All signs point to there being a brand new panel on The X Factor when it returns later this year, following the departures of Robbie Williams and Ayda Field.
The husband-and-wife duo announced they were stepping down from the show’s team of judges on Friday, after just one series on the panel.
Discussing his jam-packed 2019 on Instagram, Robbie wrote: “Sadly though it’s impossible to do everything … and we’re gutted to tell you we won’t be able to return to The X Factor this year.
“We will, however, be working on projects with Simon going forward - and as huge fans of the show, we will still be tuning into The X Factor, voting and winding Simon up.”
This comes just a week after Louis Tomlinson – who also joined the show in 2018 – cast doubt on whether he’d be back for a second series.
He told The Sun last week that his main priority was his debut solo album, explaining: “I had an amazing experience last year but if it’s going to get in the way of my mission for this year, which is releasing the album, it’s probably going to be less likely.”
However, X Factor staple Simon Cowell is not expected to be going anywhere, previously revealing that there will be two new series of the show in 2019.
As well as a celebrity edition, there will also be an all-star version, which will see former contestants returning to compete for a second time, inspired by the success of America’s Got Talent: The Champions, which aired in the US earlier this year.
The most recent series of X Factor was arguably the shakiest to date, with last-minute changes to the judging panel, a blight of technical difficulties and increasingly disappointing viewing figures.
