Walk The Line’s Gary Barlow was ‘done’ with talent shows before call from Simon Cowell

Gary Barlow is set to return to TV this year as a judge on Walk The Line (Credits: Rex)

Gary Barlow has revealed he was not planning to return to any TV role until Simon Cowell invited him to appear on Walk The Line.

The former Take That star, who previously worked on The X Factor for three seasons, said he felt like he was ‘done’ with the TV talent show format until he was asked to step in for Simon on his new show.

‘At the point where I got the phone call off Simon, I wasn’t planning any sort of TV’, Gary said.

‘I felt like I’d really done the talent show thing. But I liked the idea and I thought, “This is going to be different”.’

The music mogul’s newest creation, a successor to X Factor, offers musical variety acts a chance to win a prize pot, but to win the money they must decide if they want to cash out or risk it all to stay in the competition.

Alesha Dixon, Dawn French and Craig David will make up the remainder of the judging panel on the show, which, unlike The X Factor, which aired weekly over a number of months, will air consecutively over six nights.

Rewind singer Craig David is among the judges on the show (Picture: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)

Gary told the PA news agency that the format of the show made it feel ‘like it was easy to do’.

‘It’s quick. It’s just six episodes, which feels modern now’, he said, adding ‘a series with 41 shows nowadays just feels like the past’.

Walk The Line will essentially follow the same foundation that made The X Factor such a phenomenal success, which also appealed to Gary.

‘The idea of putting undiscovered talent on TV is – I don’t want to sound too cliche – but it’s bloody important. And I love to see it because there’s a lot out there.’

Gary previously worked as a judge on Simon Cowell’s phenomenally successful The X Factor (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Walk The Line was set to star Simon himself as a judge, but the 62-year-old asked Gary to step in to replace him, partly due to ongoing issues he has after breaking his back.

Gary reckons he will only be a judge for the first series, assuring fans ‘I’m sure Simon will be back next year’; and the music mogul will still be a part of the show from a production standpoint.

Referring to the immense pressure that will be on Walk The Line to fill The X Factor’s shoes, Gary said: ‘Someone like Simon, they’re always going to have pressure around them, because he’s been so successful.

Simon Cowell is taking a back seat in this series after breaking his back last year (Picture: Getty)

‘That’s what it is. And also, people love to knock success.

‘But he knows all that stuff, as I do.’

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The show will be hosted by broadcaster Maya Jama, whose TV credits include presenting the third season of BBC’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star.

Maya also joined Celebrity Juice as a regular panellist earlier this year.

Walk The Line will air on ITV and ITV Hub in December.

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