For years, Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor were fierce rivals with Simon Cowell going to any lengths to beat the BBC show in the ratings.
However, with X Factor now consigned to TV history, it seems the music mogul has succumbed to the charm of Strictly.
Uttering something we’d never have expected him to say, Simon has revealed he has been following the journey of Britain’s Got Talent contestant Molly Rainford in the ballroom.
Sitting next to Molly and her professional dance partner Carlos Gu on The One Show sofa on Thursday, he told hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating of his newfound Strictly fandom: “I watch it now. I never used to watch it obviously.
“You know it was like at the time - don’t even mention the word!” he said, laughing.
Later in the show, Simon even gave Strictly a plug live on air.
“Strictly is on Sunday,” he said. “I’m promoting Strictly. I’ve never done that.”
In July last year, ITV said there were “no plans” for another series of The X Factor.
The last full series of the pop music TV talent show aired in 2018, although a celebrity edition was broadcast the following year.
While there have been suggestions of a revival, such reports have never been confirmed.
However, during his One Show appearance, Simon was asked if there was “a new vehicle to refeed the pop engine” in the works.
“There might be a plan here … there might have been a conversation,” he teased.
The One Show airs weeknights at 7pm on BBC One.
