10 December 2005
Mirror
By Nicola Methven
SIMON Cowell is considering legal action against the BBC after finding out they have planned an identical show to his new Star Duets on ITV1.
The X Factor judge has already sent off an angry letter stating that The Two of Us is the same in every detail as the forthcoming series his own Syco company is making.
Both formats pair big name singers with celebs not known for their vocal prowess. Another match is theming the style of the duets each week as viewers vote off their least favourites.
Simon said: "We have written to the BBC that we have e-mail proof of when we started work. We can prove we couldn't have copied theirs."
The BBC insists it has been developing The Two of Us since November 2004, while ITV say they have also worked on Star Duets for over a year.
Both shows are due to air in 2006 - though a US Star Duets may go out first.
