Simon Cowell holds auditions for next big boyband but queues ‘never reach more than 40’-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Simon Cowell needs you (Picture: Phil Oldham/PinPep)

Simon Cowell’s search for the next big boyband that could emulate the success of One Direction has got off to a slow start.

The process is being documented for a new show, allegedly called The Midas Touch, and it’s said the Box To Box production group have sold the rights to Netflix. The bold name is based on a Greek myth in which anything King Midas touched turned to gold.

In order to attract popstar hopefuls to showcase their talent, the Britain’s Got Talent judge has even put up billboards of his face with the words: ‘Simon Needs You. Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No timewasters.’

Those interested are encouraged to visit his website, Simon Needs You, with the homepage: ‘ARE YOU AGED AROUND 16-18 AND A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR IN THE MAKING?’ Define ‘around’ Simon…

Simon, 64, is used to seeing tens of thousands of people gathering for a chance to impress him on his previous singing contest, The X Factor, which ran from 2004 to 2018.

However, despite the sheer size of his posters, it appears only a small amount of men turned up to the weekend’s auditions held in Liverpool.

Simon is taking matters into his own hand (Picture: Joe Pepler/PinPep)

In one photo taken at the Albert Dock venue and obtained by The Sun, only a few people were queuing, but they were clearly prepared for many more with multiple railings set up to control the situation.

‘They started arriving slowly from about 9am on Saturday but the biggest number in the queue never amounted to more than about 40,’ a source told the publication.

‘By early afternoon, the number arriving had virtually dried up and it was the same story on the Sunday audition.

‘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.’

X Factor attracted thousands of hopefuls (Picture: Mcpix Ltd/REX/Shutterstock)

It’s not over yet though, with auditions planned for Dublin later this month, and three taking place in London in August, while a team has been scouting potential stars and asking them to come along to a planned event.

Simon is passionately pursuing this path because, since One Direction, there ‘hasn’t been a successful boyband,’ he claims – although not everyone agrees with this statement, as they feel it erases the success of Korean groups like BTS and Seventeen.

‘Right now record labels aren’t signing enough new talent,’ Simon told Daily Mail.

Simon is looking for the next One Direction (Picture: Fred Duval/FilmMagic)

‘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.’

He’s not the only one trying to find the new boyband, with former The X Factor co-star Nicole Scherzinger reportedly signing up for a rival show.

Metro.co.uk has contacted Netflix and Simon Cowell’s representatives for comment.

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