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Why didn't Ant & Dec host X Factor when it started?


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Old 22-07-2013, 00:16
BRITLAND
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In the beginning of The X Factor in 2004 why did they get the Pop Idol Extra lady to host instead of A&D? They were very popular back then on Pop Idol what was Simon thinking?
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Old 22-07-2013, 00:22
RealityRuler
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In the beginning of The X Factor in 2004 why did they get the Pop Idol Extra lady to host instead of A&D? They were very popular back then on Pop Idol what was Simon thinking?
I Agree but I reckon Dermot does a good enough job
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Old 22-07-2013, 00:26
BRITLAND
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I Agree but I reckon Dermot does a good enough job
Agree too but interested in knowing why they wernt called up for the job but given to some lady
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Old 22-07-2013, 02:22
SuperAPJ
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Perhaps the live shows would have clashed with I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and they had a better deal presenting the latter.
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Old 22-07-2013, 10:16
twingle
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Perhaps the live shows would have clashed with I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and they had a better deal presenting the latter.
Not perhaps but a fact. Cowell loves Ant and Dec and would have had them in a heartbeat
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Old 22-07-2013, 11:03
_elly001
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The whole I'm A Celebrity Thing was the main reason, I guess, but also I don't think Simon wanted them to do XF as it would have drawn too many comparisons with Pop Idol at the time. Simon basically ripped off the Pop Idol formula so needed to change enough to give the impression that it was a different show - having the same presenters would have totally confused that. But he got them back the first chance he could for BGT.
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Old 22-07-2013, 16:46
String9
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Perhaps the live shows would have clashed with I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

^This.
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Old 22-07-2013, 16:48
String9
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Not perhaps but a fact. Cowell loves Ant and Dec and would have had them in a heartbeat
Very true, and probably the reason he signed them for BGT.
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Old 23-07-2013, 12:59
domesticated
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I thin it was because they were associated with pop idol and maybe signed up to another series of pop idol which restricted their contract – remember there was a legal case between simon and simon, hence freelance kate thornton got the gig…
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Old 24-07-2013, 12:33
John_Lochery
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Like _elly001 they can't because every November they're in Australia doing im a celeb so its virtually impossible for them to do that AND X Factor in the UK at the same time
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Old 24-07-2013, 19:29
C14E
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ITV decided around that time that they would have one series of Celeb each year and that it would be in November. Had ITV continued with Pop Idol then they would have had a big decision to make regarding which show they would do. But the commission for X Factor gave them an easy solution.

Also, ITV never cancelled Pop Idol. There was an 18 month gap between the first 2 series and it was always believed they could do the same thing again so Ant & Dec might have been required for that. Popstars was also still on the cards and a planned third series was pitched. But ITV ultimately decided to go with X Factor on an annual basis from then on.

Simon (as well as Nicki Chapman and Simon Fuller) had known Kate for years because she was an editor of Smash Hits magazine at the turn of the century when those 3 were plugging Westlife and S Club 7. Hence why she and Simon got on so well on Pop Idol Extra and he ultimately asked her to do X Factor.
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Old 24-07-2013, 20:51
BRITLAND
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ITV decided around that time that they would have one series of Celeb each year and that it would be in November. Had ITV continued with Pop Idol then they would have had a big decision to make regarding which show they would do. But the commission for X Factor gave them an easy solution.

Also, ITV never cancelled Pop Idol. There was an 18 month gap between the first 2 series and it was always believed they could do the same thing again so Ant & Dec might have been required for that. Popstars was also still on the cards and a planned third series was pitched. But ITV ultimately decided to go with X Factor on an annual basis from then on.

Simon (as well as Nicki Chapman and Simon Fuller) had known Kate for years because she was an editor of Smash Hits magazine at the turn of the century when those 3 were plugging Westlife and S Club 7. Hence why she and Simon got on so well on Pop Idol Extra and he ultimately asked her to do X Factor.
Perfect answer, thanks

Though I wish they kept those shows on air longer like last till 06 or maybe 10 though Idol without Simon would of been pointless they could of had I'm a Celeb & Popstars take place in the fall then have Idol in the spring but that's if Simon would of stayed, only if Michelle didnt win & I'm from Glasgow saying that
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Old 25-07-2013, 14:02
AcerBen
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ITV decided around that time that they would have one series of Celeb each year and that it would be in November. Had ITV continued with Pop Idol then they would have had a big decision to make regarding which show they would do. But the commission for X Factor gave them an easy solution.

Also, ITV never cancelled Pop Idol. There was an 18 month gap between the first 2 series and it was always believed they could do the same thing again so Ant & Dec might have been required for that. Popstars was also still on the cards and a planned third series was pitched. But ITV ultimately decided to go with X Factor on an annual basis from then on.

