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On February 17th, music mogul Simon Cowell took to his official Twitter account to suggest that the winners of the big three singing competitions go head-to-head in a super final. He tweeted, “Maybe the winner of @TheXFactorUSA this yr should compete with winner of The Voice & Idol in a super final. Just a thought. I’d be up for it.”

Now that would be completely interesting and you know we would watch. We love these competition shows, so we can only imagine how well a special featuring the best of the best would go over. Would you watch?

Now, one of the judges of The Voice, Adam Levine, is discussing the idea in a recent interview. He said, “Simon’s just so clever. He’s so hell bent on competing with other shows. We’re not really interested in a way. That’s kind of a cool idea, actually, but I’m not so sure we’re totally interested in what everyone else is doing. We’re just kind of worrying about what we do ’cause we all know the more we worry about everybody else, the more the quality of what you’re doing tends to suffer. So, we want to just do what we do.”

In case you’ve missed last night’s episode of The Voice, you can check out our full episode recap here. Do you think that Simon’s idea is a good one? Would you like to see Melanie Amaro battle it out with the future winners of American Idol and The Voice? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Photo Credit: PacificCoastNews.com

Janet Jackson is said to be in preliminary talks with Simon Cowell to join The X Factor USA as a judge for the talent competition. After the news broke that Simon terminated Steve Jones, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, we were curious as to whom he would get to replace them.

Janet talked to Anderson Cooper on Thursday, but was said to have tiptoed around the possibility of joining the show. She said, “Oh my God. No I’m not a judge on The X Factor.”

Anderson replied, “You’re not currently a judge on The X Factor.”

She said in response, “No, I am not. But that’s all I really think I should say.”

Reportedly Simon has been in meetings with potential candidates to replace the ousted judges. Another source told The Hollywood Reporter that Pink is on Simon’s wish list for a judging seat. The source said that “she can take on Simon.”

Another snitch revealed that Simon has also shown interest in hiring Katy Perry for a spot. The music mogul said, “I worked with Katy once. I think she would be fun because she is hard — in a good way — and she’s feisty. She would be great. In terms of experience, success…brilliant.”

Would you like to see Janet Jackson, Pink and/or Katy Perry judging The X Factor? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Photo Credit: Jean Catuffe / PCN Photos

Former host of The X Factor USA, Steve Jones, says that he has no hard feelings toward the show or its creator, Simon Cowell.

It was confirmed last month that Simon wanted to go in another direction and had axed Steve, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger for the show’s upcoming second season.

When speaking about his termination, he said that he accepted the show’s tough nature and added that he wouldn’t have any reservations about working with Simon again in the future.

He said, “I have no hard feelings whatsoever towards Simon. It’s a tough business and anyone trying to get into it should always keep in mind that it can go tits up in a heartbeat. I’d work with Simon on the moon if given the chance.”

He went on to say that while he was disappointed that he got the axe, he is privilege to have worked on the show in the first place. He added, “I loved working in L.A. The best bit was working, the worst bit was not working. I have made some great American friends and I have learned that America/Los Angeles is wicked.”

Photo Credit: Greg Tidwell / PCN Photos

Auditions for the second season of The X Factor USA are set to open on March 1st with open call auditions starting in Kansas City on March 14th. So what’s going to change for the show since season one crowned Melanie Amaro its winner?

The show’s executive Simon Cowell has said that things will be different this year. In a new interview, he said that it doesn’t matter if his hopefuls already have management deals — they can still audition!

He said, “We wanted to change a few things this year, so starting with the auditions, we’ve torn up the rulebook again. Even if you have management you can still enter, and we are making it easier by extending the online auditions and taking the MyStudio booths to even more cities. You can enter as many times as you want and come to any of the cities, too. We’re hear to discover stars from all music styles including groups. I really believe a group can win this show!”

L.A. Reid said, “In the music industry, when you’re looking for new talent you can discover it anywhere. The X Factor is opening this up to go further than anyone has before, and that’s what it takes, so I can’t wait to see what amazing talent we might find. I urge people to go out and audition, this is the real deal.”

Are you going to audition for the second season of The X Factor USA?

In the mass firings surrounding The X Factor USA, one person besides Simon Cowell has retained his judging job — L.A. Reid! Last month, it was announced that Simon had given walking papers to host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger.

Now, L.A. has been confirmed to return for his judging duties on the second season of the show. His salary is yet to be confirmed, but Fox has agreed to having him return.

