Simon Cowell launches nationwide search for boyband to be the next One Direction

-Credit: (Image: David Parry/PA Media Assignments)
-Credit: (Image: David Parry/PA Media Assignments)


Simon Cowell is on the hunt for a new band to equal One Direction's global success, claiming he's "praying" he can discover similar raw talent.

The music mogul is beginning a cross-country search - hoping to recreate the same magic he tapped into with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne back in 2010 when One Direction was formed on The X Factor.

Swapping his usual large-audience auditions (like we've seen on The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent) for a more stripped-back approach, 64-year-old Simon's latest venture will be documented for a potential future documentary series.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Simon said: "I would pray to find a band as good as One Direction and to find the records as good as they made, there are so many factors involved to make a band successful all over the world."

Continuing, the mogul underlined the authenticity behind such a process stating: "You can't fake this, even though I'm the one going out to do the auditions, it really depends on the individuals. If you find the right people I'm not someone who says dress like this, say this, do this, it is just not my style and I never once did that with One Direction."

Simon smiling holding brush in front of poster
Simon Cowell is on the hunt for the 'next One Direction' -Credit:David Parry/PA Media Assignments

While acknowledging One Direction as "lightning in a bottle", Simon remains hopeful of discovering the next big thing, expressing concern about the recent plunge in UK artists making it big globally, which he described as "shocking".

Ahead of nationwide auditions later this month, Simon donned a pair of dungarees and scaled a ladder armed with a brush and bucket of poster paste to erect a billboard in London reading: “Simon needs you. Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No time wasters.”

He said: "Bands never knock on your front door, it's never happened in my career, someone has to go out and put them together and the truth is since One Direction there hasn't been a successful UK boyband."

"The only way to do it is do what I used to do, go out and do it and audition and do it face to face and don't have any pre-casting."

“In other words, don’t have people choose people in advance, it really is first come first served.

Simon pinning up poster
The music mogul is taking a 'hands on' approach -Credit:David Parry/PA Media Assignments

"You have to see a lot of people, the auditions are quick and you have to pray and hope enough people turn up and the right people turn up."

The huge success of One Direction has the TV judge optimistic about what he can find next, as he says "there has never been a better time to be in a band right now."

Of course, Simon was quizzed on why he's ditching The X-Factor method for his search, and his answer was pretty straight forward. "Because I wanted to show the process of what really, really happens when we do this."

"I've been in the music business for a long, long time and I've never seen anything that portrays what really, really happens when you go out and audition," he explained.

One Direction were formed on The X Factor in 2008
One Direction were formed on The X Factor in 2008 -Credit:GETTY

"You have to make an awful lot of decisions and a lot happens which we've never really showed. So I thought, apart from anything else, it will be really interesting to document the process and then hope also along the way that we get lucky enough to find the right people, because if we don't get enough people turn up we are screwed."

However, it's bad news for TikTokers, as Simon said he has 'no interest' in them. "I have no interest in those people whatsoever. I'm only interested in people who want to show up and tell us why they want to do this.

"And if they can't be bothered to do this, then they're the wrong people to be in the band, because it's hard work being in a band."

Simon Cowell putting up poster
The BGT judge isn't a fan of 'TikTokers' -Credit:David Parry Media Assignments/PA Wire

"If you really honestly believe that just by posting your videos on TikTok or whatever, you're going to suddenly get a global career, well buy a lottery ticket, because the market is so crowded right now with so many people trying to get attention.

"Posting videos in your bedroom, it's not enough," he stressed. "I'm trying to prove a point here that to succeed in the music business, you got to get up, you've got to turn up, you've got to show up."

For the auditions stage, Simon will be joined by trusted colleagues from his record and TV company, who he believes "genuinely made a difference in One Direction's career".

Simon's praying it works for him, however, "if it doesn't work, at least I can say, 'Well, I tried.'

"I'm really passionate about this. And I always always believed that there are gems out there waiting to be discovered."

The entire process is being documented by a television crew from Box To Box Films, producers of Formula 1: Drive To Survive, with Simon assuring fans that he is "getting close" to announcing the actual format.

Audition dates are slated for Newcastle on July 4 and 5, Liverpool on July 7 and 8, Dublin on July 28 and 29, and London across August 1, 2 and 3. Interested participants can sign up at simonneedsyou.com.