Simon Cowell Steps Back From ‘Walk The Line’ Judging Panel
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Simon Cowell’s newest series Walk the Line has had a major shake up. The talent show mogul announced he will no longer be sitting on the judging panel for his upcoming series. Could this be the kiss of death for SyCo’s newest musical game show?
Many of Cowell’s fans were excited for the premiere of Walk The Line after hearing that the mogul would finally be making it back to ITV. Unfortunately, Cowell has decided to step back from his role as a judge on the new series. It was reported that he instead wants to focus on his role as creator and producer for the series. Gary Barlow will replace Cowell on the panel.
Barlow is a singer and songwriter. He’s most recognized for his role as the lead singer in British pop group Take That. In his songwriting career, he’s has had 13 No. 1 singles and 24 Top 10 hits. Barlow previously worked alongside Cowell on The X Factor and hosted the BBC talent show Let It Shine that he created.
Barlow said he is “thrilled” to be joining the show in place of Cowell. He’s looking forward to finding new talent on the show.
What Else Do We Know About Walk The Line?
Walk The Line is a multi-part series where musical acts will take to the stage to perform for the audience and panel of judges. The top two performers will get the chance to bid their winnings to continue on, or cash out and go home.
This show will features multiple different mini games, in which they’ll win prizes. Prizes will gradually get larger as contestants stay in the game. The “stay or play” moment of the game is enough to keep anyone hooked. This show has an entirely different premise than anything that’s ever been on air before so I’m sure it’ll still do great, even if Cowell is only behind the scenes.
Right now, there have only been a few names announced for this upcoming series. Alongside Barlow on the judging panel is Craig David who is most recognized from his time as a mentor on The Voice U.K. He originally built a career off of the success of “Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)” his 1999 hit. He then made a comeback to the music scene in 2016 and is now a world-renowned DJ.
Cowell also announced Maya Jama, past host of the original series The Circle, as the host of Walk The Line.
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