When does X Factor: The Band start, and what has Simon Cowell said about Little Mix's rival show?
24 November 2019, 14:55 | Updated: 24 November 2019, 14:57
The X Factor: The Band hits our screens this December and will battle for ratings against Little Mix's rival show, The Search
When does X Factor: The Band start?
The new spin-off show, hosted by Dermot O'Leary, will see performers audition to form part of a band.
Announcing the series earlier this year, Simon Cowell said: "You may have already heard about this but if you haven't we are launching X Factor: The Band this December."
He explained: "We have weeks to get this together. Very simply... we are going to try to find either the biggest boy group in the world, or the biggest girl group in the world."
Unlike the traditional show, which airs on Saturday nights, The X Factor: The Band format will begin on Monday, December 9 at 8.30pm on ITV.
There will then be further episodes in the week running up to Christmas on Wednesday, December 11 and Friday, December 13, also at 8.30pm, and all episodes will run for 90 minutes.
READ MORE: Simon Cowell scraps X Factor All Stars as he launches new talent show to rival Little Mix's series
The show is set to clash with Little Mix's very own BBC talent show ‘The Search’. Opening up about the impending ratings battle, Simon, 60, revealed that he was originally asked to co-produce the Little Mix show.
He said: "I told them the problem was we have a conflict of interest because we are launching X Factor The Band in 2020.
“We were told their show was going to launch in 2021. Then we had the fallout and find out Little Mix were bringing their show forward.
"Was that intentional because we are doing our show? I have no idea. But regardless, it was too much fun not to do this year. I would rather it was us doing it first. It 100 per cent makes it more exciting there being a battle."
Auditions will take place soon at Sony Music in London, with the live finals held at Birmingham Arena the week of the general election in December.
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