Simon Cowell has become a maestro at generating millions by discovering young talent destined for pop group stardom.
However, his latest quest to unearth Britain’s next sensational boy band has proven challenging for the music tycoon, who was seen connected to a drip in an early glimpse of his forthcoming Netflix series, The Next Act.
The 65-year-old Cowell is on a mission to find emerging talent in the UK with this six-part documentary series, which will document the journey from the initial open casting calls to the launch of the group’s first single.
Offering an ‘all-access’ experience, viewers will witness ‘Cowell’s next chapter’ unfold, as promised by the streaming platform’s website.
In the trailer, Cowell reflects on his career, saying, ‘As much as I enjoy my TV roles, I long for my roots of signing artists and collaborating with bands. There’s a huge opportunity here. I’m determined to discover a new boy band.’
Yet, the stakes are high for the once-dubbed Mr. Nasty of television, who candidly admits that the odds of success are ‘less than 10 percent,’ as he delves into the ‘chaos’ of his search.
The pressure of his latest attempt to find Britain’s next big boy band has proved difficult for Simon Cowell who was left hooked up to a drip in a first look at his Netflix show, The Next Act
It also gives a rare insight into his life with Lauren Silverman, with the pair seen in a tense exchange before she asks for her microphone to be removed and leaves the room
‘There’s so much at stake,’ he says. ‘There is a huge risk here. If this goes wrong, it will be “Simon Cowell has lost it.”’
The pressure appears too much to handle for his fiancé Lauren Silverman, who in one tense exchange demands for her microphone to be removed before walking out on Cowell while he is sat slumped in a chair and hooked up to an IV drip administering vitamins.
‘I never complain,’ she says. ‘I’m just there for you because that’s what you do when you love somebody.’
As she leaves, Cowell is heard saying: ‘Oh Lauren.’
Clearly worried about his health, another private moment in the back of a car sees Silverman, 48, expressing her concerns.
‘Work for Simon is not just work, it’s his life,’ she says before reaching across to him and adding: ‘You’re very tense.’
The couple first met in Barbados in 2004 but didn’t start dating until around 2012. They welcomed their son Eric in 2014 and got engaged in 2021.
Silverman’s concerns are more than justified having been by his side through a number of terrifying health battles in recent years. In August 2020 Cowell broke his back while testing an E-bike at his home in Malibu. He required a six-hour surgery to place a metal rod and screws in his spine. Two years later he broke his arm and was hospitalized when he crashed an E-bike in London.
Cowell, pictured hooked up to a drip in the trailer, says: ‘There’s so much at stake,’ he says. ‘There is a huge risk here. If this goes wrong, it will be “Simon Cowell has lost it”’
The six-episode docuseries which will follow Cowell, 65, as he searches for Britain’s next big boy band, from raw open casting calls to the release of the group’s debut single
Cowell is no stranger to talent scouting having put together One Direction (pictured) and other groups like Little Mix and JLS on The X Factor
The music manager, who is worth an estimated £475 million, also suffers from migraines, which were believed to be behind his recent absence from Britain’s Got Talent. He was briefly replaced by Stacey Solomon before returning to the panel.
Cowell is no stranger to scouting new talent and since 2001, has appeared as a judge on several music reality competition series including Pop Idol, American Idol, Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent and The X Factor.
During its 14-year run, The X Factor changed the face of the British music industry, discovering some of the biggest names including One Direction, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, JLS and Olly Murs.
But amid dwindling viewing figures and allegations of mistreatment from past contestants, ITV announced in 2021 that there were no plans for a new series.
Clearly not finished with finding the next big thing, Cowell signed a huge deal with Netflix last year and has since claimed record labels are not signing enough new stars, who face too much competition online.
Speaking to the Daily Mail earlier this year, he said: ‘Right now record labels aren’t signing enough new talent.
‘So the amount of UK artists who are breaking worldwide has literally fallen off a cliff because I think there is too much competition online.
‘People don’t knock on your door saying, “I’ve got a new band”. It doesn’t happen. You’ve got to go out there yourself and do it. So that’s what we are doing.’
Cowell and Silverman have been together since around 2012
They share son Eric, 11, who also made a brief appearance in the trailer
Simon Cowell The Next Act is on Netflix on December 10
Cowell will be hoping to emulate the success of his previous artists, who have broken records and sold millions of records world wide.
Cowell clearly had his work cut out with the unruly bunch who can be seen play fighting and arguing in the new trailer as they battle through boot camp style auditions to fight for a spot in the new band. The final 16 are flown to Miami.
Cowell compared the process to ‘mining for diamonds’.
The pressure is also on to pull in the viewers, with Cowell erecting a giant billboard of his own face in a bid to drum up publicity.
In its heyday The X Factor could pull in millions of viewers, reaching a peak of 19.1 million with its sixth series in 2010. These had dropped to less than seven million just before it was axed. Britain’s Got Talent has also been on a downward trend, with the last series struggling to pull in viewers.
Simon Cowell The Next Act is on Netflix on December 10.
