The X Factor 2024: Simon Cowell reveals changes he’d make to the show for it to return

Simon Cowell has opened up about the changes he would make to The X Factor if it was ever to return.

The show, which spawned the likes of Little Mix, One Direction, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis, aired its first series in 2004 but was cancelled last year after 17 years.

The music mogul told The Sun that he would “go back to basics”, rather than adding new formats or changing things to ensure it did the job well.

“When we first started the show it was very simple with unique elements. I’d argue you can’t make a better music show than that,” he said.

“I have an expression though – if you’re going to go to a party, have an invitation. You want to feel people are excited at the thought of The X Factor returning.”

He said he would focus more on mentoring, admitting it “didn’t really happen in the way I’d have liked”, and that stars should be able to perform their own material – which he allowed in later series.

“I’d also probably bring in about ten young kids who want to get into the music business and ask them to shadow us for the season.

“The one thing I promised myself going forward is that I want to be more of a mentor. The only good thing of getting older is you have a lot of experience and it’s not always about the things you did well – it’s also about the things you didn’t.”

As well as the things he would add, there is a lot Simon admitted he would ditch should a new series happen – and one of them is judges’ salaries.

He said: “The salaries got out of whack. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I hadn’t made a lot of money.

“But it got too crazy. And, going back to The X Factor, I’m not even sure artists should be judging other artists. I think it’s in their DNA to want to find a star.”

As well as all that, he said he would look at reinventing the categories to ensure non-binary artists are included, as well as ditching the over 25 category to avoid being “age discriminatory”.

That all sounds great, but we’ll have to see if it ever happens.