Blighty Beat
ITV AXES X FACTOR
7/30/21

Simon Cowell’s The X Factor isn’t returning on ITV in the U.K. anytime soon, sparking rumors that 2018’s 15th series would be its last.

An ITV spokesperson has confirmed that “there are no current plans for the next series of The X Factor at this stage.” Cowell still owns the brand so he could take it to another channel although its decline in popularity could spell the end of its time on screen in the U.K. In 2018, viewing stats for the final hit an average of 5.3m—down from 17m for the same episode in 2010.

A source close to the show told The Sun: “Globally, it is still a phenomenon and rakes in millions every year. But in the U.K., 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.”

Cowell’s Britain’s Got Talent will still run on ITV and he’s soon to launch a music game show for the channel, Walk the Line.

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