Simon Cowell returned to U.K.'s The X Factor this season, but he did nothing to stem the show's ratings decline. Sunday, Dec. 14, marked the fourth straight year the season finale dropped its viewership numbers, with only 9.4 million tuning in, compared to 9.7 million last year. Still, Cowell was positive about the show on social media and sent a friendly tweet to those who helped out this year:

Billboard reported the finale numbers for every season of the show and noted that this year's 9.4 million mark was The X Factor's lowest since 2005, when it drew 9.3 million.

Cowell already expressed regret this year for his handling of the American version of the show, which he decided to cancel in February.

"I stupidly said at the beginning, 'We're going to get 20 million people,'" Cowell said. "I didn't realize the market had changed so quickly and we got 12. So I felt from the outset that we'd failed and so did everybody else. I should have thought, 'Actually, 12 is fantastic,' and kept my mouth shut. I think, on both sides, it was a mistake to throw the towel in."

Still, he thinks Americans will get the show back soon.

"I think it will come back again," he said. "The thing about X Factor is you know what you're getting ... [I]f we said, 'There's a low base of 5 [million] to 6 million,' we might build on that but it won't be less, compared to a new drama that might only be a million."

Here are the year-by-year numbers for the season finale, according to Billboard:

2014: 9.4 million
2013: 9.7 million
2012: 11.1 million
2011: 13.1 million
2010: 17.2 million
2009: 15.6 million
2008: 13.5 million
2007: 11.4 million
2006: 10.4 million
2005: 9.3 million
2004: 9.7 million

While the American version never really created any stars, the U.K. show rivals American Idol in terms of pop success. Leona Lewis, Olly Murs and One Direction are among the show's alumni.

See More The X Factor, Simon Cowell, One Direction
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