Simon Cowell’s upcoming show Walk The Line ‘will include a £500k winner’s prize’ and he’s ‘banned old faces from the judging panel’ – after pulling the plug on The X Factor
He’s the mastermind behind international formats like Got Talent and The X Factor.
And Simon Cowell’s brand new game show will see the winner bag a reported £500,000.
In Walk The Line, a selection of musical acts, consisting of soloists, choirs and bands, will allegedly compete for the life-changing cheque from Mr. Cowell.
New venture: Simon Cowell’s brand new game show will see the winner will bag a reported £500,000 (pictured in 2018)
According to The Mirror, the entrepreneur will take on the role of head judge when the ITV show hits the small screen.
Alongside him will be two other stars, however he has allegedly banned ‘old faces’ from the audition process, which will come as a disappointment to the likes of Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and recently-unemployed Sharon Osbourne.
Instead, Simon is said to be seeking ‘fresh, exciting names that haven’t appeared on his shows before’.
Splashing the cash: In Walk The Line, a selection of musical acts, consisting of soloists, choirs and bands, will allegedly compete for the life-changing cheque from Mr. Cowell
Brains: Simon is the mastermind behind international formats like Got Talent and The X Factor (pictured in 2020 alongside BGT judges David Walliams, far left, Alesha Dixon, centre left, and Amanda Holden, centre right)
A source said: ‘This is a completely new format for Simon and he is very excited.
‘He wanted to make the prize the biggest on UK telly right now and was adamant it wouldn’t be any less than £500k. He also wants new faces.
‘Auditions are happening now, and Simon is a perfectionist so he’s not going to announce when the show will be until he has the perfect judging line-up.’
Representatives for Simon Cowell and ITV declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.
Pal: Former flame Sinitta has given her take on who may sit on the judging panel (pictured in 2018)
Could it be? Sinitta has thrown It’s A Sin star Olly Alexander’s (left) name into the rumour mill as a potential judge, while another source told The Mirror that The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett (right) could be in for a shot
Former flame Sinitta has thrown It’s A Sin star Olly Alexander’s name into the rumour mill as a potential judge, while another source told The Mirror that The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett could be in for a shot.
The twist of Walk The Line comes in the form of an excruciating financial dilemma.
The two best-rated acts of each show will have a very difficult decision to make. Will they cash out of the competition or ‘walk the line’ to move on to the next stage?
Their prize pot will be increased in keeping with the amount of time an act remains in the competition and they will go head-to-head with a competitor in the following episode.
Experts: The last traditional series of X Factor aired back in 2018, with judges Simon, Louis Tomlinson, Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field on the judging panel (pictured in 2018)
Walk The Line is due to be filmed in the autumn and will be Simon’s first appearance on TV in 18 months after he pulled out from his judging gig on The X Factor Israel.
It came soon after recent violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza escalated, however the entertainment manager didn’t give a reason for his decision.
The new concept comes after it was widely reported that Simon pulled the plug on The X Factor – which launched in 2004 and last aired in 2018 – because he didn’t want the programme to ‘become a bit of a joke.’
Up and down: The X Factor ratings saw a dramatic rise and fall, with the show enjoying dizzying success and over 14million viewers on average in 2010
While it is still successful around the globe, it seems he has accepted in the UK that ‘the show has become slightly stale’ and so has reportedly decided to ‘shelve it’ for five years, but sources are claiming it’s now ‘unlikely’ to ever return.
A show insider told The Sun: ‘Globally, it is still a phenomenon and rakes in millions every year. But in the UK, there is no question it has become slightly stale.
‘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.
End of an era: It was widely reported that Simon pulled the plug on The X Factor because he doesn’t want the programme to ‘become a bit of a joke’ (Simon pictured in a 2017 promo shot)
‘Clearly the last thing he wants is for X Factor to fizzle out with a whimper and become a bit of a joke — especially in contrast to the show in its pomp.’
The source explained there is the option for Simon to return the talent show in 2023, which would see auditions take place next summer, however the entrepreneur is thought to be firmly focused on Walk The Line.
MailOnline contacted Fremantle for comment at the time and an ITV spokseperson said: ‘There are no current plans for the next series of The X Factor at this stage.’
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