Simon Cowell's Search for 'New One Direction-Style Boyband' is 'Well and Truly Over' in Wake of Liam Payne Death: 'There's no Way He's Going There Again'
Simon Cowell has opened up about the 'horrible and disgusting' music industry.
Nov. 11 2024, Published 1:44 a.m. ET
Global music mogul Simon Cowell has told insiders his search for a new One Direction-style boyband is "no more" after he scrapped plans for a telly talent search for the next big thing following Liam Payne's death.
The demise of the singer aged just 31 following his well-publicized battles with drugs and the price of fame has brought the boyband phenomena sharply into focus in the world of showbiz, RadarOnline can reveal.
Cowell has told insiders that the boyband is ‘no more’ after he scrapped plans for a telly talent search for the next big thing following Liam Payne's terrible death.
Now the TV talent competition format looks to be over.
Cowell’s latest Netflix show, in which he searches for 'The next big boyband', has been canned mid-production.
Just 40 people turned up to the first date of the show's auditions in the UK city of Liverpool — birthplace of The Beatles.
Cowell has helped many singers achieve massive success.
And further dates were said to have been subsequently canceled.
A source said: "The amount of railings they put up suggested they were expecting hundreds or thousands of people to arrive and pack out the queues but they had a fraction of those kinds of numbers. Simon says the boyband is no more. It's had its day and Liam's death has hastened that."
After a disappointing start to filming, the Netflix show, originally rumored to be called The Midas Touch, was said to be turning away from the idea of creating a new boyband and instead becoming a documentary about their dwindling influence in the music industry.
A source said: ‘It's [Netflix show] had its day and Liam's death has hastened that.’
Our source added: "Many of the singers turning up are cast-offs from bands that didn’t make it in previous talent shows. But perhaps more crucially, Simon has now to come to terms with the fact that maybe the era of the chart-topping boyband is over. It is devastating for him but he is a realist.
"It's not controversial to say gone are the days when four or five average-to-handsome boys were willing to queue up to audition to be part of The Next Big Thing, given individual makeovers that made them look even more similar, and go on to spend years dominating the charts."
A spokesperson for Cowell insisted the project was still going ahead, despite it being hit with a major blow in the summer when only 40 wannabe singers turned up to an audition call in Liverpool, north England.
Despite widespread reports the documentary on the X Factor mogul’s search for a new boyband is going to be called The Midas Touch, they also said it was not the title.
They added: “This project is primarily a search for a boyband, which is being documented; it is not a 'show', nor is it titled The Midas Touch.”
The timing isn't ideal either, given that one of Netflix's current top shows is called ‘Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam’.
Meanwhile, one of Netflix's current top shows is called Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam.
The three-part documentary uncovers the dark side of former talent manager Lou Pearlman, who was responsible for bands like 'NSync and Backstreet Boys and reportedly formed the groups as a continuation of his own criminal Ponzi schemes and money laundering.
The news comes as cops probe the possible theft of Liam Payne's Rolex watch.
He was reportedly wearing the expensive watch two to three hours before he jumped from the third floor of a hotel, according to local newspaper La Nacion.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The watch was not recovered from the singer's body by police.
Police sources told the paper: "We know, from images that were analyzed, that Payne was wearing a Rolex on the day of his death.
"He was wearing it in one of his wrists and he had it for at least two to three hours before he jumped into the void.
"We looked for it in the room at the CasaSur hotel where he was staying and we couldn’t find him."
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email RadarOnline.com at tips@radaronline.com
