Simon Cowell’s X Factor UK axed after 17 years - why ITV talent show is being cancelled

ITV has said there are “no current plans” for another series of The X Factor following reports that its creator Simon Cowell has axed the programme after 17 years.

The primetime TV show has excited viewers with talented newcomers since it aired in 2004 but now new plans from Cowell are on the horizon for a Saturday night six-part series gameshow.

Last month it was revealed Cowell will return to UK television to lead a panel of judges in a new musical gameshow for ITV titled Walk The Line.

Following reports in The Sun, the newspaper said the X Factor is now being rested for at least five years.

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

The X Factor last aired in 2018 - with an average of 5.3 million viewers - when Dalton Harris was crowned the winner, a far cry from the 17.2 million viewers who saw Matt Cardle become a household name in 2010.

The X Factor has helped launch the careers of chart-topping artists including One Direction, Little Mix, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis - with other unforgettable acts like Jedward, Honey G and Wagner.

Since the introduction of streaming services, it’s made it harder for X Factor contestants to secure number one hits and in it’s latter years it struggled to create memorable performers.

The 2018 series of The X Factor was presented by Dermot O’Leary and featured judges Louis Tomlinson, Ayda Field and Robbie Williams - with other former judges including Tulisa, Cheryl, Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger.

It was revealed in February last year that Cowell was resting the programme for 2020.

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