Simon Cowell is desperate to find "the next Zayn" in music. The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent boss reckons "the amount of UK artists breaking globally have fallen". Those thoughts have led to him launching a search for the next big UK boyband - and Simon thinks being in a group can help artist's solo dreams.
Zayn started out as a part of One Direction - a group created on The X Factor in 2010 - and the Pillowtalk singer has since won multiple awards and made global impact as a solo artist, including in the US and among South Asian communities. "For whatever reason, in the last 10 years or 12 years, there hasn't been one [boyband] from the UK which is crazy," Simon told BBC Asian Network's Haroon Rashid. "I've always said to young people if you can get your mates together and form a band, it will give you a better shot.
"Rather than just posting your own stuff. As a solo artist online, the market is so crowded right now." Simon's search will form part of a Netflix show, with the first set of auditions taking place over the weekend in Liverpool, and more scheduled in Dublin and London.
The queue in Liverpool did not see an overwhelming rush of people, instead a steady number of hopefuls who were optimistic of their chances. One of those was Corbin Kelly who came from Scotland to "pursue my dream of being a pop star". The 16-year-old told Newsbeat he’s a huge fan of 1D and Harry Styles in particular, and hopes to emulate him.
"I dream of filling arenas. I’d love to do .