The ‘X Factor’ has been "axed" in its current form.
The ITV show’s boss Simon Cowell and the producers are reportedly planning to revamp the programme and are replacing it with a celebrity version after dwindling ratings over the past few years.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "The decision has been made to drop X Factor in its current form. It has been 100% axed. The show is done. It’s being replaced by a show that’ll only be for celebrities. Members of the public won’t get to take part. So viewers won’t see new talent being discovered anymore. It’s the end of an era."
The new format – which is still being discussed – has been described as "Strictly Come Dancing with singers".
Another insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Imagine Strictly but with singers. That’s the plan being talked about at present. There is no doubt the X Factor format needs freshening up – this is it. Bradley Walsh was the biggest selling artist of 2016. They could find a similar type of celebrity not known for their musical skills – and make them even more of a star."
Whilst changes are afoot for the format, it is expected that Robbie Williams might make a return to the show this year, but there are feara that his Las Vegas residency could clash with the show.
A source said: "Producers were impressed with Robbie and Ayda last year and definitely want them back. But there’s a bit of a question mark currently over how auditions fit in with his Vegas residency.
"There’s talk of ripping up the schedule entirely to work around him. However, the problem is that if they do auditions in May that clashes with ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, which most of the crew also work on. If they push it back to July, then that puts serious pressure on producers to get all the stages of the show finished, so they’re stuck a bit at the moment."
The X Factor axed in its current form
