Simon Cowell has lowered the entry age this year for The X Factor to 14 in the hope of finding another, even younger, One Direction.
According to The Sun newspaper he is convinced that the next big thing could be a young star, or a young group.
A show source told the paper: ‘Simon knows that young people make the best pop stars.
‘He desperately wants another One Direction or Cher Lloyd and they were very young when they appeared on the show.’
There are some though who disagree with the age limit being lowered on the show and who would prefer if it was actually increased to 18 from the current 16. It has been tried before, then put back to 16 a couple of years later.
The announcement of the age lowering on The X Factor comes just ahead of the first major open audition for The X Factor.
It takes place on Saturday in Dublin’s Convention Centre. The paper also notes that Welsh fans can try out at a mobile audition van on Barry Island if they prefer.
A representative from The X Factor confirmed the age lowering to 14 saying: ‘This is to allow a new generation of budding singers to audition for the series. Anyone under the age of 18 will need their parent or guardian’s permission to apply and they will also need their parent or guardian to accompany them to their audition.’
All the Cities and links to audition are on our X FACTOR page
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