Simon (as well as Nicki Chapman and Simon Fuller) had known Kate for years because she was an editor of Smash Hits magazine at the turn of the century when those 3 were plugging Westlife and S Club 7. Hence why she and Simon got on so well on Pop Idol Extra and he ultimately asked her to do X Factor.
There wasn't really any realistic chance of Pop Idol coming back though was there? Not without Simon Cowell. Pop Idol died when we picked a crap winner, Pete Waterman had a hissy fit and wasn't coming back and Simon fell out with Simon Fuller over starting a rival show.
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Old 25-07-2013, 15:23
_elly001
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There wasn't really any realistic chance of Pop Idol coming back though was there? Not without Simon Cowell. Pop Idol died when we picked a crap winner, Pete Waterman had a hissy fit and wasn't coming back and Simon fell out with Simon Fuller over starting a rival show.
I agree. The way I remember it, Simon Cowell had major issues with the fact that his preferred contestant (Gareth Gates) didn't win the first series and so deliberately championed Michelle throughout the second series despite there being some actual decent potential popstars in there (Sam Nixon and Suzanne Manning immediately spring to mind.) He knew that Michelle winning (and subsequently flopping) would effectively kill off the Pop Idol format.

Cowell always had one eye on a new format that he was in total artistic control over. And IMO, the only reason he didn't offer Ant and Dec enough money for them to reconsider doing I'm A Celebrity was because he knew they were two instantly recognisable faces that people strongly associated with Pop Idol. He liked Kate Thornton and wanted to try out a relatively underused female host. If he truly wanted Ant and Dec, he'd have got them.
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Old 25-07-2013, 15:28
boardboy
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I agree. The way I remember it, Simon Cowell had major issues with the fact that his preferred contestant (Gareth Gates) didn't win the first series and so deliberately championed Michelle throughout the second series despite there being some actual decent potential popstars in there (Sam Nixon and Suzanne Manning immediately spring to mind.) He knew that Michelle winning (and subsequently flopping) would effectively kill off the Pop Idol format.

Cowell always had one eye on a new format that he was in total artistic control over. And IMO, the only reason he didn't offer Ant and Dec enough money for them to reconsider doing I'm A Celebrity was because he knew they were two instantly recognisable faces that people strongly associated with Pop Idol. He liked Kate Thornton and wanted to try out a relatively underused female host. If he truly wanted Ant and Dec, he'd have got them.
Simon Cowell didnt have the same weight or money to play with on Series 1. They throw money at Xfactor now, back in series 1, they were stretching what they could do financially, and technically. Ant and Dec used to brag to Simon about getting bigger contract deals than him
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Old 25-07-2013, 15:32
_elly001
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Simon Cowell didnt have the same weight or money to play with on Series 1. They throw money at Xfactor now, back in series 1, they were stretching what they could do financially, and technically. Ant and Dec used to brag to Simon about getting bigger contract deals than him
My memory is hazy as this is now going back a while, but I thought the launch for XF was huge? It seemed at the time like ITV were massively backing it, more so than they ever did with Pop Idol.
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Old 25-07-2013, 17:23
InMyArms
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They wanted to present it as a serious show, look at the judges they chose - all managers, all older.. Ant and Dec don't fit that as they're more lighthearted.
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Old 25-07-2013, 19:48
C14E
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There wasn't really any realistic chance of Pop Idol coming back though was there? Not without Simon Cowell. Pop Idol died when we picked a crap winner, Pete Waterman had a hissy fit and wasn't coming back and Simon fell out with Simon Fuller over starting a rival show.
Had X Factor flopped - and the early figures weren't at all promising - then ITV would have had to turn to Pop Idol or Popstars. But I think once they took the plunge with X Factor, they were effectively throwing their weight behind that particular project.

Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller fell out before Pop Idol even made it on air in series 1, hence why X Factor happened. Had X Factor failed, Cowell would have been in a very very bad position.
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Old 25-07-2013, 20:16
KnowAll27
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There was also the issue of Saturday Night Takeaway, which was a reliable ratings puller for ITV, especially when trying out a new talent ahow. Series 1, 3 and 4 of X Factor all aired alongside Takeaway, giving ITV a fairly strong Saturday night line-up. The schedule used to be

X Factor performance show
Saturday Night Takeaway
X Factor results.
(I have a hazy memory of Takeaway doing a live link up with X Factor one week, where an audience member from Takeaway's partner was at X Factor, so Takeaway crossed live to the X Factor studio where Kate was standing by to surprise the audience member - who would have been waiting for the results show to start - and send them to Takeaway on the back of a motorbike.)

Certainly in the early days ITV wouldn't have been able to count on X Factor delivering good ratings - it only really became a sure fire hit in series 5, but especially in 6-7; even now whilst it's not as big as it was in series 5-7, you'd still be hard pressed to come up with something to deliver the ratings X Factor pretty much guarantees for the 3 months leading up the Chriatmas, when advertiaing rates slots are at theie most expensive. Consequently ITV would have wanted guaranteed ratings-delivering shows to wrap the new format around; Saturday Night Takeaway fit the brief so it was a logical choice to run the two shows alongside each other. With Ant and Dec working on Takeaway there was no way they'd be able to do X Factor.
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Old 25-07-2013, 23:31
big brother 9
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They would be awsome
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Old 25-07-2013, 23:32
big brother 9
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Oh and im a celeb is on at the same time
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Old 28-07-2013, 02:29
Rui_Phillips
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Weren't they just starting I'm a Celeb then?
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Old 28-07-2013, 20:57
COTTONHEAT
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Simon didn't want it to be a copy of Pop Idol which of course it was
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