It’s not unfair to say that the current series of ‘The X Factor’ has been the shakiest yet, with the show making headlines for all the wrong reasons thanks to technical issues, missing judges and low ratings.

‘X Factor’ is currently on its second year of a three-year deal with ITV, prompting some fans to speculate about the show’s future, and whether it might be time to pull the plug.

However, Simon Cowell has now claimed the show might be on our screens until at least 2022, thanks to its growing audience among young people.

Revealing that ITV has just “offered an extension” on both ‘X Factor’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ “because of the [growing] 16 to 34-year-old audience”, Simon told The Sun: “We could probably do three years or five years. It makes a lot of money.

“We got to a point years ago where we were able to compete with Strictly because there was that huge audience.

“We’re losing people now but fortunately the young audience has actually grown this year and all the advertisers and the sponsors want that income on a Saturday.”

Simon is planning – you guessed it – a “massive shake-up” to the show’s hit format, in a bid to keep things fresh for viewers, with the music mogul saying: “I think with all things you’ve got to change the format a bit sometimes, which is part of our job, the fun part of our job.”

The newspaper claimed Simon may even reintroduce a celebrity edition of ‘The X Factor’, a full 12 years after ‘X Factor: Battle Of The Stars’ aired over an eight-night period, with contestants including Rebecca Loos, Paul Daniels, Chris Moyles, Gillian McKeith and eventual winner Lucy Benjamin.

‘The X Factor’ is currently airing on ITV every weekend, with Simon sitting alongside new judges Louis Tomlinson, Robbie Williams and the latter’s wife, Ayda Field.