This morning it was announced that Nicole Scherzinger had left ‘The X Factor (US)’ and that the show’s host, Steve Jones, had also exited the stage for the last time. Now, amidst rampant speculation that spread via the tabloids, it has been confirmed that judge Paula Abdul has been also cut from the roster.
In statements issued to Entertainment Weekly, Abdul confirmed that she would not be returning to ‘X Factor (US)’ for the second season later this year. However, although the ‘Cold Hearted’ singer maintained a very pleasant tone, she did sugget that “business decisions often times override personal considerations,” thus alluding that her longtime relationships with Fox and Simon Cowell were not enough to save her job with the series.
Abdul served as a judge on ‘American Idol’ with Cowell. Their onscreen banter sparked major ratings for the show before they both eventually departed the platform to pursue other ventures.
Read statements from Adbul and Cowell below regarding her exit from ‘X Factor (US)’ below:
Paula Abdul: “Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season. I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations. Simon [Cowell] and I, along with Fox and [producers] Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.
Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle. I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams. This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.”
Simon Cowell: “I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part ofThe X Factor last year. We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars.
You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. 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.”
Read more on Entertainment Weekly.
By the way, Cowell and LA Reid’s spots on the judging panel of ‘X Factor (US)’ have both been declared safe by Fox executives. They are currently on track to return for the second season of the series later this year.
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