about this yet, just as there is no confirmation from ITV that it is happening.
All we really have is a “source” close to the mogul, who told the Mirror the following recently:
“Cowell is determined to get the show back to its best. He’ll sign the deal very soon but has told the team that he’s on board. Everyone’s over the moon.”
The funniest part of this story (at least to us) is the constant tendency of the British press to act as though the sky is falling, even when it is not. The ratings for the British version of the show are still very good; while this is not necessarily the sort of smash hit that it once was, no singing show is at this point. The trend is dying, and all Simon’s return is going to provide is some sort of temporary boost. The only real way in which to bring some sensational ratings back is going to be to introduce some sort of revolutionary twist to the show.
Their are also reports out there via the tabloids seem to suggest that as a result of Cowell taking on this gig in the United Kingdom, he is going to depart from the American version despite claims that he is desperately wanted back. Our understanding is a little different: He could be cut as an on-camera presence in America to save money, but that is only in the event that the show is brought back at all. At the moment, that is even unclear due to some of the low ratings it had in season 3.
Hopefully, Simon can take advantage of the opportunity soon in London to meet the reigning “X Factor” champ Sam Bailey, since he has not reportedly done so yet. Also, sign up now to get some more email updates from us at CarterMatt.
Photo: ITV