Simon Cowell admits he got X Factor judges wrong

Simon Cowell says he made a mistake recruiting Cheryl, Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw for the X Factor last year.

The three judges appeared alongside Cowell on the panel, but they were dumped after one year.

For the 2016 series, X Factor has brought back long-term judge Louis Walsh in addition to Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger.

Speaking to The Huffington Post, Cowell said he felt the viewing public missed some of the older judges.

"The good thing about having a Twitter account is they [viewers] tell you what they think, it’s a bit like your mum and dad when they go, ‘Simon, you have screwed up’.

"It wasn’t anyone’s fault, I just didn’t realise how much the viewers missed everyone.

"In a strange way, that’s what I learnt, so this line-up was the easiest decision we have ever made, there was no speculation, it was just this is who’s going to be on the show."

Also returning to the X Factor his year is host Dermot O'Leary, who was dumped last year in favour of Olly Murs and Caroline Flack.

The show will once again hit ITV from Saturday (August 27).

Watch clips from previous X Factor series below: