14 DAY TRIAL // Simon Cowell is looking to revamp the popular British show X Factor with next year’s season. Among the changes he wants to make – and ITV to pay for – is replacing Dannii Minogue, as we also reported over the weekend, and bringing a fifth judge on board in the person of Robbie Williams, the Mirror has learned.
Until now, the panel of judges was made of just four people connected with the music industry, but Cowell has big plans in this respect. Aside from cutting Dannii Minogue loose and having her replaced with Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls (as reports would have it), Simon is also thinking about bringing Williams on board. Apparently, the singer would make for a wonderful addition to the panel both for his experience and his willingness to always speak his mind.
“A lot of things are going to change next year if we bring the show back. The show needs to change or it starts to fail. I like Robbie Williams. He’d make a good judge. He’s fun, he’s got good instincts, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and he’s a fun guy to be around.” Cowell reportedly said, as cited by the Mirror. On this note, Cowell is pressing ITV, the network producing and carrying the show, to invest more money lest ratings will start to plummet.
As per the same British publication, Simon wants a further £300,000 a week, money that will go in the following improvements: “adding a fifth judge to the lineup to avoid heavily-criticized deadlocks; upping the number of finalists from 12 to 16; extending the series by a month; moving the live shows to London’s Wembley Arena; replacing Dannii with a new female judge.” In return, Cowell promises better ratings and a longer life for the already incredibly popular show.
On the downside, if his demands are not met, Simon is determined to terminate the show, the same report says. Apparently, he feels these changes are a must for the next season and, in case the network doesn’t want to see things as Cowell does, he’s already made up his mind to axe X Factor. Negotiations are currently underway – keep an eye on this space to see what becomes of this.