Celebrities

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Cowell reportedly close to dumping Spears as judge on The X Factor

By: Scott Collins

Posted: 12/31/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Simon Cowell

LOS ANGELES -- Just days after the Season 2 finale of The X Factor comes word that Britney Spears -- the pop singer hired to bring ratings sizzle to Simon Cowell's TV singing extravaganza -- is getting the heave-ho as a judge after just one season.

According to Us Weekly, Cowell is close to canning Spears because he doesn't feel she's earned her $15-million paycheque. "He wanted crazy Britney, but he got boring Britney," Us Weekly quoted an unnamed insider as saying.

Indeed, pre-X Factor, Spears got attention for such off-hours antics as shaving her head and driving with her baby on her lap. But many critics feel she's been a bland presence on the show, repeatedly murmuring, "Amazing," when asked her opinion of acts.

Of course, it doesn't help that The X Factor's ratings have seen a double-digit decline from Season 1 on Fox. Before the show premiered, you will recall, Cowell was vowing to beat American Idol.

At the moment, only Cowell and fellow judge Demi Lovato are poised to return next fall. L.A. Reid already announced his intention to depart The X Factor and refocus on his duties as a music executive.

But a show spokeswoman said it's too early to talk about what the future holds for X Factor. "No one has discussed next year's judging panel yet," the spokeswoman told Show Tracker. "Any reports otherwise are complete speculation."

-- Los Angeles Times

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 31, 2012 D4

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Celebrities

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.