The reality television mogul has made no official comment on his reasons for no longer appearing on the talent show.
Simon Cowell has pulled out of judging duties for the upcoming season of X Factor Israel.
The British producer and reality TV personality, who is currently appearing as a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, was set to also assess contestants for the Israeli version of The X Factor. But over the weekend, Reshet, the Israeli company that produces X Factor locally, confirmed Cowell cancelled without elaborating on the reasons for his decision.
The reality television mogul signed a contract in 2020 to appear as a judge on the upcoming season of the Israeli talent show, which is set to begin filming this summer. At the time, Cowell said he could “barely wait to see what the Israelis have to offer.”
Cowell has not commented on the move through a report in Jewish News, citing an unnamed source close to the media mogul that claimed Cowell could not take part in the show for “a number of reasons” and was “bitterly disappointed.”
Israeli singers Aviv Geffen, Ran Danker, Miri Mesika and Margalit Tzanani will serve as judges on the show, alongside 2018 Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai.
For the first time this year, the winner of X Factor Israel will represent the country in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. The new season is set to air on Israeli TV channel Reshet 13 later this year.
