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There have been a lot of rumors surrounding whether or not Britney Spears will be on the second season of The X Factor USA as a judge. Now we know that the show’s head honcho Simon Cowell wants her on the show just as much as we do.

He has admitted in a new interview with TMZ that he’s gunning hard to get the pop singer on the show next season. He told the gossip giant, “I would love to have her on the show. I think she would be a fascinating person to sit next to.”

He also said that he couldn’t talk too much about the ongoing negotiations for the show, but said that he may have an answer on Britney within the next week.

Fingers crossed!

Britney Spears doesn’t want to get bullied by The X Factor boss Simon Cowell — so she is insisting on a “no bullying” clause in her contract for the show. The pop singer was said to be super close to officially signing on for the talent competition’s second season.

Before she signs on, she is said to be looking for some assurance that she won’t become a victim of “Mr. Nasty.”

A source revealed, “Britney has huge respect for Simon but at the same time she’s a little bit scared of him. She’s excited about being part of the show but also mindful of the kind of role she is going to play on the judging panel. Britney doesn’t want to be the one trading verbal blows with Simon because she knows she would come off worse. She wants assurances that she will be projected in the right way. Britney wants to be the one nurturing new talent. She’ll leave the nasty stuff to Simon.”

I hope the rumors are true and Britney is signing on for the second season of the show. She seems like a nice person and the correct talent to mentor new singers. What do you think?

After a little bit of haggling, sources have confirmed that Britney Spears is joining the next season of The X Factor USA as a judge! Congratulations to Britney on the new gig, we look forward to seeing her coach the contestants next season!

Britney was said to be offered a sum of ten million by show boss Simon Cowell, which was something that was under her asking price. Now, we’ve learned that Britney has pledged to become the newest judge on the show — for a whopping fifteen million dollars!

Well, Simon said that there would be big changes on the show — and this is quite the big news. A source revealed, “That was the big sticking point and now, thankfully, it’s been sorted. All they need to do now is work out the smaller points. The fact the money is now set means that there is nothing stopping this from becoming a reality.”

The source went on to say, “Britney’s conservators will be formally signing the contract by the end of this week at the latest. Britney can’t legally sign any documents because she is under the conservatorship. She is thrilled to be joining the show and is very, very excited. Britney has always been extremely supportive of artists trying to make it into the business and it’s a natural fit for her. Britney will be traveling to the out of state auditions and the schedule will be worked out so she won’t miss any custodial time with her sons. The boys will have their own playroom on the X Factor set so Britney can spend as much time with them as possible.”

It sounds like a done deal to us. Congrats to Brit!

Just a couple of days ago it was rumored that pop singer Rihanna was being courted by Simon Cowell to join The X Factor USA as a judge. Now, we’ve learned that Rihanna has denied the rumors of her joining Simon and L.A. Reid at the judges table when the show makes its return.

Rumor has it that Rihanna was chosen over Britney Spears for the judging spot. In a new interview with Daybreak, Rihanna has denied any involvement with the show.

She said, “I know, I haven’t heard about that. I haven’t had the call yet! I really didn’t, I haven’t heard about that.”

She also spoke of her acting debut in Battleship, saying, “I get that anxiety just before I’m about to do something big or when everybody’s going to be looking at me. When a room gets quiet like this just before the start of doing an interview, the butterflies do pop up.”

So where does Rihanna see herself in the future? She said, “In the next five years, the only real plan I have is professional. I’m really looking forward to seeing what life brings for me.”

Simon Cowell is still on the hunt to fill the vacated judging spots on The X Factor USA. According to sources, he has rejected the idea of having pop singer Britney Spears as a judge on the show!

She was rumored to have been offered $10 million for the job, but rejected it in favor of a counteroffer of $20 million. A source said, “Simon’s worried she won’t be able to deliver good advice, and he’s afraid contestants won’t take her seriously.”

Do you think Britney’s image would help or hurt the show?

The source added, “He’ll probably go more in the direction of Mariah Carey or Janet Jackson.”

Who do you want to see judging the show?

Rumor has it that Rihanna has been in negotiations to take one of the vacant judging spots on the upcoming second season of The X Factor USA.

Simon Cowell made headlines when he fired Steve Jones, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and quickly put out a call for new talent for the second season of the show.

Since, it’s been rumored that Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Katy Perry, Janet Jackson, Fergie and a number of others were taking the open spots. Now, we’re hearing that Rihanna may want the job — after she helped mentor the contestants on the first season.

An insider said, “The X Factor is still on the hunt for the new judges, and Rihanna has become the latest star mentioned as a possible candidate.”

Do you think Rihanna would be a good fit for the show as a judge? If not, who would you want to see sitting next to Simon and L.A. Reid at the judge’s table?

There have been a lot of rumors surrounding who will be taking the vacated judging jobs on Simon Cowell’s singing competition, The X Factor USA. Since Simon fired Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, we’ve heard reports that everyone from Britney Spears and Katy Perry to late songstress Whitney Houston as being considered for the open spots.

