Simon Cowell is taking intensive Spanish lessons as he kicks off his search for a Latino version of One Direction.
The X Factor mogul’s new show La Banda will trawl the US, Mexico and South America for the next big Latin American boyband, with singer Ricky Martin as head judge.
Simon, 55, will not appear on the show himself but is swotting up on the lingo to help him in his quest to conquer the vast untapped market.
He said: “I don’t speak Spanish properly yet, but I’m learning. It’s a Spanish-speaking show.”
It starts in Los Angeles next month and Ricky, 43 – who started out with Latin boyband Menudo before going global as a solo artist – will manage the winning five-piece.
Simon added: “The idea is simple – we’re going to put together a group of guys between 14 to 18. It’s a Latin show – they’ll sing in Spanish and English.”
Simon – whose X Factor 2010 runners-up One Direction have become the world’s biggest boyband – said the new show will be the first of its kind in the Latin market.
He said: “There’s nothing at the moment like this. It’s to fill what me and Ricky feel is a massive gap in the market and to give five kids like this a real opportunity.”
The show will take in US cities including Miami, Florida, and Houston, Texas, before moving on to Central and South American and the Caribbean.
Simon added: “We’ve had a lot of success in this area with 1D so it’s a great prize. You have to create magic.”
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