The X Factor audition rounds 'cancelled' as Simon Cowell gears up for major ITV overhaul

X Factor boss Simon Cowell announced in February that the regular version of the show would be dropped in favour for two spin-off shows, one involving celebrity singers and the other featuring past contestants in a new 'all-star' edition.

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“The time feels right, and it will be a huge change,” Cowell said at the time. “We haven’t exactly confirmed the dates or the order of the shows, but essentially there are going to be two versions of X Factor running this year.

“I think it’s going to be huge, it’s the best I’ve felt about this show in years.”

However, audition venues across the country are only now discovering that the original audition events for the ITV talent show have been cancelled.

A North Wales venue in Rhyl was due to hold X Factor auditions on 21st March. The organisers have claimed that they have only just been informed that the event would not be going ahead.

A spokesperson for venue, called Garden Den, told the Daily Post: "We heard a couple of weeks ago that ITV were uhmming and ahhing about the new series.

"But we had no official confirmation from the production team at all.

"We had a whole event planned around it, with about 60 acts lined up to audition. We spent a lot of money putting things together.”

The spokesperson continued, “The event was meant to be next week, and we finally got confirmation a couple of days ago. But it wasn't a statement or anything, literally just a phone call and that was it..

“They said Simon Cowell has other ideas, like a winner of winners competition, or a celebrity version of the show."

Two events in Essex have also been cancelled, according to Essex Live.

Auditions at the Lion Walk Shopping Centre in Colchester on Saturday 16th March and at Brentwood's Sugar Hut on Sunday 17th March are no longer taking place.

Events in Hull and Newcastle that were due to take place were also dropped at the last minute according to local reports.

A production source told RadioTimes.com that changes about X Factor have been public “for weeks”, and that “Simon Cowell has talked openly about the changes to the show”.

The X Factor is scheduled to return to ITV later this year

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