Simon Cowell is clearing house. Or so it seems.
Following last night’s announcement that wooden host Steve Jones would be departing the Fox show, fresh reports have emerged ‘confirming’ judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul have also been culled and won’t be returning for season 2.
Details after the jump…
According to Deadline.com, neither lady voluntarily left the show; instead, their lukewarm performances on season 1 saw them officially not asked back for a second outing.
Pre-airing, Cowell ambitiously touted the show as being definite ratings winner, predicting an out-of-the-gate Idol-esque audience of 20 Million. The show went on to average 12 million viewers each week.
By no means disappointing for a “new series”, the music mogul will no doubt be looking for bigger figures next go round; a feat he seems to find unachievable with Scherzinger and Abdul on board.
As at writing, 4th judge LA Reid remains. Something we doubt will change given the close relationship his label Epic Records have with the series.
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Basic and boring, both were ill-equipped to judge on a show which bills itself as the gutsier, edgier Idol. And while Abdul can walk away looking at this as a victory lap of sorts (following her Idol axe), there’s few positive spins one can put on the whole shabang for Scherzinger.
Seen as the knight in shining armour for her flopping US solo career, the show instead showed Nicole to be devoid of (much) personality and zapped time to “work” her ‘Killer Love’ project. Although the latter is debatable, for her stint on the show took her to many a stage – both Stateside and International – with minimal results. Perhaps a testament to folk simply not feeling her?
Whatever the case, if true, it’s yet anther knock-back for the former Pussycat Doll. One that’ll take much vigour, perseverance, and quality material to bounce back from. The latter being her biggest issue.
Still, as the industry has shown over and over, a “comeback” is but one hit away. Given who we’re talking about, though, we won’t hold our breath. Ay, ay.
Randomness: One can only hope this creates avenue for Mariah Carey‘s long-anticipated involvement with the show.
The TGJ jury is still out on whether Kelly Rowland would be better suited to the UK show (where she serves now), or make a crossover to the US version – as has been reported for the last few months. Time will tell…
Your thoughts?
![Stream: 'Mufasa: The Lion King [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]'](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/mufasa-movie-soundtrack-tgj-1-464x260.png "Stream: 'Mufasa: The Lion King [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]'.")
Eeek~ I guess because too many song competition, people get bored with X-Factor USA. & yeah I think the combination of the judges didn’t give something fresh!… like Simon X Paula pairing was sooo American Idol. Nicole didn’t brought anything special.. neither Steve Jones. & what i hate most is the editing… gosh!!! on the other side… American Idol 11 also had some decreasing on the rating.
bring on Mariah Carey or maybe Whitney would be awesome though. & maybe Kanye for more drama. lol
Poor Nicole Shitzinger stays losing!
The host was awful and out-of-place on the US version to me. I figured one of the ladies needed to go because it was like twins sitting up there competing on who could be the most emotional about judging and sending people home. Nicole should’ve hosted instead of judged.
so i am so glad that host left the dude was so bad and he kept interrupting the judges on another note poor nicole she was a bad judge but hell what will stop her flopping career she should try to get the PCD back together for her sake lol..
anyway i would love to see mariah and kelly there that would be hot but din’t kelly say she wasn’t going back to the UK xfactor cause of her schedule so maybe she is going to the US one that would be killa!!!!
Nicole should have never been a judge. Her ass should have never really been offered a role on the show, should have stayed her happy self on The Sing Off…. Lucky enough to get that role as a judge, and a s***** one at that.
Simon brought Nicole on for eye candy.
He brought Paula back by his side for nostalgia.. AKA American Idol days…
…L.A. Reid in to be his new debate partner.
And Steve Jones to be the anit-Ryan Seacrest… And boy he was…. TERRRIBLE!
Kinda sad to see Paula go, but hell…American Idol became much better with Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez on deck! So who knows. I also kind of liek the idea of bringing in Kelly Rowland AND Mariah Carey! Could be interesting. Always thought it’d be nice for Kelly to get her shine in the US…. Crazy if being on the US show was her “spot” in life!
Anywho:
American Idol (revamped 2011-present) > The X Factor US
Well, FOX and Sir Cowell are still the big winners.
he can put Lady Gaga and Beyonce on the panel if he likes, people are simply tiring of his (un)-reality series concept. the UK counterpart took a ratings dip as well as AI in their last seasons. enough is enough, if u want a career in music, go about it the legitimate way. Simon couldnt care less about artistry, he markets all his acts the same way, if their first lp flops, he drops em like hot brick. i dunno why airheads keep lining his pockets with cash
Sammy are u kidding me, Kelly Rowland suited to the UK xfactor? if Kellly knows whats good for her she’ll walk away from that show now. what exactly has it done for her? she’s gotten more criticism than ever by British who arent feeling her “americanisms” here i am is her worst performing album in the UK, simply deep and ms kelly at least made it to the top 40 on UK albums chart.
