Simon Cowell blames Gary Barlow for ‘The X Factor’s slump.
The music mogul was replaced by the Take That frontman as head judge when he left in 2010 to work on the US version of the show, and he thinks he and the ‘Greatest Day’ hitmaker have very different ways of approaching their work.
He said: "The truth is — and I am not being rude — I wouldn’t hire Gary to run my record label.
"Essentially that is what you are doing with ‘The X Factor’ judging panel. But if Gary and I were running a record label we would do it in a different way."
Simon is confident that his return is exactly what the show needs to turn it around.
He told The Sun newspaper: "Gary was seen as the head judge — and so am I.
"I do believe I am the best person at spotting a potential star and making them work well on the show.
"That is what I am good at doing, not being a big-mouth on the show. It is making the show I am on better."
And the 54-year-old star thinks pop stars don’t always work on the judging panel as they worry finding a talented artist would overshadow their own careers.
He said: "I think all these shows have become so celebrity driven, you are hiring someone based on how famous they are and I am not sure that is a good thing in the long term.
"A record executive is more likely to want to find the next big star than another artist who may be thinking, ‘I have found a star who could sell more records than me’. I run a record label so I couldn’t care less."
Simon will judge the new series of the show alongside another former panelist, Cheryl Cole, while Louis Walsh is also expected to return and a fourth face has yet to be confirmed.
Simon Cowell blames Gary for X Factor slump
