Simon Cowell announces plans to shake-up rules on The X Factor

The judge announced a change to the format as ratings continue to slum

Look who's back: Simon Cowell has new plans for The X Factor 2014 (Getty Images)

Music mogul Simon Cowell has revealed his plans to change the rules of his reality TV shows The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent in a shake-up planned for 2014.

The Syco label owner recently signed a deal with ITV to keep his hit programmes on screens until at least 2016, but a “light bulb moment” has reportedly triggered plans for new competition structures.

Cowell tweeted: “Next year on our shows the rules change. I had a light bulb moment two weeks ago.”

He failed to mention which of the programmes he was referring to, but earlier this week he spoke about Fox network’s unexpected renewal of The X Factor US without Cowell on the judging panel.

“I think the show will be coming back next year. I might have a different kind of role. It has got to be different,” he said.

“I think that we’re going to have a very crowded marketplace. What we have with X Factor is a huge core fan base that loves the show, but we have got to be more than that.

“We’re in the middle of a conversation about this is what we think the show would look like, what the fans would like, so my role may change but I can’t say any more than that.”

As of yet, Cowell has only teased some new twists, but since he will no longer be appearing on The X Factor in the US, speculation that he will return to the UK’s judging panel has been renewed.

Long-standing judge Louis Walsh said last week that he was “70 per cent certain” his boss would be reappearing.

Former prison guard Sam Bailey won the UK show last Sunday after beating 17-year-old Nicholas McDonald in the final.