Simon Cowell reunites with ‘Pop Idol’ co-star for Netflix’s new singing show — here’s everything we know
Simon Cowell is teaming up with Pete Waterman for a brand new singing show. Yeah, you read that right. The former 'Pop Idol' panelists are joining hands for a singing reality competition titled 'The Next Act'. During their time on the Netflix show, Cowell and Waterman will be assembling a brand new boy band. While having a conversation with Daily Star on September 7, Walterman talked about the upcoming singing show and shared, "I have been doing some filming with Simon for the show." Waterman also expressed his excitement about collaborating with Cowell after a long time and said, "It's great fun to be doing something together again. We are best mates."
Later in the interview, Waterman revealed that he was delighted when he was invited to be a part of the singing program. Waterman further added, "I agreed to do it straightaway. If Simon asked me to walk across hot coals, I'd do it." For the unversed, let us share with you that Cowell and Waterman experienced remarkable success when they served as judges on the British television show 'Pop Idol' from 2001 to 2003.
Back in the day, the program was a hit among the fans, and it raked in great ratings for ITV. Throughout the show, Cowell and Waterman discovered a plethora of top entertainers. While shedding light on their 'Pop Idol' tenure, Waterman recalled, "It was an amazing time. Everyone was negative about it. My own staff told me I shouldn't do it. But I wanted to do it. I thought going on the road with Simon would be a laugh. Me and him have always had that love hate relationship. That's what made Pop Idol work."
In case you're wondering, 'The Next Act' which will be a six-episode series, will drop on Netflix later this year in December. Up until this moment, an exact premiere date hasn't been announced by the platform. Netflix executives are hoping that the forthcoming singing show will be an enormous hit with the audience. When the show was announced earlier this year, a representative stated, "Music mogul and record executive Simon Cowell has single-handedly created some of the biggest music superstars in the world. In the brand-new docuseries, cameras follow him as he sets out to do it once again. From raw open casting calls to the release of the group's debut single, this is an all-access pass for viewers to catch every moment of Cowell's next chapter. Will he strike gold and break industry records once again?"
In the past, the fans have watched Cowell build many acclaimed bands on television, so being on 'The Next Act' would be a cakewalk for him. Since 2001, Cowell has appeared as a judge on numerous music reality shows, including 'Pop Idol', 'American Idol', 'The X Factor', 'The X Factor UK', 'Britain’s Got Talent', and 'America’s Got Talent'. On these shows, Cowell caught the attention of the fans due to his harsh remarks. However, in Netflix's new show, fans will get an intimate look at Cowell’s process as he continues to find new talent.