L.A. did sign Astro to his record label, while Paula and Nicole failed to net the show any real stars…save for maybe Josh Krajcik. Neither Simon nor Fox have made a statement on L.A.’s return to the show, but Simon did thank Steve, Paula and Nicole for their season one duties.

He said in a statement, “I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”

Who are you most saddened to see leave the show? We were mostly bummed out to hear that Paula got the axe, primarily because she wasn’t really given that much of a chance on season one with the groups category. What do you think?

Last week, we learned that Simon Cowell really cleaned house on The X Factor USA. He fired host Steve Jones and fellow judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, leaving himself and L.A. Reid to judge the singing competition.

It was quite the shocking dismissal when he handed all three of them their walking papers, but he wants to make it up to us by hiring Beyonce. Reportedly the mogul has offered Beyonce a cool $100 million to judge the second season of the show.

According to a source, “He wants a big name female star on the panel. Mariah is good, but she’s not that hot today. He wants Beyonce because that would immediately give him the bounce needed to beat American Idol.”

Truthfully, we don’t care who he hires for the job, as long as it’s not Perez Hilton. He has officially started his campaign to become a judge on the show, but rest assured, we would be tuning out if he landed it. Would you watch if Perez Hilton was judging? Or would you prefer to see Beyonce on the show?

Photo Credit: Greg Tidwell, PacificCoastNews.com

Now that Steve Jones is out at the host of The X Factor USA, who is going to fill his shoes? It’s being rumored that American Idol host Ryan Seacrest might be taking the job.

If Ryan were approached to take the hosting duties for Simon Cowell’s talent show, wouldn’t that mean the show is becoming American Idol 2.0?

Ryan is a good host and the show definitely needs a boost since ousting the Welsh host, Steve. However, after hearing Ryan utter the words, “This…is…American Idol!” so many times, would you want him to join The X Factor? Could you imagine him as the host of both shows?

Will Simon seek out Ryan to host the show? Or will he opt to find some new talent for the hosting job? Who should he hire to take on that role?

It’s also being rumored that Simon is looking to get Mariah Carey on the show as a judge. That move would definitely bring some star power to the show, but is she the right choice?

Would you watch if Ryan is hosting and L.A. Reid, Mariah Carey and Simon Cowell are judging? What could they do to bring you in as a viewer? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

Photo Credit: Thomas Janssen / PCN Photos

There have been some rumblings in the past about whether or not Steve Jones’ contract with The X Factor USA would be renewed.

Back in December, a source said, “The executives at Fox have already decided not to renew his contract and so, short of a miracle happening, it is pretty much a done deal that he will not take part next season.”

Despite that, a spokesperson for The X Factor said, “No discussions have been had and no decisions will be made about any new contracts until the New Year.”

Now, it seems that things might be going south for the host! Simon Cowell said, “I don’t think he did a bad job but, like America’s Got Talent, there is a Brit limit on the show.”

Fox Entertainment chief, Kevin Reilly, previously said, “Whether Steve’s the guy or not, it comes under the heading of growth in general, so there will be some tweaks to the show. Hosting, as we know, it is a much harder job than meets the eye. I think everybody now has come to realize the value of Ryan Seacrest.”

Do you think they should replace Steve Jones? If so, who should replace him? Hit the comments and let us know what you think!

Photo Credit: Greg Tidwell / PCN Photos

After Melanie Amaro was crowned the first winner of The X Factor USA, Simon Cowell and company are gearing up for some changes to the show for season two.

The show has already started auditions for the next season, but Simon wants us all to know that we should be ready for some changes. In a new interview, he said, “Can we make the show better? Yes. I will never ever go into anything going forward unless I can believe I can make it better. Next year will be a bloodbath. We have to come out with something better than the rest, and that’s what we aim to do.”

Paula Abdul said, “It’ll be successful if you are open to tweaking things. I understand pros and cons of the value of having these big production numbers, but…I am a fan of less is more.”

It appears that all of the judges are up for the next go around, except for maybe Nicole Scherzinger. She said that the show took a lot out of her, adding, “I’m an artist first, not a judge. At the beginning of next year, I’m focusing on my album and going on tour in Europe.”

Do you want Nicole Scherzinger to return as a judge on The X Factor USA? Will you be watching season two of the show? Sound off in the comments!

Music mogul Simon Cowell has admitted that he has made some mistakes with The X Factor USA. He revealed that he was a bit cocky about the launch of the show here in the States. He also made a prediction that the show would get twenty million viewers.

