Simon Cowell’s ‘The X Factor’ Canceled in UK After 17-Year Run

Simon Cowell’s ‘The X Factor’ Canceled in UK After 17-Year Run

The Wrap

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Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” has been cancelled after 17 years on the air, the U.K. TV broadcaster ITV confirmed to TheWrap.

“There are no current plans for the next series of The X Factor at this stage,” an ITV spokesperson said in a statement.

The British reality television music competition, which was created by Cowell, has produced acts including One Direction, Leona Lewis and Little Mix. The show began airing in the U.K. in 2004 and has released 15 seasons, the most recent one being in 2018. Cowell served as one of the panel’s judges for seasons one through seven and then returned for seasons 11 through 15.

Though its run has come to an end in the U.K., “The X Factor” is still produced in nine other countries.

A show insider reportedly told The Sun that “Globally, [“The X Factor”] is still a phenomenon and rakes in millions every year. But in the UK, there is no question it has become slightly stale.”

The insider said the fate of the show was in the hands of Cowell. “Simon remains at the top of his game and knows how to make a hit. He owns the rights to the show, and it’s his call — not ITV’s — whether or not he drops it,” the source told The Sun.

Now, Cowell will work on a new musical quiz show called “Walk the Line,” in which musical acts will be given the chance to win large sums of money, as they perform to an audience and panel of judges–including Cowell, of course. The top two performers of the night will have to decide whether to go home with a cash prize or “walk the line” and compete again the following show, with a different set of performers. The six-part series will debut on ITV and ITV Hub later this year.

And despite “The X Factor” being a worldwide sensation, former competitors expressed their dislike for the series. Among them being the Irish duo John and Edward Grimes, who competed in the show’s sixth season, as they celebrated the cancellation.



Xfactor has been axed Mission Complete

— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) July 28, 2021


Similarly, former competitor Jack Remmington, who was on the show in 2017 as part of a duo with fellow singer Joel, took to Twitter to recount bad memories of his elimination as well as his dislike for some of Cowell’s behavior during his time on the show.



So sad The X Factor has officially ended. Had such a wonderful & supportive journey on that show. My favourite moment was when Simon, my mentor, told us when we were kicked out the live shows that ‘it was such a shame as he was just starting to like us’. Such a nice man xx

— jack rem x (@jackremmington) July 29, 2021




Just to reiterate – we had been at our audition, bootcamp, judges’ houses and weeks of live shows, spanning months over the year under his ‘mentorship’. To then be told this as our journey ended

— jack rem x (@jackremmington) July 29, 2021


The Sun was the first to report the news of the show’s cancellation.

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