Simon Cowell ‘invites trans men’ to audition in search of next big boy band
Simon Cowell has reportedly urged trans men to audition for his new boy band. (Getty)
Simon Cowell has launched auditions for the next big boy band and has reportedly “invited trans men” to audition.
The X-Factor judge has recently incurred the wrath of K-pop fans after failing to recognise the international success of musicians in the genre after launching a campaign to find the next One Direction.
Almost a decade after the band announced their split in 2016, the Syco Records founder wants to replicate the six-year success story of the famed group. Made up of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, the bandmates were signed to Cowell’s record company after coming in third at the 2010 series of the singing competition.
But after reports that just 40 people were in the crowd during peak times at the first round of auditions in Liverpool, which started on 7 July, reports have surfaced that Cowell is now looking to widen his search.
After appearing to place an advert on the audition site StarNow, a source told The Sun that inviting trans singers “could be a game-changer”.
The source said: “Simon knows he has to change with the times and loves being a trailblazer…[It] shows he understands how progressive the industry is.”
PinkNews has contacted a representative of Simon Cowell for a comment on the matter.
Cowell’s campaign was recently launched in the UK, with a billboard showcasing the record executive re-creating Lord Kitchener’s iconic WWI poster with the words: “Simon needs you! Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No time wasters.”
In a statement at the time, Simon claimed: “Every generation deserves a megastar boy band and I don’t think there has been one to have the success of One Direction in over 14 years.
“The industry tends to focus on solo artists – so it usually takes someone from outside to put a group together. Nothing beats the fun of being in a group, touring the world and performing for thousands,” he said.
The next round of auditions are taking place in Dublin on 28 and 29 July, with further audition dates in London taking place in the coming weeks.
