After a five year absence, The X Factor will once again be returning to our screens after Simon Cowell reportedly signed a lucrative deal to bring the show back with Channel 5.
The talent show, which first launched back in 2004, is responsible for propelling some of the most loved musical acts in Britain to the top of the charts, including Olly Murs, One Direction, and Leona Lewis to name but a few.
It also helped to propel other acts to stardom such as Stacey Solomon who went on to launch a budding careers a TV presenter on shows such as Loose Women.
Originally airing on ITV, the show looks set to move to Channel 5 after Simon inked a deal for an upcoming series, according to reports.
Rumours have been circulating for some time that the show could be set to experience a reboot, with the show receiving "interest from a number of networks” before executives finally settled on Channel 5.
"As soon as X Factor was up for grabs, there was interest from a number of the networks. The X Factor is one of the most iconic shows in TV history, so it’s no surprise lots of channels were keen," a source told theDaily Star.
"The production company had their pick. After a lot of meetings, execs decided to go with Channel 5.”
OK! has reached out to Simon Cowell and Channel 5 for comment.
Once the staple of Saturday nights in many households, declining viewers eventually lead ITV to pull the plug on the show after 15 seasons, as they made the shift to other reality ventures such as Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice.
Along with a shift to a new network, the show will also see a revamp of its existing format, with show insiders hoping it will inject a new lease of life into the much loved show.
"This is the start of a new chapter for X Factor. Moving to a new channel gives the creative team a chance to completely revamp the format and do something different," an insider admitted.
Although no release date has yet been given for the show, production is believed to be commencing later this year with the show expected to air in late 2023.
Alongside the news, it looks as though Sinitta, Simon’s close friend and long term confidante, may also be returning after she recently confirmed he had been in touch about the possibility of a reboot.
"I'm so excited about it and I have spoke to Simon and I think it would be great for it to come back. I need to hear more," she recently told the MailOnline as she discussed the possibility of the show's return.
"He was kind of like, 'We'll talk next week', so I don't know if he was just being evasive or if he was genuinely busy but I was like, 'Let's talk, what's going on?'"
Sinitta also went on to suggest the possibility of bringing the show online to help draw in a larger audience, as it could become more international and see acts from all over the world tune in and compete.
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