The music mogul admits he made a huge mistake when predicting how popular the show would be before the U.S. version of the singing competition even aired.
- Oct 14, 2014
AceShowbiz - Simon Cowell hasn't given up on "The X Factor (US)" which was canceled earlier this year after three seasons. In an interview with FT Weekend, the music mogul talked about his and FOX's decision to end the show and said he believed the singing competition still could return stateside.
"I think it will come back again," he said. He then admitted he made a huge mistake when predicting how popular the show would be before it even aired in the U.S. "I stupidly said at the beginning, 'We're going to get 20 million people.' I didn't realize the market had changed so quickly and we got 12," he explained.
"So I felt from the outset that we'd failed and so did everybody else. I should have thought, 'Actually, 12 is fantastic,' and kept my mouth shut. I think, on both sides, it was a mistake to throw the towel in," he added.
Cowell went on talking about discovering new stars with the current format of "The X Factor". Seemingly taking a jab at "The Voice", the reigning singing competition show on U.S. television, he said, "There's a reason it produces so many stars, unlike the other shows. It doesn't rely on gimmicks: a spinning chair, or a wall going up and down. I genuinely do believe it's the best format."
