Pop singer Cheryl has said that The X Factor would need huge changes if it were to return, including a “gender neutral option” and scrapping the over 25’s category.
The former reality TV show judge is currently appearing in 2:22 A Ghost Story in London’s West End, and addressed the X Factor’s possible return ahead of her opening night in the theatre production.
Rumours of a possible return for The X Factor have been circulating in recent months, but, speaking to The Independent, Cheryl admitted that due to streaming services, times are “not the same as when everyone was gathering on the sofa on Saturday because The X Factor was the biggest thing on TV”.
READ MORE: X Factor star reveals she had ‘months of secret auditions’ before being put on camera
However, Cheryl said that if it were to return, there would have to be a number of changes to the programme’s format – including scrapping the over 25’s category, which she called “inappropriate”.
(Image: ITV)
She also suggested that the “boys, girls” and “groups” categories would need to be changed, saying there would “have to be a gender neutral option”.
Cheryl also suggested that the series would need to be “totally reformatted”, and that contestants who want to appear on high-profile reality series such as The X Factor and Love Island should be “evaluated” before they appear on each episode.
(Image: Dymond/Syco/Thames)
The singer added that The X Factor would need to pay more attention to the mental health of its contestants, adding: “You have to have a certain amount of mental strength to get through an experience like this.
“You’re going to be criticised daily, whether you like it or not, on social media.”
The Fight For This Love singer and Girls Aloud star rose to fame on Pop Idol: The Rivals back in the noughties, before gaining solo success and appearing as a judge on The X Factor between 2008 and 2011.
(Image: Helen Murray 2023)
The star also become a mentor to two previous winners during her time on the reality series – Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry.
She is now taking on the next step in her career, as she makes her stage debut as Jenny – a woman who believes her new home is haunted – in 2:22 A Ghost Story, a role previously played by fellow singer Lily Allen and former Love Island host Laura Whitmore.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