In a new interview, he said, “I’m cocky by nature. But I’d come off a massive final in the U.K., I had adrenaline, I couldn’t wait to put the show on here and it’s gonna take a little bit longer than I thought.”

He’s still rooting for his remaining contestant, Melanie Amaro, but said that he made some bad song choices during the show. He said, “I learned that I’m not American – that was a big factor of where I got things right and where I got things wrong.”

When speaking about Melanie’s final song, he added, “The song was too British and too old for her — I’m trying to think American.”

Will you be watching the show when the finale airs? Who are you rooting for to win it all? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Rumor has it that Steve Jones might just be hosting The X Factor USA for only one season! Oh noes! We’re fans of Steve at the Earsucker headquarters, so we don’t like the thought of them replacing him. Ugh.

The first season of the show ends on Thursday, when America crowns its first X Factor champion and winner of a five million dollar recording contract. According to a source close to the situation, Steve has been fired from the show.

An insider said that only a miracle would keep Steve on the show and he’s said to be devastated over the decision. A source said, “Steve keeps saying that living in L.A. is a dream come true. He loves the weather and the women, and he loves working on X Factor – it’s just a shame that the U.S. public has not warmed to him. He got terrible reviews from critics when he started and things haven’t go better. There have been mistakes and he just doesn’t seem to have the knack for dealing with contestants.”

The source said, “The executives at Fox have already decided not to renew his contract and so, short of a miracle happening, it is pretty much a done deal that he will not take part next season.”

But — there is still hope! An X Factor spokesperson said, “No discussions have been had and no decisions will be made about any new contracts until the New Year.”

Of the rumors and speculation, Steve said, “You can’t second guess the Dark Lord, you really can’t! But, you know, I’m happy with the way I performed over the course of the series, and hopefully Simon Cowell is as well. It’s difficult to gauge Simon because he only ever approaches you and talks to you when you’ve done anything wrong.”

What do you think of the reports? Do you want to see Steve Jones back for season two of The X Factor? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Photo Credit: Fallen Star, PacificCoastNews.com

Music mogul Simon Cowell says that he has considered the idea of an intimate relationship with his X Factor USA co-judge Paula Abdul.

The two have long rumored to be dating, but Simon finally admitted that he once thought about it. On Barbara Walters’ special, the 10 Most Fascinating People, he talked of their relationship over the years.

He said, “We didn’t like each other in the beginning. I think it was sexual tension – on her part.”

Barbara then asked, “That she really wanted you?”

He responded, “A million percent.”

Then she asked, “What happened? Did you want her?”

He answered, “I considered it. But then I thought, I don’t think the after would be as good as before.”

Barbara prodded with another question, asking him if it was because he didn’t want to wake up with her. He responded, “I’d let her stay for a few hours, but then it would have to be ‘Good night.’

He added, “If you’re watching Paula, it is true.”

Do you think they should just hook up and get it over with already? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts!

In a shocking elimination, Rachel Crow was cast off from The X Factor USA last night. It came down to between Rachel and Marcus Canty. It was familiar territory for Marcus, who was in the bottom two for the third time in a row. This was a first for Rachel, who has always performed way above par.

After their respective performances, Nicole Scherzinger made the decision to allow America to decide who was going home. In the end, Rachel had the lowest votes and was eliminated.

Simon Cowell wasn’t upset with Nicole’s decision, however. He said, “I know when someone’s doing something for the right reasons and I have to be fair like that. There were no games being played tonight. Because I thought we were so safe, I thought, that’s quite a nice gesture to do, to let Marcus go. I went to see her afterwards and this is all off-camera stuff. You know when someone’s lying. She was distraught.”

Rachel took to her Twitter account to discuss the elimination. She said, “Thank u so much to all of my fans I love you so much. I am sad tonight but I will bounce back and be fine tomorrow :) Please don’t be angry with @nicolesherzy she was put in such a tough position. I love u all so much.”

As far as who she’s throwing her support behind? She tweeted, “@MrChrisRene @TheXFactorUSA I miss u already too now go win this thing!!”

In the end, she tweeted, “I am so thankful to have such amazing fans thank u for sticking by me. I love u with all my heart.”

We’ll miss you on the show Rachel!

What did you think of the results? Let us know in the comments!

Now that Lakoda Rayne has been eliminated on last week’s elimination episode of The X Factor USA, we were wondering what the show would have Paula Abdul do? Since she no longer has a group to mentor, would she be given the heave-ho from the show? We’ve got your answer!

