Music mogul Simon Cowell has said that he will begin a nationwide search to identify the next big boyband in the UK.
Simon startled Londoners on Tuesday by putting up a billboard banner that said, “Simon needs you!” as he shared his news with the globe. Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No time wasters.
His latest endeavor was introduced 14 years following the demise of his previous boyband, One Direction, which was created in 2010 on The X Factor. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson were among the members of the group he assisted in forming. After the group placed third in the competition, he signed them to his record label, Syco Records.
Following their signing to Simon’s label, One Direction became extremely popular, soon becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time with four Number 1 singles in the UK Charts.
Of his latest venture, Simon, 64, said: “Every generation deserves a megastar boyband and I don’t think there has been one to have the success of One Direction in over 14 years. The industry tends to focus on solo artists – so it usually takes someone from outside to put a group together.
“Nothing beats the fun of being in a group, touring the world and performing for thousands – and it’s also a brilliant launchpad for a solo career. When you have a great group, it’s like lightning in a bottle but there’s no magic formula and a fair bit of luck involved!”
He continued: “There’s always a high degree of risk and I genuinely have no idea what’s going to happen! We might uncover an incredible group; we might not get there. What if no one shows up to auditions? That could be awkward. There is no guaranteed path to success – anything can happen, but that’s what’s exciting for me and that’s why I’m doing this.”
There will be auditions in several UK cities, starting in Newcastle on July 4 and 5, then Liverpool on July 7 and 8, Dublin on July 28 and 29, and London on July 1, 2, and 3. Cowell is looking for gifted boys between the ages of 16 and 18 who have what it takes to be the next big boyband: charm, enthusiasm, and star quality. Box To Box is recording the search in preparation for a possible documentary series.
Simon has prioritized his family life with his fiancee Lauren Silverman and their ten-year-old son Eric ever since his stint on The X Factor.
Simon and Eric started their collaborative writing career in 2020. With publishing firm Hatchette Kids, the father-son team landed a seven-book deal for Wishfits, “a universe where the most extraordinary animals exist.”
He has previously admitted in an interview with The Sun that having Eric saved him from his workaholic ways.
“But now Eric is around, I don’t work through the night anymore. If he hadn’t come along, God knows what would have happened,” he revealed.
Speaking in 2022, Simon shared: “After I lost my parents, I genuinely felt … I would never feel that kind of love for anyone ever again. I thought that was it… until I saw the scan of him for the first time.
“From that moment I saw the scan, I was like ‘That is it, I’m besotted.’ Now I just cannot imagine my life without him. He’s the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I adore him.”
Simon and Lauren welcomed Eric in 2014, two years after they started dating. American socialite Lauren met Simon when they were both in Barbados and staying at the Sandy Lane resort.
