Simon Cowell is set to bring his search for a new boyband to Dublin this July 28 and 29, and said he is "praying" he finds a group as talented as One Direction.

Cowell said he wants to go "back to basics" with the search instead of holding auditions in front of large crowds like on The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, but the process will be filmed for a potential future documentary series.

He told the PA News Agency: "You can’t fake this, even though I’m the one going out to do the auditions, it really depends on the individuals. If you find the right people, I’m not someone who says "dress like this, say this, do this”, it is just not my style and I never once did that with One Direction."

Cowell is credited with forming One Direction after their appearance on The X Factor in 2010, and is hoping to form a group to rival the success achieved by Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

The record executive announced his search on social media yesterday in a video of him erecting a billboard in London reading: "Simon needs you. Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No time wasters."

 

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Cowell said “bands never knock on your front door, it’s never happened in my career, someone has to go out and put them together - and the truth is since One Direction there hasn’t been a successful UK boyband.”

"The only way to do it is do what I used to do, go out and do it and audition and do it face to face and don’t have any pre-casting,” He added. "In other words, don’t have people choose people in advance, it really is first come first served.”

The music mogul also displayed his disdain for musicians who try to find fame through social media platforms like Tiktok and said that he is only interested in people who will “show up” and tell him “why they want to do this.”

"And if they can’t be bothered to do this, then they’re the wrong people to be in the band, because it’s hard work being in a band," Cowell said.

"If you really honestly believe that just by posting your videos on TikTok or whatever, you’re going to suddenly get a global career, well buy a lottery ticket, because the market is so crowded right now with so many people trying to get attention.”

He will be joined for the auditions by people he trusts from his record label and TV company, who he believes "genuinely made a difference in One Direction’s career".

Auditions will also be held in Newcastle on 4 and 5 July, Liverpool on 7 and 8 July, and London on 1-3 of August, in venues yet to be revealed.

The search is being documented by a TV crew from Box To Box Films, the company behind Formula 1: Drive To Survive, and Cowell said he is "getting close" to announcing the format it will take.

Those who are interested in auditioning can sign up here.