The X Factor Digital Correspondent, Jim Cantiello, talked with Simon Cowell about the possibilities before Lakoda Rayne were given the boot from the show. So, would he have eliminated her?!?

Watch the video: (after the jump, due to autoplay) (continue reading…)

Well it looks like shock jock Howard Stern has got X Factor USA host Simon Cowell in his corner for the judging position on America’s Got Talent. The position was vacated by Piers Morgan, who went on to do his own show.

Simon said that he likes the idea of Howard taking Piers’ place on the show, but also revealed that he doesn’t really have a say in the matter.

In a new interview with Access Hollywood, Simon said, “I like him. There’s a lot of people who make decisions on this stuff. Money’s got to work, schedules have got to work. There might be a few twists and turns still.”

Interesting. But do they have anyone else in mind? Simon’s not telling!

He added, “I can’t tell you. That’s neither a yes or a no.”

It has been rumored that the show has already been in some negotiations with Howard over taking over the judging role on the show.

Would you watch America’s Got Talent if Howard Stern were judging the competition? Do you think he would be polarizing enough to bring in viewers? I know I would watch!

Photo Credit: Fame Pictures

On last week’s elimination episode of The X Factor, it got down to Astro and Stacy Francis in the bottom two. Astro acted indignant in the final showdown, even asking his mentor, L.A. Reid, if he should sing at all, to stay in the competition.

This move didn’t sit well with Simon Cowell, who made it clear that he almost changed his mind in choosing to send Stacy home.

Since, we’ve learned that there is going to be a double elimination next week — so will Astro change his tune?

Apparently so, because Simon tweeted this message to let Astro’s fans know that things are much different now. He tweeted, “Met with Astro and his father today and @LA_Reid. Everything is much calmer now and the good news is he’s back on the show next week.”

Was it a wise decision for them to keep Astro in the competition over Stacy? What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know! Will Astro be singing his last song on the show when it comes time for America to vote?

It’s Rock Night on The X Factor with the top ten finalists! In case you’ve missed last week’s show, we saw the exit of another of Paula Abdul’s groups, The Stereo Hogzz. Read our recap of the performance and elimination episodes at these links. We’re updating with the performance videos at this link…check ‘em out!

We’re down to these top ten competitors for the five million dollar recording contract:

Rachel Crow, Lakoda Rayne, Josh Krajcik, LeRoy Bell, Melanie Amaro, Stacy Francis, Astro, Marcus Canty, Chris Renee and Drew Ryniewicz.

For their precap, some of the contestants spoke about tonight’s theme, Rock! Astro said that he’s stepping out of his element and that he’s excited to show people that he can do more than just Hip Hop.

Melanie said she’s going to go in and have her rock face on. Yes! I’m hoping she rocks some Heart! Now that would be amazing.

LeRoy said that he’s hoping to push the envelope with the rock theme. Marcus said he’s on the fence with the rock theme, but if Tina Turner can do it — he can do it!

Rachel said that it’s almost like last week’s song, but it’s more upbeat with a retro vibe. She hopes we’ll enjoy her performance. Josh said that it has to be the right song and could prove to be a game-changer for him.

Chris said that this is a genre that he’s not used to, but he’s going to put his stamp on it and make it his. Drew said that to be rock n’ roll, you have to have that attitude in the way you express yourself.

Stacy said that she first heard the theme and thought she was going to get sent home, but also said that it’s exciting. Lakoda Rayne hopes to kick butt with a rock song and prove to America that they can only take their talent further.

WATCH: [After the jump due to auto-play] (continue reading…)

Nicole Scherzinger is not playing around!

Reportedly, the Pussycat Dolls singer has banned fellow judge Simon Cowell from her group’s rehearsals on the first season of The X Factor USA!

Now, as you know, we’ve been watching the show and recapping it this entire season. We’ve gotta tell you, it’s been getting pretty hairy between the judges. They are always clowning around and nitpicking with each other’s mentoring of the remaining eleven acts.

Nicole is still mentoring the Over 30′s group, which consists of Stacy Francis, Josh Krajcik and LeRoy Bell. On last week’s performance episode, Simon offered her some advice on which song to have Stacy sing. And, of course, Stacy wow’ed everyone in attendance.

Reportedly, Simon had been attending Nicole’s group’s rehearsal sessions and had been criticizing her mentoring of her three remaining contestants. Then, after Stacy performed Up To The Mountain and she killed it, Simon took credit.

A source said, “Last week, Simon made a big deal out of choosing Stacy’s song, and he said he didn’t think she’s connected with them all. She wasn’t happy with him at all – so now Nicole isn’t taking any chances. She’s made it clear these are her artists, she is mentoring them and Simon should back off!”

