Simon Cowell has finally pulled the plug. The X Factor, which first aired in 2004, has been brought to an end. Simon Cowell, founder and former judge on the show, is said to have accepted that whilst the talent show remains successful in other parts of the world, it has become “slightly stale” in the U.K. He is reportedly said to have shelved the show for the next five years with claims that it is “unlikely” to ever return.
The talent show first aired in 2004, and although it has now come to an end, people have taken to Twitter to express their opinions, with most believing that this was a long time coming. Jedward, former contestants on the show, tweeted: ‘X Factor has been axed, mission complete’.
The X Factor’s final season aired in 2018, with Dalton Harris crowned as the winner. In 2019, Cowell introduced the one-off series The X Factor: Celebrity where we saw television personality and singer, Megan McKenna, take the crown. The show is also known to have produced many well-known artists: One Direction, Leona Lewis, JLS and Little Mix.
Presenter of the show, Dermot O’Leary (hosted the show since 2007 when he took over from Kate Thornton), was asked about the talent shows future this year, to which he responded: “I can’t see it coming back this year, if it does come back, it’ll be 2022, maybe 2023.”
O’Leary went on to say: “you do miss it, definitely. You work with people for the best part of ten years and you become a really tight team. And you do miss the buzz of a Saturday night show. There’s something great about it.”
In 2020, the series was halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and an ITV spokesperson has now confirmed that there are “no current plans” for another season.
Words by Em Whitehouse
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