yeah Mariah Carey should join the panel if she officially wants to be considered a has-been *rolls eyes* why dont u people get that no contemporary working artist should resign to any freaking reality tv unless they are on hiatus or retiring. who exactly has it helped, Jlo? Kelly? Nicole? as for Christina, well the jury is still out on that one
Aww. I honestly feel sorry for the Ladies, especially Nicole, she’s as equally talented as Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga & Beyonce & therefore deserves the same amount of success they’re enjoying. I think the two New Judges will be – Mariah Carey & Toni Braxton. That should be great!! Given the success of Toni’s Reality Show & the fact that Mariah (as well as Toni) are supposedly releasing new material this year. Let’s hope and see. *crosses fingers*
This show sucks! It’s not the ladies , although I do agree that they may have not added much to the show. It’s suffering from the overall syrupy, grand theatrical mess that the show is building itself up to be. The back stories and back stories and more back stories are over whelming and taking away from the focus of the show. This will never replace Idol. They aren’t clever enough to realize that sometimes more is just more. Scale it back, keep it simple. Let the show be about the competition, otherwise it’ll continue to produce mediocre talent with great back stories!
http://www.thepagewithroyalkev.com
@Sam —
“The TGJ jury is still out on whether Kelly Rowland would be better suited to the UK show (where she serves now)”
Sam, maybe YOU’VE heard something WE hadn’t; care to share? Because we’re hearing/reading different:
“Kelly Rowland won’t return to X Factor 2012” – Simon Cowell looks for new judge! Sam, here, have a read for yourself: http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/x-factor/kelly-rowland-wont-return-to-x-factor-2012-simon-cowell-looks-for-new-judge/
“Kelly Rowland ‘not returning to X Factor'”:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2012/01/16/kelly-rowland-not-returning-to-x-factor-115875-23701429/
“or make a crossover to the US version – as has been reported for the last few months.” <– o~O
Sam, where have YOU read, or since heard it intimated that the 30-something-year-old Kelly Rowland is rumored to be coming to the U.S. X-Factor? You ARE aware that she's "weakest" in the U.S., right? Lest you forget 'Motivation' took some 4 (almost) 5-Months to go platinum. And 'what of' her follow-up singles, since? NOTHING! That's what!!
Sam, I've made comment that "Here I am" sold no-more-than 300-K WW. If you have an 'industry link' that contradicts said guesstimate, I'd be eternally grateful to you for posting it..
X,Y,"and Z"
@Sam —
“The TGJ jury is still out on whether Kelly Rowland would be better suited to the UK show (where she serves now)”
Sam, maybe YOU’VE heard something WE hadn’t; care to share? Because we’re hearing/reading different:
“Kelly Rowland won’t return to X Factor 2012” – Simon Cowell looks for new judge! Sam, here, have a read for yourself: http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/x-factor/kelly-rowland-wont-return-to-x-factor-2012-simon-cowell-looks-for-new-judge/
“Kelly Rowland ‘not returning to X Factor'”:
mirror(codot)uk/celebs/news/2012/01/16/kelly-rowland-not-returning-to-x-factor-115875-23701429/
“or make a crossover to the US version – as has been reported for the last few months.” <– o~O
Sam, where have YOU read, or since heard it intimated that the 30-something-year-old Kelly Rowland is rumored to be coming to the U.S. X-Factor? You ARE aware that she's "weakest" in the U.S., right? Lest you forget 'Motivation' took some 4 (almost) 5-Months to go platinum. And 'what of' her follow-up singles, since? NOTHING! That's what!!
Sam, I've made comment that "Here I am" sold no-more-than 300-K WW. If you have an 'industry link' that contradicts said guesstimate, I'd be eternally grateful to you for posting it..
X,Y,"and Z" – OUT..!!
this show does suck….shoulda kept Paula tho…she’s the only reason i half way tuned in
Errm awww x,y,”and z” is attention seeking i guess. So here you go:
Woooooooooooooooooooo
Lmfao have y’all not noticed Kelly Rowland has done HORRIBLE with this album here I am… Ppl wanna talk about Keri hilson but no boys allowed has sold 300k in the u.s. alone Kelly hasn’t even reached 200k lmfao… It’s funny how ppl wanna call others a flop but when there fave flops they try to ignore her sales and focus on her moderate motivation hit that did not go top 10 on billboard… Hott 100
He should have just kept the series over the pond. That’s the thing his arrogance didn’t let him see, X Factor was the wrong time, wrong cast, wrong SHOW for a US audience that was moving on to a new AI and had a new spin of a show like The Voice.
There just wasn’t enough to distinguish that show from AI and AI at least has a new cast.
I do feel bad for Nicole though. She’s been trying for forever to have a successful career, all the way since her Eden’s Crusb days and it just seems like PCD was as close as she came to being on top and truly successful. That’s a shame.
@BrownChoco — re: 8:53 am —
“attention seeking”..?!?!
“Wooooooooo”..?!
..Why do you now dishonor and disrespect your ‘fave’ in such an unkind, if not whole-cut vulgar manner? Isn’t it bad enough you-all….(wait for it..) UNmotivated ‘Rowdogs’ slept through the release, AND subsequent ‘follow-up sales’, of “Here I am”..??
