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Danny Martindale / Getty Images
Reality-TV impresario Simon Cowell poses for photos with fans as "Britain's Got Talent" kicks off its annual talent search Friday with an event at the Lyric Theatre in Manchester.
More than a decade after the first effort to blend reality TV with real-world spaceflight, talent-show impresario Simon Cowell says the winner of "Britain's Got Talent" could go into outer space on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane.
"I love the idea that if they are up for it they have the option of performing in space," Cowell told Britain's Daily Star. The comment comes as Cowell is ramping up for a new season of the show that inspired "America's Got Talent."
Cowell has already signed up for his own flight on SpaceShipTwo, which could start flying passengers beyond the 100-kilometer (62-mile) boundary of outer space on $200,000 suborbital rides as early as next year. The longtime record producer, who left an enduring mark on reality-TV history as the black-garbed, brutally frank judge on "American Idol," hinted that he's worked out a deal with British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic.
"It's tens of millions of pounds, but Richard genuinely is up for doing it," Cowell told the Star. "I am being serious, I swear to God and on my mum’s life. Don’t worry about the details, we’ll make it happen."
If Cowell is to make it happen anytime soon, the winner would most probably have to travel to New Mexico to follow through on the flight plan. And it seems unlikely that going into space would be a requirement placed on the winner, whoever he or she turns out to be.
Producers have tried for years to put together a reality-TV show focusing on spaceflight. The highest-profile effort was "Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett's plans in 2000 for a show that would follow contestants through the training routine for spaceflight. The winner would have been sent to Russia's Mir space station — but that concept fizzled out even before Mir was deorbited in 2001.
Other proposed entertainment projects have revolved around pop singer Lance Bass and film director James Cameron. Just last week, Beyonce and Jay-Z were said to be interested in doing a music video aboard SpaceShipTwo.
No Hollywood space effort has yet gotten off the ground, but if anyone has the required combination of guts, glitz and gold, I suppose that'd be Branson. Like Cowell, Branson is a veteran of reality TV, having starred in "The Rebel Billionaire," a series that aired on Fox in 2004-2005.
Who knows? In the next year or two, there may be more than one way for reality-TV contestants to get into outer space. Andrew Nelson, chief operating officer for XCOR Aerospace, says his company is moving ahead with its own Lynx rocket plane — and he's not shy about courting Cowell's attention.
"If Simon wants to take a more exciting ride at half the price, I'd take his call," Nelson told me today.
More about commercial space:
- Next steps in a new space race
- Virgin Galactic picks Air Force pilot for spaceship
- Slideshow: The making of SpaceShipTwo
- Gallery: Ten players in the commercial space game
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
Is there nothing sacred anymore? There's one too many Simon Cowells already. Oh, Cowell in space...how jolly good, old man!
DONT PANIC....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chinese_anti-satellite_missile_test :)
OMG...are people in the picture crying and reaching out to touch Simon like he's some sacred object??? Please tell me there's some hot guy with actual talent that got cropped out of the photo.
Someone should tell them that SpaceShipTwo flights only spend about five minutes in space. I don't think there are going to be a lot of music videos shot in that time.
I really, really hate pop culture.
I don't even like airplanes I rather have the money, plus if you win that would be one galactic tax bill.
Americans just do not realize how much manned spaceflight has inspired people beyond our myopic society.
The people in the UK are more aware and are in awe of our space programs that we are.
They're welcome to do their own, you know. (And if they can make it work, SKYLON looks like a better way to LEO than anything we're working on at the moment....)
Matthew,
The Virgin Galactic brand is British. As is Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Records. Ricky Branson is in the space race just as much as Boeing. Probably more than Boeing, he is a man who reaches for goals on principle, and succeeds because he doesn't seem to care what it cosrs him.
He can always go back to selling used records.
Since I am so "convinced" that "reality telly-vee" is really, really, really for real (wink, yawn) I wonder if the intended (or pretended) episode will also perhaps follow the more typical "reality" formula--adults throwing childish tantrums complete with bleeped screaming and cursing...like I care...I leave this comment because I am continually mystified and disgusted by the popularity of such dismal drivel. No further comment (none necessary).
And he will stay there right? I mean there is no way we are letting him back on the planet once he leaves right?
Go one! lol
Im sorry but if he started a reality show in space you know we would all watch.
I moved in the same circles as Ricky Branson many years ago, when he was a used record peddlar and I was a mediocre musician in the early Punk scene. I know Ricky is interested in using any tool to make his Virgin brand a success, and the Cowell buffoon has captured the attention of the lowest common denominator in many cultures. Only Homer Simpson could draw a better TV crowd, but he can't go.
All the best Ricky, with the ship and the projected service. Cowell and his production company will pour money into the project and give the RealiTV addicts a look at what the millionaires are spending their golf club dues on. Lots and lots of salaries to normal people in the US, mainly in Utah.
Simon Cowell in space.... interesting. Have you heard of the new show Smash On NBC? Check it out. You can get a free copy of the first episode and some music on iTunes: