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Media
Cowell might walk from ITV shows
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 9 September 2010
Simon Cowell has been mouthing off about how he’d happily walk away from the UK version of ‘X-Factor’, presumably to strengthen his hand in on-going contract renewal negotiations with ITV.
The stand off between Cowell and the third channel broadcaster seems to be less about money and more about the timing of the SyCo man’s two big telly ventures, ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. The problem is the previously reported launch of ‘X-Factor USA’ in 2011, which seems likely to air in the autumn, making it impossible for ‘X-Factor’ UK to air in its usual calendar slot.
ITV bosses are known to be nervous about moving the pop talent show to the first half of the year, if only because they’d have to schedule it around ‘BGT’ and presumably would prefer it not to clash with all that ice-skating nonsense that they air at the start of the year.
Talking about the future of the X franchise in the UK, Cowell told reporters this week: “I haven’t decided if I am doing ‘BGT’… [but] ‘X-Factor’ will have to move and we have to decide whether we can make the show better. Do people want it back? Even though I have got some plans, I’m going to have to wait a few more weeks before I make a final decision”.
On the other side of the fence, the Mirror has reported sources inside ITV as saying bosses there are desperately seeking other big prime time Saturday night shows they could use to replace ‘X-Factor’ if necessary. Poaching Andrew Lloyd Webber and his West End talent contests from the BBC or some new project involving Jonathan Ross are reportedly being considered.
