U.S. 'X Factor' may kill U.K. 'X Factor'

Simon Cowell is concentrating heavily on the American version of "The X Factor" launching next year -- so much so that there may not be a British "X Factor" on the air in 2011.

"At the moment you are going to see me doing one show next year -- and not one in England. I have a contract for this year, and that is it," Cowell tells London's Sun newspaper. He also says he may have to forego the next season of "Britain's Got Talent," where he serves as a judge as well as executive producer.

Losing the two shows would be a huge blow for ITV, which airs both "X Factor and "Britain's Got Talent." "The X Factor" is ITV's No. 1 show and has averaged in the neighborhood of 10 million viewers this season; Deadline.com also notes that it generated some 100 million pounds (upward of $150 million) in ad revenue last year.

The American "X Factor" is scheduled to debut on FOX in fall 2011 and would overlap substantially with the normal scheduling of ITV's show (the current season premiered Aug. 21). If Cowell is to appear on both shows, the British one "will have to move," he says.

"I am going to sit it out for a few more weeks before I make a final decision," he tells The Sun. "And it has to be fun. The minute it stops being fun, bye bye."

An ITV spokesperson tells the paper that the network expects Cowell to return to the British "X Factor" and could shift the premiere date to October or November 2011.

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