Simon Cowell’s Next Big Bet: Is He About to Launch the New One Direction?

Simon Cowell has a new boyband. It came together on Netflix, it has a name that is literally a date, and it is already getting the One Direction comparison stamp before a single has dropped. Here is where December 10 stands right now, what the show actually did, and why the rollout has fans side-eyeing the plan.

So, what is December 10?

On the six-episode Netflix series 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act,' Cowell repeats his favorite trick: take solo singers, mash them into a group, and hope lightning strikes again. December 10 is the end result of months of auditions and training, with the final lineup chosen from 16 finalists. The name? That is the day they were officially revealed: December 10.

• Members: Nicolas, Josh, Danny, Hendrik, John, Seán, and Cruz
• Formed from solo contestants during the show
• Signed a record deal with Universal Music in the series finale
• Show length: six episodes; streaming on Netflix (US)

The inevitable One Direction comparison

Of course people are comparing them to 1D. Cowell helped put One Direction together on The X Factor UK back in 2010 after the singers were eliminated as solo acts. Nicole Scherzinger famously pushed the idea to combine them, and the rest was boyband history: millions of records sold, a global juggernaut, Zayn Malik leaving in 2015, and the group going on hiatus in 2016. Repeating that in 2025, with K-pop dominating global pop, is a much taller order.

Early rollout: studio teases, no single, fans annoyed

After the show premiered, the band hopped on Instagram with the usual 'new music soon' and studio pics. So yes, they are recording. But when The Next Act hit Netflix, there was no immediate single, no soundtrack tie-in, and the group had barely any visible social presence. I get why they kept accounts quiet to avoid leaks while the show aired, but that strategy made them hard to find right when curiosity was highest.

If you remember how X Factor used to play it, finalists often had music ready to go before the finale, and the winner would drop a track during the broadcast. Here, the timing feels soft. Fans noticed. Some called out the lack of a launch single, others knocked how much the show centered on Cowell himself, with a few even comparing the vibe to a big K-pop agency roll-out. And a genuinely confusing hiccup: search 'December 10 band' and you can land on a different group with the same name. Not ideal when you are trying to build momentum hour one.

Compared to One Direction’s lightning-fast ignition, this debut has hit a speed bump right out of the gate. The music will do the talking, but the window for day-one hype is small.

Cowell addresses Liam Payne’s death on camera

The show also takes a heavy turn. Cowell speaks about losing Liam Payne, who died on October 16, 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cowell first discovered him on The X Factor in 2008 and again in 2010 before One Direction came together. Cameras catch Cowell six days after the incident, and he looks gutted.

'It’s hard, you know? When I call his mum and dad, and just thinking, "God, how do you cope with that?"'

Cowell calls Liam a sweet, humble guy with a sparkle in his eye who everyone adored, and says the loss made him rethink the pressure young artists are under. He later sits down with December 10 and their parents to talk about fame, privacy, and mental health. The episode closes with a tribute to Payne. It is the show's most human moment.

Can December 10 actually happen?

They have talent, a major-label deal, and Cowell’s machine behind them. But the landscape has changed, and the behind-the-scenes strategy so far has been messy. If they land a great debut single, a lot of this noise fades. Until that hits, the question hangs there: is this the start of the next big boyband, or did the moment pass while everyone was waiting for a link?

'Simon Cowell: The Next Act' is now streaming on Netflix (US). Do you think December 10 can capture the kind of lightning One Direction did, or are we in a different era? Drop your take.