The music stars that Simon Cowell propelled into fame

From Robson & Jerome and Sinitta to Westlife and One Direction, Simon Cowell has enjoyed huge success in the charts

Updated ·4 min read
Simon Cowell with One Direction's (L-R) Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Liam Payne at the World Premiere of One Direction: This Is Us, at the Empire Leicester Square, London. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)
Simon Cowell with One Direction. (Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)

Aspiring popstars could be in luck as Simon Cowell is reported to be set for a new talent show deal with Netflix, where he hopes to find the next One Direction.

For years, wannabe singers tried to impress music mogul Cowell as the scariest judge on series Pop Idol and The X Factor, but it's been five years since a series of the star search last aired on ITV.

Now, Cowell could be back on the audition trail as The Sun is reporting that he is poised to sign a deal with Netflix for a series called Simon Cowell: Midas Touch, where he'll be looking for the next big pop group.

If you're in any doubt over what Cowell can do for a pop career, take a look back over these acts who he made into stars.

Portrait of American-born British Pop musician Sinitta (born Sinitta Malone), circa 1987. (Photo by Tim Roney/Getty Images)
Sinitta enjoyed pop success in the 1980s while on Simon Cowell's Fanfare Records. (Tim Roney/Getty Images)

Before Simon Cowell became the TV show judge everyone loved to hate, he had already been making waves in the music industry with his first label Fanfare Records. His first major hit came in 1986 with Sinitta's So Macho.

Cowell and Sinitta dated for a while and remain close friends.

After Fanfare Records, Simon Cowell joined BMG as an A&R man where he turned down the chance to sign Take That. It was at BMG that Cowell realised the power of television, where he became known for a string of novelty records from TV stars including releases from Big Breakfast puppets Zig and Zag, the Power Rangers, and 1993's WrestleMania: The Album.

Robson & Jerome

JEROME FLYNN AND ROBSON GREEN, ON RIGHT, CELEBRATING THEIR NO 1 HIT RECORD, UNCHAINED MELODY, TAKEN FROM THE ITV PROGRAMME SOLDIER SOLDIER. (Photo by Tim Ockenden - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
Jerome Flynn and Robson Green celebrating their number one hot in 1995. (PA Images via Getty Images)

In 1994, Robson Greene and Jerome Flynn were two of the main stars of ITV's hit drama Soldier Soldier. After their characters Dave and Paddy performed a cover of Unchained Melody on the show, there was huge demand from viewers to buy their version of the song.

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Simon Cowell — by then at RCA — snapped them up and their version of the song (most famously performed by the Righteous Brothers) was a number one hit in 1995, staying in the top spot for an impressive seven weeks. It remains one of the best-selling singles in UK charts history, going double platinum.

After earning his first million from Robson & Jerome, Cowell used his experience as a novelty hit maker to propel another set of unlikely TV stars to the top of the pop charts: The Teletubbies.

The popular children show was an instant success when it first aired on CBBC in March 1997, and Cowell raced to sign them up for a pop single. The song Teletubbies say 'Eh-Oh' hit number one in December that year, but missed out on the coveted Christmas number one spot to the Spice Girls' Too Much.

Cowell also signed David Hasselhoff but failed to translate the Baywatch star's fame into UK chart success.

Five in 2000. (Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Five in 2000. (Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)

After missing out on Take That, Cowell hired Chris Herbert — the man who put together the Spice Girls — to do the same thing, but with a boy band and 5ive was born. The group went on to sell 1.6m albums, and 3.4m singles and have reunited a number of times since splitting in 2001.

Westlife Filming Pop Video, Britain - 1999, Westlife (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
Westlife in 1999. (Brian Rasic/Getty Images)

Louis Walsh convinced Simon Cowell to come to Dublin to see his new boyband after enjoying success with Boyzone, and he signed them up to a five album deal after their second audition. They went on to have many hits securing their first number one in 1999.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction pose with Simon Cowell (C) for a photocall to promote the X-Factor final held at The Connaught Hotel on December 9, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction pose with Simon Cowell in 2010. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

In 2001, new TV series Pop Idol signed Simon Cowell to be its 'nasty judge', and the rest is history. The first series of Pop Idol proved a hit for Cowell not only as a TV judge, but also in terms of signing acts to his label who had huge success.

Of course, he signed series winner Will Young — but also bagged runner-up Gareth Gates, with both singers going on to score number one hits.

But while the series itself was short-lived, it was just the launchpad to Cowell's career in the public eye as he cemented himself as the go-to pop expert and moved on to his new, incredibly popular replacement series, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent alongside America's Got Talent.

Cowell's company Syco signed up many contestants from the talent shows including Il Divo, Little Mix, One Direction and many more.

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