ABC’s ‘Who’s In The Band’ stars Simon Cowell, Joe Jonas and Ri-Ami
Exclusive: ABC is working to find the next big TV music competition series — and has turned to a maestro of the genre to test out a new format.
Deadline has heard that the Disney-owned network has appointed Simon Cowell as a judge on the proof-of-concept taping Who’s in the band?a talent search for the next One Direction.
He will judge alongside a panel that includes Joe Jonas and Spice Girl Mel B (a frequent collaborator with Cowell America’s got talent and beyond), and songwriter Savan Kotecha. Rei Ami, who provided Zoey’s singing voice in the Netflix sensation Demon hunters in kpopin hosting duties.
Who’s in the band? Casting materials indicate that it will feature a new twist on a familiar genre, with singers performing the same song, at the same time, into different colored pipes.
the Who’s in the band? Test shooting will take place on October 30 at Eastbrook Studios in London. Sources say the show will not air on ABC, and there is no green light for the series. It is believed to be part of the network’s plan to launch a new talent competition. ABC currently has a veteran reality series American Idol – which made Cowell a household name in the US with his original incarnation on Fox – and will return for a new season in early 2026.
Who’s in the band? It hails from Yes Yes Media, the London- and Los Angeles-based production company founded by Richard Bacon, the former TV presenter turned format guru. The filing has generated a bit of press in the UK, but Deadline is the first to reveal ABC’s involvement. The network declined to comment.
Cowell has never appeared as a judge on an ABC reality series, as he was off the network American Idol Reboot. He has collaborated with ABC on American inventor in 2006, but only as a producer. Cowell has remained a fixture on network television as a judge and executive producer on NBC America’s got talent.
Yes Yes launched in 2023 with backers including Courteney Cox and her sister, producer Black pigeons. Deadline reported in July that the company was trialling the BBC programme, The easiest quiz show in the worldwith Strictly Come Dancing Winner: Chris McCausland.
Mark Sidaway, former Factor X Showrunner and Head of Entertainment at Yes Yes Media are involved in the production Who’s in the band?.
Music reality series that focus on assembling a group have been around for years. Some notable examples include: pop stars, making a band, And more recently, Netflix Squad building. Popular groups to emerge from the signing contests include One Direction and Fifth Harmony, both of Cowell’s Factor X.