Let’s face it: you-all ABANDONED your ‘fave’!!
..YES – I said “abandoned”: less-than 200-K U.S. and certainly not-more-than 300K WW….?!?!
Repeat after me, Rowdogs:
We (you-all) are Pathetic!
We (you-all) are Losers!
We (you-all) are Hopeless!
Our (you-all) fave is a worthless, always-quick-with-the-excuses-waste-of-time hack!
..’Rusty-B*** Bottom-Feeders’ you-all are; one-and-all..!!
X,Y,”and Z” — OUT..!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Paula….who else am I going to laugh at?! Im going to miss her drunken behavior!!! I can’t believe Simon let Paula go again 🙁
To X, y, and z
I agree, you go at Kelly too hard, to not be a Stan.
At first, it seemed like you got a personal vendetta against her- now it’s just funny, you bash every move she makes- because you really wanna see her on top
I get it
And yea. Kelly on us xfactor would be a great move all around. She carried that uk show- the only memorable and personable one. Shed be better here- plus available to actually promote the next album here in the states
Paula should stay, Nicole should go. No to kelly Rowland and Mariah.
@Truth re: 10:29 am —
“you bash every move she makes- because you really wanna see her on top” <–O~o Huh..?!?!
"Kelly on us xfactor would be a great move all around."
Are you sure 'bout that? Even after she ONLY moved 'less-than' 200-K U.S. 'Here I am' units..?!
"She carried that uk show- the only memorable and personable one."
*Meh..* NOT according to U.K. X-Factor viewers/bloggers!! Go and read their comments in the X-Factor U.K. threads – BY SAID U.K. X-Factor VIEWERS. They're..let's just say.."MOTIVATED" and united in their dislike of/for your fave!
"Shed be better here- plus available to actually promote the next album here in the states."
But she WAS "here" (in the U.S.) to promote 'Here I am'! ..And how much more "promotion" do you need after being prominently placed on one of summer 2011's most-talked about tours: Chris Brown's 'F.A.M.E' Tour…???
"You're a stan." "I get it."
Listen, to me – if YOU were a fan – you'd want your fave to stop already! She's now making an utter nuisance and embarrassment of herself! X-Factor was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she, once again, FAILED!
She FAILED at Colombia records, this is why, after "Ms. Kelly" she was dropped. One "bad" CD does NOT get an artist fired. Which means "Simply Deep" was also – on a ROI (return on investment) basis – A FAILURE!
The 30-something-year-old Kelly Rowland is a failure who's managed to "fail-upwards" now for years. I'm not quite sure how she does it – though I'm absolutely sure I'll be able to figure it out after a bit of research – but she's managed to WORM her way into the kindest of graces time-and-again, only to THEN again-and-again FAIL! But, rest assured, this most recent failure, given the enormity of it all, won't go unnoticed! ..Want to know why? ..BECAUSE I WON"T LET IT – THAT'S WHY..!!!
Do you realize that I'm no longer "Team Chris" BECAUSE of the 30-something-year-old Kelly Rowland? Three years of organizing, fighting, and sacrificing, all for NOTHING!! But Chris Brown is about to hit a glass ceiling: he's about to find that his demographic hasn't/won't grow past girls, young women. Know why? Because he's now welded to the 30-something-year-old Kelly Rowland who's said: "Orlando Bloom, and men who look like him are T-H-E most beautiful/attractive!"
CHRIS BROWN IS A FOOL!! He's now 'cut-off his nose just to spite his face'! And you wanna know what's worse? Well, if given an ultimatum: "disrespect/betray Chris Brown, and we'll give you another chance", Kelly Rowland will GLADLY do so! You see, she's now desperate. And people facing a "hopeless circumstance" do the most-depraved things!
X,Y,"and Z" — OUT..!!
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @HONEY_DIP11 I FOLLOW BACK!!
It will be real nice to see either Maria Carey, Kelly Rowland, Cindy Lauperor Whitney Houston on the XFactor USA judging panel. I don’t real feel sorry for Nicole Schezinger. I think she was too selfish during the P**** Cat Doll era.
X Factor has been a hot mess since before it premiered. I personally think that he should axe the show while he is ahead.
And, Nicole needs to do something drastic and change record labels. or something. Hell idk maybe she just needs to quit lol
Yeah Nicole Scherzinger’s career is officially over! She is officially a reality show w****. First from Pop Stars around 2000… which gave her Edens Crush [failed]. Then Dancing With The Stars [which she won, and it failed to generate any buzz] and The Sing Off [where she was the sole female judge-failed to generate buzz again] in the past 2-3 years. And NOW X Factor US [which only hurt her career more than help it!].
Seriously. How many current, younger/new solo artists can you name, that have been on FOUR network TV reality shows…. Zer0!
@ JORDAN -I agree, Simon should have axed the show while he was ahead. Or atleast waited until Summer 2013 to bring on Season 2.