Simon Cowell’s new boy band December 10 draws criticism after BTS comparison ahead of debut

The group was unveiled in the Netflix documentary series 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act', which premiered on December 10

Simon Cowell’s latest music project, the boy band December 10, has attracted online criticism following a remark widely interpreted as a slight against K-pop group BTS, just days before the group’s official debut.

December 10 was unveiled in the Netflix documentary series Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which premiered on December 10, 2025.

The seven-member group, made up of Cruz, Danny, Josh, Seán, Nicolas, John and Hendrik, aged between 16 and 19, was formed after auditions across the UK and Ireland. The band is signed to Universal Music and is preparing to release its first music video on December 15.

Backlash emerged after a clip circulated on social media in which a member of the group said, “If BTS can sell Wembley Stadium in flipping five minutes, we can sell the flipping Pluto in five minutes.” The comment prompted criticism from fans, many of whom described it as ill-judged or deliberately provocative.

Some social media users characterised the remark as an attempt at attention-grabbing promotion. One wrote that it was a “very poor rage bait promo strategy”, while another said the clip would “follow them for the rest of their careers” if the band became successful. Others urged fans to ignore the comment altogether.

Comparisons with BTS have been amplified by the group’s seven-member lineup, a structure more commonly associated with K-pop acts than Western pop groups. Cowell previously found major success with One Direction, formed on The X Factor in 2010, though subsequent attempts to launch boy bands have met with limited success.

Despite the criticism, interest remains high around December 10, with audiences watching closely to see whether the group’s music will shift attention away from the controversy as they enter the global pop market.