Britney is reportedly still in negotiations to take the job, after denying a $10 million offer and trying to up the ante on Simon to $20 million.

Now, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie is looking to toss her name into the hat. She has “her sights on becoming a judge” on the show, which already counts Simon and L.A. Reid as judges.

A source said, “It’s in the early stages, but Fergie’s the one who approached the producers about joining the panel.”

Simon said that he was looking for a judge who “wants to be on the show and isn’t doing it just for a paycheck.”

Do you think Fergie would be a good fit for the show? Or is Simon releasing names of celebrities systematically to see how the American public will react to each one? Who do you want to see judging the show?

Let’s hope Simon Cowell doesn’t pull the plug on The X Factor USA!

In actuality, Simon said that he would yank the British version of the talent competition from the air if the show’s ratings don’t improve next season. Whew!

I imagine he could say the same thing about the American version of the show, but that wouldn’t be any fun, would it? We love The X Factor and who doesn’t love the idea of winning $5 million in a singing competition? It sure does beat American Idol in terms of the prize offered!

In a new interview with London Daily Express, Simon said that he would rather the show “fall off the cliff on numbers than deteriorate slowly.”

Should the show continue to drop in numbers, he revealed, “Right, that’s the end of it. Let’s start something new.”

He has already said that he has a replacement show if that one sinks. He added, “I have something in development which could replace it if we get to that point.”

British fans — are you watching The X Factor? Do you want to see it get replaced?

I guess there are perks to being George Clooney’s arm candy! Just ask his current flavor of the year, Stacy Keibler, who is rumored to be getting considered for the vacated spot of host on Simon Cowell’s show, The X Factor!

Former host Steve Jones was let go after only one season and since Simon has said that he wants two hosts — a male and a female. Hey Simon, perhaps Stacy and Steve? It has a nice ring to it! #BringBackSteve

Reportedly, Stacy is currently in talks to join the show. A source close to the show said, “Talks are still ongoing with Britney, and she is asking for a lot more money than was originally offered. But producers are confident Britney will realize this is a great opportunity for her to reinvent herself and accept their deal.”

Another spy said, “Stacy Keibler is also in talks to join the show, but her lack of experience in the music business may make her more appropriate as a host. She looks fantastic and has bags of charisma.”

That statement sounds a little like something that her publicist may have leaked to let Simon know that she feels as if she would be perfect for the hosting job, doesn’t it? What do you think of the prospect of Stacy hosting the show?

Rumor has it that pop star Britney Spears is looking to get a whopping $20 million to be a judge on the second season of The X Factor USA. She was said to be nearing a deal to take on the vacant judging position and was offered $10 million for the job. However, she has declined the offer and wants show boss Simon Cowell to up the ante.

A source revealed, “The timing is perfect. Brit would love to connect with fans on a weekly basis and loves working on TV after several guest appearances on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother.”

She’s also said to have another offer on the table to take on a residency in a Las Vegas hotel.

Simon has previously revealed his fascination with the singer. He said, “I’m fascinated by Britney. The fact that she’s one of the most talked about – not just pop stars – but people in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power.”

He went on to say, “This girl has got resilience. I would think that if she’s managed to sustain a family, a career, which is tough, the X Factor would be a walk in the park. I would be fascinated to hear what she had to say. She’s still hot, she’s still having hit records and she’s still controversial, there’s a reason for that.”

Do you want to see Britney Spears judge the second season of The X Factor? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts!

Pop singer Britney Spears is nearing a deal to take over one of the vacant judging positions on Simon Cowell’s talent show, The X Factor USA.

Reportedly, Britney’s fiance Jason Trawick is almost done negotiating the contract and it could be signed, sealed and delivered as early as next week.

Reports were circulated recently suggesting that Simon had shown interest in having the pop singer judge the talent competition. Other names that have been thrown in the hat are Pink, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey and even Whitney Houston, before her untimely passing.

According to reports, Simon approached Britney about joining the show. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:

Recently, reports surfaced that the pop superstar was interested in joining the panel, but according to an insider, it was show creator Simon Cowell who made the initial approach. Spears is signed to Sony Music’s RCA Records, which absorbed her original label Jive in 2011 and has exclusive music rights to X Factor artists.

Ever since Simon Cowell fired Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and host Steve Jones, there has been nothing but rumors about who he’s going to get to replace the ousted X Factor employees.

Do you want to see Britney Spears sitting next to Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid at the judges’ table on the X Factor USA? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts!

In mid-February, there was speculation that Janet Jackson was set to join the judge’s table on Simon Cowell’s show, The X Factor USA. It didn’t help matters any that she appeared on Anderson Cooper’s show, where she appeared to be tap dancing around the topic of the show.

From our previous report:

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.”

Also said to be on the short list for consideration on the show are Pink, Katy Perry, Fergie, Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears. Now, Janet has officially taken her name off of the table for the show.

