Simon Cowell has opened up about one of his biggest regrets regarding the globally successful boy band One Direction — not securing the rights to their name.

Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast hosted by Stephen Bartlett, the famed music executive and television personality looked back on how One Direction came together during their time on The X Factor, and what he envisioned for the group from the beginning.

“When I spoke with One Direction, I remember telling them, ‘The goal is to have enough hit songs that if you ever reunite, you could sell out stadiums,’” Cowell recalled. “That would take about ten hit singles.” However, when asked whether he believes a reunion is likely, he was blunt: “I doubt it.”

Cowell pointed out a major roadblock to any future One Direction-related ventures — he doesn’t own the band’s name. That right belongs to the five members: Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson. Because of that, Cowell cannot use the name One Direction for any potential projects, including spinoffs or animated content, without their approval.

“That’s the problem,” Cowell said. “I could’ve done something like an animation or whatever. But once you give the artist control of the name, it’s not yours anymore — and that’s the one thing I regret.”

Jokingly, he added, “If you’re listening, I’ll buy it back from you.”

Cowell further explained that the ownership of the name creates complications for future collaborations. “If one member doesn’t want to tour, the rest of them are stuck,” he said. “If I had owned the name, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

One Direction officially split in 2016 following what was initially announced as a temporary hiatus. Since then, all five members have successfully launched solo careers, with Harry Styles becoming one of the most prominent solo artists of his generation.

During the interview, Cowell also reflected on the early days of the band’s fame. He shared the kind of tough love advice he gave them at the start: “It’s going to be hard work. You’ll become very famous, and you’ll lose a lot of your privacy. You could be an accountant and avoid all that — but it won’t be as fun.”

The veteran talent scout expressed nostalgia for the era of popular bands, noting the scarcity of successful groups in today’s pop landscape. “I don’t think there’s been a band as good as One Direction since them,” he said.

Looking to the future, Cowell revealed his new plan to form another boy band — this time through a documentary-style project that follows the formation process.

“The only way I know how to put a band together is by auditioning people,” Cowell explained. “And I thought, ‘If I don’t do it this year, I’ll regret it.’ So, we’re going ahead and documenting the whole journey.”

With his eye on the next big act, Cowell seems determined to recapture the magic he once helped create — hopefully this time, with the name rights in his pocket.