ITV gives 'X Factor' €40m budget
The new series of ‘X Factor’ will have a staggering £33m (€40m) budget.
The singing contest has received a massive cash boost after head judge Simon Cowell reportedly threatened to quit the show if he wasn’t allowed the huge sum, which is £4m (€4.8m) more than was spent on last year’s series.
A show source told the Daily Star newspaper: “An extra £4m means Simon can make the live shows like mini concerts.
“Fans should expect bigger performances and explosive sets.”
Simon had previously said the show needed a bigger budget, but insisted the extra money wouldn’t be used to boost the salaries of him and fellow judges Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue.
He said: “When we do a negotiation, it’s not about salary for the people on it, it’s how much they are going to invest. It’s about how we improve the show.”
The extra money was needed this year because the show used several guest judges to fill in for Dannii who is on maternity leave, while Nicole Scherzinger stepped in to cover for malaria-stricken Cheryl.
‘The X Factor’ returns to ITV on August 21.
