Simon Cowell’s Search for ‘New One Direction-Style Boyband’ is ‘Well and Truly Over’ in Wake of Liam Payne Death: ‘There’s no Way He’s Going There Again’
Global music mogul Simon Cowell has told insiders his search for a new One Direction-style boyband is “no more” after he scrapped plans for a telly talent search for the next big thing following Liam Payne’s death.
The demise of the singer aged just 31 following his well-publicized battles with drugs and the price of fame has brought the boyband phenomena sharply into focus in the world of showbiz, RadarOnline can reveal.Now the TV talent competition format looks to be over.
Cowell’s latest Netflix show, in which he searches for ‘The next big boyband’, has been canned mid-production.
Just 40 people turned up to the first date of the show’s auditions in the UK city of Liverpool — birthplace of The Beatles.And further dates were said to have been subsequently canceled.
A source said: “The amount of railings they put up suggested they were expecting hundreds or thousands of people to arrive and pack out the queues but they had a fraction of those kinds of numbers. Simon says the boyband is no more. It’s had its day and Liam’s death has hastened that.”
After a disappointing start to filming, the Netflix show, originally rumored to be called The Midas Touch, was said to be turning away from the idea of creating a new boyband and instead becoming a documentary about their dwindling influence in the music industry.
