‘After all the hype, he’s just not relevant any more’: Brutal humiliation for Simon Cowell as insiders tell KATIE HIND about new catastrophe that’s left him in ‘shaky’ position with Netflix bosses… and could spell end of his career

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When Simon Cowell revealed his plans for a new Netflix show about searching for the next big boyband – one that could rival One Direction – many people thought it would be named ‘The Midas Touch’.

Cowell’s team quickly dismissed those reports, and when his new six-episode show premiered last December, it had a simpler title: Simon Cowell: The Next Act.

The show documented the former X Factor judge’s attempt to create a new boyband, five years after his record label, SyCo, closed down.

Following the style of his earlier shows like Pop Idol, American Idol, and The X Factor, he searched the UK and Ireland for talented new performers through a series of auditions.

Simon Cowell, always one to go all-out, even wore overalls and climbed a ladder to help promote his new boyband search. He put up a large billboard in London that said: ‘Simon needs you. Looking for future superstars. Serious applicants only.’

Simon announced the new project online, explaining that he believes every generation needs a hugely popular boyband, and it’s been over 14 years since one achieved the same level of success as One Direction.

With Netflix providing significant funding, he assembled a group of seven singers: Cruz Lee-Ojo, Danny Bretherton, Hendrik Christoffersen, John Fadare, Josh Olliver, Nicolas Alves, and Sean Hayden. They called themselves December 10, a nod to the date the Netflix show premiered. A month later, on January 30th, they released their debut single, “Run My Way.”

Cowell certainly did all he could to help them succeed, bringing in the team that made Dua Lipa a star and a publicist known for Taylor Swift’s success. Despite all this, it hasn’t been enough.

Simon, age 66, is probably glad he didn’t name his show “The Midas Touch.” His latest release on December 10th didn’t perform well, entering the charts at number 72 and selling only 6,300 copies – including physical sales, downloads, and streams – in its first week.

It will likely be a major setback – and possibly embarrassing – for Simon Cowell, who prides himself on his musical talent. This is especially true considering his confident predictions that this new band would achieve the same level of success as One Direction, the hugely popular group discovered on The X Factor in 2010 and known for selling over 200 million records globally.

People working within the music industry are calling Simon Cowell’s newest venture a complete failure. This has also created uncertainty about the future of his position at EMI/Universal. Furthermore, his deal with Netflix appears to be in jeopardy.

Whether or not Netflix will renew “The Next Act” is currently uncertain. Executives are considering if Simon Cowell still has the hit-making ability he’s known for.

According to one source, Simon’s main goal was to recreate the success of One Direction, and that idea was the foundation of the Netflix series.

A lot of comparisons were made between the show, One Direction, and his new band to generate publicity. However, the new band simply doesn’t measure up at this point, and it’s possible they never will.

Given all the hype – Simon’s involvement, the record label support, and the Netflix documentary – expectations for the project were incredibly high. However, instead of succeeding, it’s really shown how much the music industry has changed and raised questions about whether Simon still has the knack for creating hits.

Friends of Cowell claim that the very suggestion will be devastating for him.

One insider believes this will be deeply hurtful. They also question why he continues to pursue this – at 66, trying to create popular music feels outdated. Today’s younger generation isn’t easily swayed or impressed by such efforts.

Another showbusiness insider added: ‘After all that hype, Simon is just not relevant any more.’

This recent criticism is a far cry from Simon Cowell’s peak popularity in 2010. Then, he completely dominated Saturday and Sunday night TV, and had already launched the careers of hugely successful artists like Westlife, Leona Lewis, Olly Murs, JLS, and Alexandra Burke.

In 2010, 19.4 million people watched the finale of The X Factor. Matt Cardle was the winner, and One Direction – created by Simon Cowell from individual performers Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and the late Liam Payne – finished in third place.

Although Cardle’s music career didn’t last long, One Direction became incredibly famous. The show that followed then launched Little Mix, who have become the most successful girl group since the Spice Girls. Cowell was clearly in charge and enjoying his success.

What’s next for this veteran entertainer? Many believe he might retire from music. He’s often said that his favorite role is being a father to his 11-year-old son, Eric, with his partner Lauren Silverman, who is 18 years younger than him.

He keeps a much lower profile now than he did during his time on The X Factor. He currently divides his time between his home in London, a country house, and frequent visits to the United States.

Although Simon Cowell continues to appear on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, reports suggest he may be stepping back from television work in general.

People who know him say he’s hoping to bring back The X Factor on ITV, but music industry experts believe it’s unlikely to happen.

‘Simon called his show The Next Act,’ says one. ‘It might be a case of his last act.’

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2026-02-12 03:56