Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Simon Cowell’s The Next Act Premieres on Netflix, Pairing Boyband Quest With Candid Home Life

Critics question the project's timing following Liam Payne’s death.

Overview

  • The six-part documentary follows Cowell’s push to assemble a new boyband, with open auditions filmed in Liverpool, London and Dublin.
  • Scenes include a filmed row in which Lauren Silverman leaves in tears after calling him “really rude,” as he replies, “Don’t be so dramatic.”
  • The series depicts Cowell receiving an IV vitamin drip during the audition process as concerns are raised about possible burnout.
  • Filming paused when news of Liam Payne’s death reached the production, and episodes capture Cowell’s grief before work resumed.
  • Cowell, credited as an executive producer, has described making the series as one of the hardest undertakings of his career.