Fox cancelled “The X Factor” Friday, after three seasons of disappointing ratings.
Hyped as the singing competition that would usurp “American Idol,” the Simon Cowell concoction has consistently been third behind “Idol” and “The Voice.” Ratings for its latest season had fallen to an average 7.1 million viewers.
The show’s first two winners, Melanie Amaro and Tate Stevens, failed to make a dent on the music industry; there’s been nothing so far from the third season winners Alex & Sierra.
Some of the groups formed for the show, however, have been moderately successful, such as Emblem3 and Fifth Harmony. One of Cowell’s biggest successes came from UK “X Factor” group One Direction and earlier Susan Boyle.
The cancellation notice followed the announcement that Cowell would return to the UK “X Factor.” It followed the statement that Demi Lovato would leave the show as judge. Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio were the other two judges in the most recent season. They had replaced Britney Spears and L.A. Reid.
“I’ve had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on ‘The X Factor’ and ‘American Idol.’ And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public (most of the time!),” Cowell said in a statement.
“Last year, for a number of reasons, I had to make a decision to return to the U.K. version of ‘The X Factor’ in 2014. So for now, I’m back to the U.K. and I want to thank Fox for being an incredible partner and I also want to thank everybody who has supported my shows,” Cowell added. “America, I’ll see you soon.”
“To all of us at Fox, Simon is more than one of the most prolific TV personalities of our time — he’s part of our family. A consummate showman and partner, there’s no one more passionate or creative than Simon, and we feel so fortunate to have enjoyed such a wonderful, collaborative relationship with him over the past 12 years,” Kevin Reilly, chairman of entertainment for Fox, said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, there is no ‘X Factor’ U.S.A. without Simon Cowell, but we understand and support his decision to focus on the international formats and on the next phase of his personal life,” Reilly added. “We wish him the very best, and it’s our sincere hope that we work together again soon.”