Can you blame her?

Photo Credit: Fame Pictures

On last week’s episode of The X Factor, we’ve told you how the judges have eliminated singers from their teams.

Now that Simon Cowell had to eliminate two girls from his team, he’s down to his top three contestants, Drew Ryniewicz, Melanie Amaro and Rachel Crow. Apparently their security has become an issue!

TMZ reports:

According to our sources, Simon has grown concerned about the safety of the three girls — Drew Ryniewicz, Melanie Amaro, and Rachel Crow — after a recent trip to the mall turned into a mob scene.

Our sources says the incident prompted Simon to instruct his personal bodyguards … they are not to let the girls leave the studio without some form of security. We’re told Simon wants the girls to be able to feel safe while doing the kinds of things normal girls do.

Simon sure is protective of the talent! Good for him! He is super confident that one of his girls has what it takes to go all the way in the competition. Who are you rooting for? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think.

Photo Credit: Fame Pictures

Twenty-one year old Tora Woloshin performed I Can’t Get No Satisfaction on last night’s Judge’s House episode of The X Factor. She said that she wants to build race cars on the drag strip, but singing for her, is always going to be at the top of the charts.

Apparently she was feeling some of the struggle with her performance, but she obviously pulled through with this Rolling Stones classic. I loved her singing. Her audition was amazing and she can really rock it when performing in front of an audience.

Check out her performance from last night:

She certainly got some Satisfaction with that song, we think she blew it out of the park. Was Tora’s performance your favorite of the night? We were a fan straight from her audition. She’s got immense talent and we feel that she’s definitely going to make it through. What do you think? Sound off in the comments and tell us!

Fourteen-year-old student Drew Ryniewicz performed It Must Have Been Love by Roxette for her performance on the judge’s house stage of The X Factor competition.

She sat down in a chair for the intimate performance and blew us away completely.

Check out the video:

She’s so young, but she’s got an amazing voice. She should definitely get put through to the next round, we loved it!

She really made the song her own without changing it up too much. Good for her!

Are you a fan of Drew’s singing? Was this your favorite performance of the night? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think!

In case you’ve missed our official recap of the show last night, then we’ve got the official list of the top 32 contestants on The X Factor and the judges who are mentoring each group!

THE GIRLS – MENTORED BY SIMON COWELL

Caitlin Koch
Tora Woloshin
Simone Battle
Drew Ryniewicz
Rachel Crow
Jazzlyn Little
Melanie Amaro
Tiah Tolliver

THE BOYS – MENTORED BY ANTONIO “L.A.” REID

Brennin Hunt
Brian Bradley
Skyelor Anderson
Nick Voss
Tim Cifers
Phillip Lomax
Marcus Canty
Chris Rene

GROUPS – MENTORED BY PAULA ABDUL

Stereo Hogzz
2Squared
4 Shore
The Brewer Boys
Illusion Confusion
The Anser

OVER 30s – MENTORED BY NICOLE SCHERZINGER

Elaine Gibbs
Tiger Budbill
Leroy Bell
James Kenney
Josh Krajcik
Krista Collins
Dexter Haygood
Stacey Francis

For the next stage of the competition, each of the groups will be going to their mentor’s homes to rehearse and receive guidance on everything they will need to score that $5 million recording contract.

Who are you rooting for in the competition? Who was your favorite contestant? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think!

Tonight’s episode of The X Factor brings the auditions to Chicago, Illinois. In case you’ve missed episode one and/or two, you can read our official recaps at these links (Episode 1, Episode 2).

Brock and Mackenna are up first, singing Colder Weather by the Zac Brown Band. They are really talented, considering it’s country music and we’re not fans. The judges all said yes.

Tim Quinn sang afterward and was off the mark. Robin Royal was up next, and she’s awful. Charlesia Heard is up next and she was trying to audition for a judging position. Singing next is Skylore Anderson, singing I Must Be Doing Something Right by Billy Currington. The judges enjoyed his performance, even though the track cut off in the middle of his singing. All of the judges said yes.

Auditioning next is J. Mark Inman singing Creep by Radiohead. He’s awkward and weird in his movements. He got through to the next round, and Simon didn’t get the chance to vote. Arin Ray sang next and got through. Afterward, Josh Krajcik is up next singing At Last by Etta James. He sounds like Michael Bolton. Standing ovation from the crowd and the judges are loving his soulful performance. He got through. (continue reading…)