A major documentary on The X Factor is reportedly in development but bosses are hoping to get Simon Cowell on board to explore the ‘highs and lows’ of the talent show
A major documentary on The X Factor is reportedly in development. The now-defunct ITV competition series initially aired from 2004 until 2018 and discovered stars such as One Direction, Leona Lewis, and Olly Murs, among scores of others.
Over the course of 14 years, wannabe singers attended open auditions for the show and were mentored by superstar judges like Cheryl, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow for the chance to land a £1 million recording contract and launch a single in time for Christmas. The whole format was headed up by music mogul Simon Cowell, and winners such as Alexandra Burke, former Coronation Street star Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry were signed to his Syco record label.
But in the years since the programme’s demise, contestants such as Janet Devlin and Katie Waissel have spoken out about the negative impact the show had on their mental health. In October last year, One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from a balcony at the age of 31, more than a decade after he took part in the show and found global superstardom as part of the world’s first billion-dollar boyband.
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According to insiders, the programme, which has yet to be ‘fully greenlit,’ will speak to those ‘closest’ to the show’s production, but bosses are hoping to get Simon himself to agree to take part.
A source said: “This will be a definitive, premium series about a true entertainment TV juggernaut. Those closest to the story will be approached to be in the show, both in front of and behind the camera, and discussions are ongoing.
“It follows on from Sky Docs’ history of authentic and unfiltered documentaries, notably the recent Boyzone biopic. The doc has yet to be fully greenlit, despite now being at an advanced stage of development, but persuading Simon to take part could be the final piece of the jigsaw.”
The insider added that the documentary will not shy away from asking ‘difficult questions’ that have stemmed from accusations made regarding bullying, manipulation and overall practices that were carried out during filming.
Speaking to The Sun, the source claimed: “The documentary is likely to lift the lid on both the highs and lows of the show and won’t flinch from asking difficult questions of the biggest players.”
At its peak, The X Factor pulled in record figures of 17.7 million viewers when Matt Cardle was crowned winner in 2010, whilst 12.8 million tuned in in late 2008 to watch US megastar Britney Spears lip-sync to her track Womaniser. Other A-Listers like Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and Rihanna also turned up for guest performances during the show’s lengthy run.
Even though the show has not been on air for several years now, clips continue to receive millions of views online. Clips of unsuccessful auditionees such as Rachel Lester, Ariel Burdett, and the memorable punch-up with girl duo Ablisa regularly go viral and, therefore, generate revenue for the programme’s production company.
Just days ago, celebrity PR specialist Kayley Cornelius spoke to The Mirror about a potential comeback for the programme and weighed in on the idea of how it would all play out with regards to mental health care. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, she explained: “It would be tricky to replicate X Factor in its original form today. Audiences have become much more aware of the pressures reality contestants face, and social media has played a huge role in that, allowing former contestants and insiders to share what really went on behind the scenes.
“That’s opened people’s eyes to the more staged aspects of talent shows, and it’s unlikely we’d see the same kind of ‘bad auditions’ that became such a big part of the early years.
“Among the generation old enough to remember it, there’s still so much nostalgia and goodwill attached to X Factor, and that could be a powerful pull if it was ever to return. But to make it work, the show would need to reinvent itself – not just rely on the formula that worked fifteen years ago.
“It would have to address the way people now discover music, build careers and connect with fans. Done right, it could have a second life, but it would need to feel relevant rather than just a re-run of the past.
“One way to do that would be to adapt the format into an online series rather than sticking solely to primetime TV. If done cleverly, it could actually reach a much bigger audience online than it might ever achieve on live TV, particularly given the way music and talent discovery happen across digital platforms today.”
Source: Mirror
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