Simon Cowell Finally Returns To UK TV Screens With New ITV Music Competition Show

Jun 24, 2021

Simon Cowell is known for being one of the harshest and most critical judges on talent competition shows. He's a record executive, television personality and entrepreneur, and has also used his platform for the betterment of others, engaging in philanthropic activities over the years. "The X Factor," "Britain's Got Talent," "America's Got Talent" and "American Idol" are some of the most popular shows on Cowell's resume.

Cowell had always been surrounded by musical influences growing up, so it was no surprise when he entered the entertainment industry with a strong focus on the music business. He helped launch the careers of many musical artists and bands, such as One Direction and Little Mix, who all got their big break on his competition shows. The music mogul has played a hand in the business side of his own entertainment company, Syco Entertainment, and has also worked on the production side of many musical releases.

When he is not busy judging others on television or working with various musical artists, Cowell spends time with his family, which is made up of his longtime girlfriend Lauren Silverman and their adorable son Eric, who live together in their family home in Malibu, California. 

Now, after being on various American television shows, Cowell is returning to UK screens with a totally new talent show called "Walk The Line." Like his other endeavors, musical acts will perform in front of a panel of judges on the show, which will be lead by Cowell. 

Read on to learn more about "Walk The Line" and how the show will follow a new format in comparison to other talent shows.

Simon Phillip Cowell was born on October 7th, 1959, in Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom, to a middle-class family. Establishing himself as a big name in the music business, Cowell was looked at as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. He became a judge on the popular talent competition show "American Idol" in 2002 in the United States. Cowell was extremely blunt with contestants and was looked at as the mean judge compared to the others on the judging panel, namely Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. The show was extremely successful and is still on TV today, although none of the original judges are still on the program.

The talent judge, who is notorious for his signature line "I don't mean to be rude, but…" (also the title of his book, by the way), has been on the panel countless times. For auditions that do not go so well, Cowell has never shied away from giving his most honest feedback. Some of his most brutal quotes ever documented include: "There is as much chance of you being a pop star or a rock star as me flying to the moon tomorrow morning for breakfast. It's never going to happen," and "If the judging criteria or the voting criteria here was to vote people through for managing to sing every note out of tune, you would win tonight."

But he has also said some things that are not so brutal but, in fact, rather sweet, like this one about his late mom, Julie Cowell: "I know I'll miss her every day, but I also know I'm incredibly grateful to have had her. She was an optimist, my mum, and I think I've got that in me as well."

Along with establishing himself as a tough judge and critic on the various "The X Factor" series, Cowell also made his presence known on "America's Got Talent" and "Britain's Got Talent." The American version debuted in June 2006, with the British series following shortly after in June 2007. Susan Boyle was one of the most famous winners to come from the "Got Talent" series as a whole, as she stunned audiences with her brilliantly beautiful voice. The series was named the world's most successful reality TV format by Guinness World Records in 2014, as it had spin-offs in over 68 countries at the time.

Now Cowell is returning back to UK television for a new ITV series, "Walk the Line." The show will allow contestants to decide to 'walk the line' and continue, or to go home with a large sum of money. According to Variety, Simon Cowell spoke about the new project:

"I am thrilled to be working with Lifted Entertainment and ITV on this new project. We wanted to develop a show which will give the contestants a life-changing cash prize if they win. Each show there will be a champion who must make a vital decision: either cash out then and there or stay in the contest to compete again the following night and have a chance to claim the huge prize."

He continued to explain the appeal for the audience:

"It's the kind of decision that will have viewers on the edge of their seats – real event TV. I'm very excited at giving musical talent the opportunity to transform their lives like never before."

Will you be watching "Walk The Line?" What do you think of the game show format? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to other Simon Cowell fans you know!