Singer Rita Ora and Radio 1 breakfast DJ Nick Grimshaw will join the new series of Simon Cowell’s The X Factor, ITV has confirmed.
Hot Right Now star Ora has quit rival BBC1 talent show The Voice to join the new-look X Factor in the autumn. They will replace Louis Walsh, who has been with the show since it began in 2004, and former Spice Girls star, Mel B.
Ora, whose departure from The Voice will be a blow for the BBC show, said the “new generation” was taking over The X Factor, on which she first appeared in 2012.
The pair will appear on the judging panel alongside Cowell and former Girls Aloud star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini as the show looks to reverse a long-term decline in its ratings.
Last year’s final, in which Ben Haenow beat the favourite Fleur East, sank to the show’s lowest audience for 10 years with an average of 9.1 million viewers, little more than half the 17.2 million who saw Matt Cardle win in 2010.
Cowell said: “I have a feeling I am in for a bit of a rough time but sometimes you have to embrace the craziness and now, with luck, we hope to find a star.”
Grimshaw has presented the Radio 1 breakfast show since 2012 and has lost more than a million listeners since taking over from Chris Moyles, but still has an average weekly audience of nearly 6 million.
In theory, his presence on the show is a win-win for both the BBC and ITV, raising his profile for the BBC and inevitably talking about the ITV talent show on Radio 1.
But extensive cross promotion for an ITV show on a BBC platform may also be problematic.
A number of BBC radio presenters have TV shows on commercial channels, including Radio 2 breakfast presenter Chris Evans, who returned to Channel 4 with TFI Friday last week, and his Radio 2 colleague Dermot O’Leary, who presented the X Factor until last year.
BBC insiders have previously said that there is no ban on radio presenters referring to their TV projects outside of the BBC. “They are all experienced broadcasters and they know what level is appropriate,” they added.
Grimshaw said: “I love X Factor and have watched the series religiously since it started, so obviously I’m hugely excited to be joining the show. Music is my job and my passion and I’m really looking forward to seeing what talent we can find and nurture this year.”
Announcing the new lineup on Tuesday, ITV and the programme’s producers, Cowell’s Syco and Fremantle Media UK, described Grimshaw as a “massive champion of music [who] will bring a new and fresh perspective to the panel in the search for the next big singing sensation”.
The new series will also have new presenters, with Caroline Flack and Olly Murs replacing O’Leary.
Elaine Bedell, ITV’s director of entertainment and comedy, said Grimshaw would “bring his unique perspective and extensive musical knowledge to this year’s X Factor panel, while in Cheryl and Rita we have two of the UK’s most successful female recording artists”.
Richard Holloway, acting chief executive of Fremantle Media UK, said the two new recruits were “brilliant additions to the panel”.
BBC1’s The Voice will now have to look for a new judge for the third series in a row following the departure of Ora and, before her, Kylie Minogue.
Sources close to the show said they it was a shame to see her go but said the BBC was “never going to get into a bidding war with ITV.
“The BBC spotted Rita’s potential as a mainstream TV star and introduced her to millions of TV viewers,” they said. “The Voice has continued to be a hit with viewers with different coaching line ups and we’re sure that next year’s line up will be every bit as exciting.”