In a new interview, she revealed that she’s “very flattered that X Factor let me know that I was being considered for next season, but it just wouldn’t be possible.”

She said that she has already made commitments to her tour, along with Lionsgate and is not able to accept a television job at this time.

Who do you want to see sitting at the judge’s table on the show for season two? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Avril Lavigne is the latest singer to be rumored to be joining the ranks of judges on the U.S. version of The X Factor. After the show’s first season, head honcho Simon Cowell fired Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones. Now, naturally, he has to find replacements for the three axed people. Reportedly, he’s looking to replace Steve with two co-hosts, one male and one female.

Whitney Houston was rumored to have been considered for a judging position, prior to her untimely death. Also rumored to be in talks are Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and now Avril Lavigne.

Remember, L.A. Reid discovered Avril back in 2000, so this transition may come naturally for all involved. Also, she performed alongside Chris Rene on the show’s season one finale.

Avril might actually be a good choice for the job considering the fact that she had a record deal with Arista by the time she was 16-years-old. Perhaps she would make a great mentor — just as long as they don’t stick her with the groups. That, I believe, was Paula’s failing on the show, which at the end, left her with no one vying for the top prize.

What do you think of the prospect of Avril signing on to do the show? Would you watch?

Photo Credit: PacificCoastNews.com

Before the first season of The X Factor USA aired, Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger were set to share the hosting duties for the show. Instead, the show opted to have Steve host the show and make Nicole a judge.

Now, we are hearing reports that the show is contemplating a two host platform. FreemantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, “Simon’s vision was always to have a man and woman host this and to make it feel a little bit like an award ceremony. A glamorous girl and a good-looking guy doing a kind of double act.”

The CEO revealed that the show had a lot of trouble differentiating itself from American Idol. With regard to fellow judge Paula Abdul, Simon felt that his chemistry with her was too reminiscent of Idol. The CEO said, “There was no way around it. In terms of making the show feel different, everyone felt we needed to put it in a different situation.”

Since, we’ve learned that Simon has been thinking of taking on Mariah Carey for a judging position on the show. In addition, there have been talks surrounding adding Janet Jackson to the judge’s table. So who should host? What do you think?

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?

We have learned from American Idol host Ryan Seacrest that the show will find some way to pay tribute to fallen singer Whitney Houston.

During his coverage of the Grammy Awards, he said, “I can tell you now that I was on the phone with American Idol producers. We are trying to figure out how we can go in and obviously pay tribute in some way and acknowledge the impact that she had on popular singers, popular music and young singers that are trying to make it. So we’ll see.”

Simon Cowell recently revealed that he was considering Whitney for a judging spot on The X Factor USA. Also of note, Nigel Lythgoe claimed that he wanted Whitney as a mentor on this season of American Idol.

Whitney was 48 when she passed away suddenly on Saturday afternoon. It was said that she could have passed away as a result of a dangerous combination of Xanax and alcohol. She was found by her aunt in her Beverly Hilton suite, with her face submerged underwater.

Rest in peace, Whitney. Let’s hope the show pays you a fitting tribute.

Photo Credit: CPA, PacificCoastNews.com

Now that Simon Cowell has axed Steve Jones, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger from The X Factor USA, rumors are running rampant about who he’s going to get to replace all of them.

The speculation began when it was rumored that Simon was considering asking Mariah Carey and Beyonce, but now new rumors have popped up, suggesting that he really wants Katy Perry on the show.

In a new interview with Extra, Simon said, “I worked with Katy once. Think she would be fun because she is hard – in a good way – and she’s feisty.”

Would you watch the show if Katy Perry were made a judge? Simon has ruled out any possibility of having Elton John as a judge, adding, “Absolutely not. He wouldn’t do it and he’d be really difficult to work with.”

Who do you think Simon should get to replace Paula, Nicole and Steve? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts!

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

Things at The X Factor USA have all been shaken up! We’ve learned that Steve Jones, Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul are all out of the show! What is Simon Cowell thinking?!??

We’ve heard rumors at the end of the first season that Steve wasn’t working out for the show…but this is a bit drastic, isn’t it? I mean, Paula Abdul, too?!?

Steve released a statement, confirming his departure. He tweeted last night, “I won’t be hosting next season’s X Factor which is a shame, but I can’t complain as I’ve had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show.”

Later, it was revealed that Nicole was also asked not to return and that Simon has “given her his blessing.”

Since, it’s been said that Paula had to go, too. Let’s hope that is just a rumor and she will be returning for season two. Fox has yet to comment on the reports of her termination.

What do you think of the news? Can you imagine the show without Steve, Paula or Nicole? The only people who are left are Simon and L.A. Reid. Who will Simon get to host the show now? Should he try for the gold and get Ryan Seacrest? That would be something, wouldn’t it?

Hit the comments with your thoughts on the news!

Update: Paula has released a statement saying that her termination was amicable. I wonder how much they had to pay for that?