Gary Barlow reportedly launching his own TV singing contest to rival Simon Cowell's X Factor

According to insiders, the Syco boss is furious

(Getty)

In yet another depressing TV announcement, Gary Barlow is reportedly planning to launch his own TV singing contest to rival The X Factor.

With The Voice moving to ITV at the end of the year, it is believed the BBC has commission a new Saturday Night series by the Take That star, much to Simon Cowell’s annoyance.

“Cowell is going to be furious because he thinks it was X Factor that gave Gary the experience working on a show like this,” an insider told The Mirror. “Now he’s gone and set up a direct rival.

“He’s always been paranoid about Gary trying to set up a huge entertainment company incorporating music and TV, which seems to be happening.”

Barlow’s talent show career started on The X Factor where he sat as a judge for three years before being replaced by Cowell.

As pointed out by The Huffington Post, just months after he replaced Barlow on the show, Cowell said: “The truth is - and I am not being rude - I wouldn’t hire Gary to run my record label.

“Essentially that is what you are doing with The X Factor judging panel. But if Gary and I were running a record label we would do it in a different way.”

As one headline puts it, perhaps this is Barlow’s way of getting ‘revenge’ on Cowell.

Contrary to various reports, the BBC has insisted the new show has not been green lit just yet, but it is one of a variety of ideas currently being discussed at the moment.

In other news, The X Factor line-up is going through a lot of changes at the moment, with Nick Grimshaw having decided to leave the show behind; a wise move considering the viewing numbers for last season were at an all-time low.

For a time it was thought that, with ITV’s acquisition of The Voice, The X Factor would be slowly let go by the channel, yet – according to the broadcaster – this will not be happening anytime soon.