Cowell who has just signed a two year exclusive deal with ITV, will put his own neck on the line in The X Factor (working title), when he sets himself up in competition with two other key industry judges looking for the next singing sensation.

The competition will give everyone the opportunity to shine. With no limits and open to everyone over the age of 16, The X Factor is inviting solo male and female wannabes to apply along with bands, groups and families all hoping for stardom. It will be the first time such an exhaustive search for talent has taken place.

At the end of the most extensive auditions ever seen in the UK and Ireland, hopefuls will be whittled down to 120 and divided into three categories. Each category will be assigned one judge faced with the task of shaping up their acts so that one of them emerges as the winner of TV’s biggest search in history.