Summary
- Simon Cowell says he regrets not owning One Direction's name, sparking outrage.
- Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan unfollow Cowell after controversial comments about ownership.
- Cowell hopes to create a new boyband to replicate One Direction's success, this time retaining ownership of the name.
While Simon Cowell was vital for One Direction's success, the former members of the band have since distanced themselves from him. In fact, there seems to be some resentment among everyone involved, and recently, the America's Got Talent judge spoke candidly about what he regrets regarding their time working together.
Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan were seemingly not happy with his comments, as Simon Cowell explicitly said that he rightfully should have owned One Direction's name. If he did, he could still be monetizing them, but since he can't, he's now looking for a new boyband to manage.
Louis Tomlinson And Niall Horan Unfollowed Simon Cowell
The relationship between One Direction and Simon Cowell seems to be broken beyond repair. At least, his relationship with Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The X Factor judge has recently been reminiscing about his time working with the famous boyband, and some of his comments caused outrage among fans.
"The one thing I regret is I should have kept the name," Simon Cowell said on The Diary of a CEO podcast. "I should have owned the name."
"If one of the band members, for whatever reason, say they don’t want to tour, it can stop the others [from] touring. So, if it was me who owned the name, it wouldn’t be a problem," he explained. "I can be very naive at times, and that was me being very, very naive. So, next time, that will be part of the deal. I have to own the name. They can still make most of the money, but I need to own the name."
"So he always been a evil person but is proud to admit now?" one user commented in response. "they were teens who were overworked to the point of different mental health and physical health issues. they have every right to at least own the name. it's THEM not him," another person added.
It seems Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson share at least some of the anger fans expressed. Both singers unfollowed Simon Cowell on Instagram in the wake of his controversial comments, and while fans don't know if they agreed on it beforehand, they are convinced it was directly related to the X Factor's opinions.
Simon Cowell Hopes To Form A New 'One Direction'
Simon Cowell knows how profitable boybands can be, and now that One Direction is no more, he's looking to recreate their success with a new band.
"We decided a year ago there hasn't been a successful big boyband since One Direction," he said in an interview with CapitalFm. He wants to create a new boyband because "every generation deserves a megastar boyband."
"The industry tends to focus on solo artists - so it usually takes someone from outside to put a group together," he said. "Nothing beats the fun of being in a group, touring the world and performing for thousands – and it’s also a brilliant launchpad for a solo career."
"When you have a great group, it’s like lightning in a bottle but there’s no magic formula and a fair bit of luck involved!"
Whoever this new boyband is, they should know they will have to agree to Simon Cowell retaining ownership of the band name, as he will never make the same "mistake" again.
