ITV’s long-running singing competition “X Factor” is being rested for 12 months in the U.K., Variety has confirmed.
The entertainment juggernaut, which has been a fixture on the commercial broadcaster for 16 years despite poor ratings in recent years, will return in 2021. Variety understands that creator and host Simon Cowell is keen to rethink the structure of the show and its shape for the future.
In December, Cowell and Fremantle-owned production company Thames struck a new deal to air “Britain’s Got Talent” until 2024, which included a 2020 version of “X Factor.” However, it is believed that ITV is flexible on the latter show’s remaining season.
Super-producer Cowell attempted to revamp the show’s format last year by introducing two new versions, “X Factor: Celebrity” and “X Factor: The Band.” However, neither series managed to halt the ratings’ slide on ITV.
A spokesperson for “Britain’s Got Talent” and “The X Factor” said: “Plans for this autumn are still being finalized and will be announced in due course. We are currently filming ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2020.’”
“X Factor” has played a pivotal role in the British entertainment landscape, launching the careers of One Direction and Leona Lewis.