X Factor Announcement Is Expensive Letdown
The much-publicised big announcement that was scheduled for the new American version of the X Factor was made yesterday, but not in the way that everyone expected. For the majority of fans of the upcoming show expectant on the announcement to be about the celebrity names filling the key judging and presenting spots on the series, the reveal was instead based on the format of the show, or more specifically, that $5M is up for grabs, and how you are eligible for it.
It has been confirmed that the reward for winning the show will be a recording contract with Sony Records, including the prize money of a staggering $5M, which is said to be the highest amount in TV talent show history (also the ‘largest guaranteed prize’), and over three times more than the winner of its British counterpart receives. Teenagers in America with a singing ambition can also start dreaming of the prize, as unlike the UK version (lower age limit of 16), and American Idol (age 15-28), the only requirement to enter the singing contest is to be an unrepresented act aged 12 or higher.
The official statement on the website of host network Fox said: “The X Factor is Simon Cowell’s brand new singing competition and we’re on a mission to find America’s next undiscovered superstar. When The X Factor debuts on FOX this fall, we’re going to give someone like you the chance to win a $5 million recording contract with Sony Music. What’s great about The X Factor is that it is open to anyone – vocal groups and solo singers, over the age of 12 – and there’s absolutely no upper age limit. (So it could be you!)”
Simon Cowell, executive producer and judge on the show, said of the news: “I like the idea that a 12-year-old on this show can compete with an older singer and a singing group. I’ve never believed there should be a cut-off age for talent, and we are going to put our money where our mouths are with the $5 million recording contract. I’m doing this show in America because I genuinely believe we can find a superstar.”
He added that it is a search for a talent that could take more than just America by storm, stating: “Why I’m back is that I believe America has the best talent in the world. I believe that with all my heart and if I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t do the show. I’m not looking for somebody who’s just going to be a hit in America; I’m looking to find a global superstar. We called the show The X Factor because it was an expression we used a lot, which was you don’t have to necessarily have the best voice, you may not be the best-looking person – but you have something which defines you as a star, like Lady GaGa, she’s got The X Factor. And you never know until they walk into the room.”
Cowell also said of the fame that awaits the winner: “Whoever wins this show is going to get complete, total support from me, from Sony Music worldwide, because I don’t want somebody who’s just going to be a star in America. I want somebody who’s going to be a star all over the world. That’s what you want at the end of this. You want a global star – and the first person who wins this show I guarantee that will happen. I’ve just got a feeling. I’d love to find somebody different. I’d love to find somebody who can become a star all over the world, and I’d love to say we found this person on this show.”
He summarised: “You want to give somebody a career. You want to give them a platform and you want the whole world to know about them. That’s why I made these shows. You don’t want to think small.”
Reality TV chief for Fox, Mike Darnell added that the new show, which originated in the UK, is ’a worldwide phenomenon’, and, ‘unlike anything we’ve seen in America’. He said: ”The British version is wildly entertaining, but also has a penchant for stirring up controversy. You never know what Simon has up his sleeve, and since he will be working both behind and in front of the camera, the country should brace itself to expect the unexpected.”
Fox certainly seem to have faith in this format’s potential as a moneymaker, with a 6-month promotional campaign in the build-up to the launch said to be in the region of $35M, budget-wise. A huge sponsorship deal with Pepsi was also a signal of the show’s intent.
The judges and presenters are said to be officially announced in the next few weeks, and they will then begin their work on March 27, when the first auditions head to Los Angeles, while hopefuls across the country will also have the chance to audition in their local area when the series visits Chicago, Miami, New York, Dallas and Seattle for filming.
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- X Factor Finalists All In The Money
