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'AGT' judge Simon Cowell on the hunt for the next boy band with new Netflix show

"We just thought, 'If I don’t do it this year, I’m going to really regret it, so let’s just do it.' And we’re going to document the whole process," Cowell said.

Over the years, Simon Cowell has served as a judge on many popular reality shows such as 'America's Got Talent,' 'American Idol,' 'Britain's Got Talent,' and 'The X-Factor.' During his time on these beloved shows, Cowell recognized and brought together many pop groups that have made it big on the global stage, including One Direction, Fifth Harmony, and Little Mix. Now, the British music mogul is back at it again as he searches for the next boy band sensation in Netflix's upcoming docu-series, 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act', which is set to release later this year in December. 

As per Parade magazine, the logline of 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act' reads: “In this brand-new Netflix docu-series, cameras follow Simon everywhere as he sets out to try and create the next global boy band sensation. This is unlike any show he has made before. From raw open casting calls to the release of their debut single, this is an all-access pass for viewers to catch every moment of Simon’s next chapter. Will he strike gold once again?”

The Netflix docu-series will consist of six episodes. As of right now, the streaming giant has not yet disclosed any information about the contestants who will be competing. With open casting calls underway, fans can expect more updates soon. Given the description of the series hints that the winning group will release a single, Netflix and Cowell are likely to join hands and award a recording contract and a full music rollout. However, at present, the official prize for the winners of 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act' hasn’t been revealed.

While appearing on a June 2023 episode of Stephen Bartlett’s 'The Diary of a CEO' podcast, Cowell, who formed the band One Direction on 'The X-Factor UK' in 2010, shared his biggest regret. "One thing I regret is that I should have kept the name… I should have owned the name. That’s the problem. [I] could have made an animation or whatever, but when you give an artist the name, it’s not yours — and that’s my only regret," Cowell said at that time, as per USA Today. 

Cowell jokingly added, "If you’re listening, I’ll buy it back from you." Given this frank admission, we know how Cowell will go about finding a boy band this time around. Elsewhere in the episode, Cowell gushed over One Direction and hinted at the potential documentary, which now stands confirmed. Cowell said, "I don’t think (there has been) a band as good as One Direction since One Direction. The only way I know to put a band together is that somebody has to audition them. And so, we just thought, 'If I don’t do it this year, I’m going to really regret it, so let’s just do it.' And we’re going to document the whole process."