Simon Cowell has once again tried to launch the UK's next global boyband by promoting their latest single – but music insiders are already calling his latest effort a 'catastrophe.'
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The music mogul, 66, formed the seven-member band December 10 on his Netflix series The Next Act, which was heavily criticised when it premiered last month.
The group features Cruz Lee-Ojo, 19, Danny Bretherton, 17, Hendrick Christoffersen, 19, John Fadare, 17, Josh Olliver, 17, Nicolas Alves, 16, and Sean Hayden, 19.
On Monday, Simon took to his Instagram Stories to promote December's second single with a screenshot of the songs lyrics, following their debut release Run My Way.
Despite assembling a heavyweight team – including management behind Dua Lipa and a publicist linked to Taylor Swift – the band has struggled to make an impact.
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Their debut single entered the charts at just number 72, selling only 6,300 combined units in its first week.
Simon Cowell has once again tried to launch the UK's next global boyband – but music insiders are already calling his latest effort a 'catastrophe'
The music mogul, 66, formed the seven-member band December 10 on his Netflix series The Next Act, which was heavily criticised when it premiered last month
On Monday, Simon took to his Instagram Stories to promote December's second single, following their debut release Run My Way
Industry insiders have described the project as a 'disaster' and 'catastrophe,' raising doubts about whether a second series of The Next Act will go ahead.
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Simon remains determined to turn December into the next One Direction, but for now, the boyband's future looks uncertain.
It comes after Simon branded himself 'the most talentless person in the world'.
The music mogul made the extraordinary confession during a Q&A at London's Ham Yard Hotel, held following a special screening ahead of the new series of Britain's Got Talent, when he was asked what his talent would be if he were auditioning for the show himself.
'I was lucky actually, very early on, I realised honestly I have no talent whatsoever,' he said. 'You know when I see this stuff it's like I couldn't do that.
'Actually being the most talentless person in the world.'
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It comes after music industry figures revealed his ambitious Netflix project The Next Act – which followed Simon's quest to build a new boyband five years after the closure of his Syco label – failed to deliver.
In familiar fashion, he staged auditions across the UK and Ireland to find the next big pop phenomenon, eventually selecting seven singers.
It comes after music industry figures revealed his ambitious Netflix project The Next Act – which followed Simon's quest to build a new boyband five years after the closure of his Syco label – failed to deliver
'Simon was so hopeful that he could replicate One Direction. That was the premise upon which the Netflix show was built,' one source told the Daily Mail. 'There were many 1D comparisons used for publicity around the show and the band, but the reality is that his new band are just not there yet – and may never be.'
The setback marks a rare stumble for the man who, in his heyday, helped launch chart-topping acts including Westlife, Leona Lewis, Olly Murs, JLS and Alexandra Burke.
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Britain's Got Talent returns on Saturday, February 21, with the current judging panel of Simon, Amanda Holden, 54, Alesha Dixon, 47, and newcomer KSI, 32 – who stepped into a permanent role after Bruno Tonioli, 70, departed last year.
He also revealed Stacey Solomon, 36, stepped in as a guest judge this series after he was forced to pull out of filming following an accident.
'I literally fell down the stairs, so I had a concussion, so I was advised, don't do it,' he said. 'Obviously, I knew Stacey from X Factor…I wasn't there, but apparently she did an amazing job.'
Asked if there was a chance she may be kept on as a permanent judge, he added: 'No, we're not changing the panel.'
The mogul also revealed that even bigger plans are underway as he confirmed the show will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special all-stars 'champions' series next year.
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He said: 'The same judges will be back. We are doing a champions show next year as well, the best of the best, which is brilliant.
'You get the best contestants from all over the world and you re-compete in a big competition so, I like those kind of things.'