Music mogul Simon Cowell is said to be "in crisis" after the planned series 'X Factor All Stars' was axed at the last minute.
The show was set to air after the celebrity version of the X Factor, but it has been shelved after big name former stars backed out, it is claimed.
Leona Lewis is among those believed to have backed out - reports Mirror Online.
Amid chaotic meetings behind-the-scenes, Simon cancelled his 60th birthday party last week, flew in his closest confidantes for advice and allegedly sacked six staff in a week as he worked tirelessly to save his brand.
But at the weekend The X Factor: Celebrity series, which features Nicole Scherzinger as a judge, drew its lowest ratings yet of 3.1 million.
The embarrassing figures add to Cowell’s woes as ITV bosses have yet to sign a new contract for X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent next year.
A TV source claimed: "Cowell did not have a happy birthday and this is now a real crisis for the show. He has struggled to get anyone to take part in All Stars."
Yesterday Simon revealed plans for a new X Factor show next month called X Factor: The Band. It is being rushed out to premiere before a similar BBC show called The Search, featuring Little Mix.
But Cowell played down claims of a crisis saying: "When I cancelled my birthday party it was written I was in some sort of crisis mode.
"I swear to God I’m having the time of my life."
A senior exec who works with Cowell also insisted last night that he was not panicking about the current situation.
The source said: “Simon has really rolled his sleeves up and is determined to make both the current series and X Factor: The Band, a big success. He is more focused on work than he has been in years.
“All Stars has been postponed until 2020, it wasn’t cancelled because of a lack of big acts.
“The new contract with ITV has not been formally signed but there are only a few minor details being finalised.”
