"The X Factor" executive producer Simon Cowell has now made it clear that he wants Demi Lovato to continue to be on "The X Factor" U.S. judging panel with him in 2013, although an official announcement has not been made yet and the decision is not completely up to Cowell. In an interview on the syndicated radio show "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" on March 6, 2013, Cowell had this to say about the chances of Lovato being asked to stay with the show this year: “Nothing is official, but I liked having Demi on the show. She’s fun to work with … I think we’d be crazy not to have her back.”
As of now, Cowell, 53, is the only judge who is guaranteed to be on "The X Factor" U.S. panel in 2013. Lovato, 20, has been saying in recent interviews that she would say yes if she is asked to remain a judge on the show. The replacements for Britney Spears and L.A. Reid have not yet been announced. Representatives for the show will only say that decisions are being made. Executives at Fox (the U.S. network for "The X Factor"), Syco Entertainment (the company that Cowell owns with Sony Music) and FremantleMedia North America ("The X Factor" U.S.'s other production company) are among those who decide who will be the judges and host(s) on "The X Factor" U.S.
Lovato became a judge on "The X Factor" U.S. in May 2012. Although Lovato got a lot of criticism from Cowell and many "X Factor" viewers for how she mentored contestants (Lovato's critics think she is too young and inexperienced to be a good mentor), she also has her share of fans who want her to stay on "The X Factor" because they think she brings honest feedback and an entertaining personality to the show. Cowell also likes to have another judge to bicker with when he is on a judging panel. With Paula Abdul long gone from "The X Factor," Lovato has filled the gap of being the judge who is most likely to argue with Cowell on the show.
And Lovato has some other things working in her favor that could help her negotiate an "X Factor" salary raise: She won the 2013 People's Choice Award for Favorite Celebrity Judge. (The other nominees were Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera.) In addition, Lovato's music career is hotter than ever. As previously reported, her single "Heart Attack" is shaping up to be her biggest hit so far: The song (released on Feb. 25, 2013) debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart and No. 1 on the iTunes Top 100 Songs chart in the U.S. and other countries.
In Cowell's "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" interview, he did not confirm or deny rumors about who might replace Spears and Reid. There are rumors that among the celebrities on Cowell 's wish list to replace Spears and Reid are on-again/off-again couples Rihanna and Chris Brown and Katy Perry and John Mayer. However, these stars don't want to the job, and they certainly wouldn't sign up to work with their significant other for months at a time when everyone knows how volatile and unpredictable their relationships are. Perry has previous experience as a judge on a talent show (she's been a guest judge on "American Idol" and on "The X Factor" U.K.), but she has already told the media that she doesn't want to be a full-time judge on a talent show at this point in her career.
In Cowell's "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" interview, he did not talk about whether or not Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez will continue to co-host "The X Factor" U.S., but Cowell did joke that Seacrest (who hosts "American Idol") could be a guest host on "The X Factor." Seacrest on "The X Factor" is never going to happen, as long as Cowell and "American Idol" executive producer Simon Fuller continue to be enemies.
The entire judging panel for "The X Factor" U.S.'s third season should be announced by May 2013. Fox televises "The X Factor" U.S. from September to December. The show is likely to skip having a host or hosts for auditions, boot camp and judges' houses, but should have a host or hosts for the live episodes that will begin in late October or early November.
Comments