Years after One Direction started their hiatus, Simon Cowell launched his search to form another boy band.
The music mogul initially canceled the first batch of auditions in Gateshead before scheduling the new talent search in Liverpool. The 64-year-old X Factor judge's "Simon Needs You," according to sources, will shock the contestants with the set-up.
"These auditions will not look like The X Factor in the slightest - no shiny desks, big productions or celebrity guests. It will be incredibly stripped back," a source told The Mirror. "Simon has amassed a team of real experts - songwriters, producers and A&R people - who he really trusts. Together they'll be chatting to the talent and trying to work out who should go through."
Cowell reportedly aims to show the same sense of pressure the contestants go through behind the scenes. During the process, he wants to build a band that "will have an impact" and can be "bigger than One Direction."
He previously revealed in an interview how the project would be a risk, especially due to the industry becoming a "crowded marketplace."
"There are so many people trying to get attention online - hundreds of thousands if not millions of people. What these shows do is you get a bigger audience. I would argue there is a bigger need for these shows than 10,20 years ago," Cowell went on.
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The search began after an insider made a shocking revelation about Cowell's treatment of the One Direction members.
"Simon was the boss, he wanted them out there. He wanted them performing. They were cash cows, pure and simple. There seemed little care for the band's mental health though, and how it would affect them in the future," the source claimed.
According to The Daily Mail, One Direction members - Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne - faced a grueling schedule and pressure. They performed one concert every two days during their Take Me Home tour in 2013.
The musicians also reportedly could not have normal relationships. A pal close to one member recalled how Perrie Edwards needed to go inside the One Direction hotel in Australia through the laundry room.
"It was the only way she and Zayn got to see one another. It might seem funny, but actually it was hard and stressful," the insider went on. "Sometimes the band just wanted a day off, just to rest but instead they were put on a private jet and flown to the next arena or stadium."
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