X Factor (USA) 2012

[tammyy2j]

Paula Abdul is leaving Fox’s The X Factor.

So is fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger.

And so is host Steve Jones.

Sources near the show confirm all three stars will not return for X Factor‘s second season next fall, though Fox has only officially acknowledged the departure of Jones and Scherzinger. The stunning X Factor exodus marks a dramatic day of network reality show bloodletting.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/01/30/nicole-scherzinger/

[Perdita]

X Factor USA has announced that auditions for its second season will launch in March.

Open casting calls will kick off at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City on March 14 before travelling to the Frank Erwin Centre in Austin (March 22), the Cow Palace in San Francisco (April 20) and the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro (May 1).

One further audition city will be announced at a later date.

Once again, auditions are open to all solo artists and groups from the age of 12 upwards, and a new twist this season means hopefuls with a prior management contract (subject to limited restrictions) are also eligible to try out.

Simon Cowell said in a statement: "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 here to discover stars from all music styles including groups. I really believe a group can win this show!"

This year's prize is a $5 million recording contract with Sony Music.

Hopefuls unable to attend one of the open casting calls can submit an online audition consisting of a one-minute introduction and two-minute a cappella performance from March 1 at www.thexfactorusa.com.

They can also visit one of the MyStudio HD Recording Studios at various cities across the country from the dates below (with further locations to be announced later):
New Jersey, Westfield Garden State Plaza - March 1

Phoenix, Arizona Mills Mall - March 1

Nashville, Coolsprings Centre Mall - March 1

Honolulu - Pearlridge Centre - March 1

Los Angeles, Westfield Culver City - March 9

New England, Boxwoods Resort Casino - March 9

Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort - March 14

LA Reid will return alongside Cowell as a judge for the second season with additional judges to be confirmed at a later date.

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."

Melanie Amaro won the first season of The X Factor in December 2011, taking home the $5 million recording contract prize and the chance to star in a Pepsi Super Bowl commercial, which aired this month and featured Sir Elton John.

For full audition details visit www.thexfactorusa.com.

[Perdita]

Janet Jackson is rumoured to be in talks for a judging role on The X Factor USA.

The 45-year-old singer - whose biggest hits include 'Together Again' and 'That's the Way Love Goes' - has reportedly expressed interest in the show.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, discussions between Jackson and the show's producers are still in the early stages.

Jackson avoided confirming any X Factor rumours during an interview with Anderson Cooper earlier this week, insisting: "No, I'm not a judge on The X Factor."

When Cooper clarified: "You're not currently a judge on The X Factor," she replied: "No, I am not. But that's all I really think I should say."

Simon Cowell is believed to be holding meetings with potential judges this week, two weeks after former judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones were revealed to be leaving the show.

Cowell is believed to have shown interest in singers Mariah Carey and Katy Perry.

He recently said: "I think [Katy] 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."

[tammyy2j]

Now, as The X Factor gets ready to kick off its Season 2 audition process March 14 in Kansas City, MO, Cowell fielded a conference call with reporters to preview what changes are in store for his show.
It will take two people to do the work of the departing Steve Jones | “I always wanted a boy and a girl to host the show,” Cowell said, reminding reporters that X Factor had initially intended to have Jones and Nicole Scherzinger share emcee duties in Season 1. (That plan was scrapped when Scherzinger took over as a mentor following Cheryl Cole’s abrupt departure.) With Jones also getting the boot in last month’s X Factor bloodbath, Cowell said he can now get back to his original vision. “The traditional host role has to change into something else,” argued Cowell, who added he thinks it’s “almost impossible” for one person to juggle contestants’ telephone numbers, sponsor integration, on-stage interviews, herding of judges, and other duties. What’s more, said Cowell, he doubts that he’ll end up hiring people who are already in the TV hosting business, instead opting for people who will help X Factor look and feel different from its competitors.

Don’t look for guys to occupy the seats in between Simon and L.A. Reid | Cowell said he is “100 percent” certain he’ll hire two women to replace departing mentors Scherzinger and Paula Abdul.

The show won’t give up on the “Groups” category — despite wretched results in Season 1 | Cowell reiterated that having groups mixed in with solo artists helps differentiate X Factor from The Voice and American Idol. What’s more, he added, there’s a “massive opportunity” for the show to discover this generation’s TLC, N Sync, Backstreet Boys, or Destiny’s Child.

Expect a Whitney Houston tribute | That said, added Cowell, he fully expects Idol and The Voice to pay homage to the late diva before their current seasons end. As a result, X Factor will have to brainstorm ideas to honor Houston “in a different way.”

You probably won’t see a showdown of reality singing competition winners anytime soon | “I was disappointed with the reactions back from the other two shows,” said Cowell when asked about his recent Tweet calling for a World Series of sorts pitting the X Factor champ against the winners of Idol and The Voice. “They’ve both bottled it for now.” Still, never say never, Cowell insisted. “I’m still up for it!”

[Perdita]

LeAnn Rimes has reportedly expressed an interest in signing on to The X Factor USA.

The country singer met with the Fox series' co-producer FremantleMedia North America to discuss the possibility of joining the show as a member of the judging panel, according to Entertainment Weekly.

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Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul exited the Fox series in late January, while host Steve Jones has also confirmed that he will not be returning for the show's second season.

Since the shake-up, a number of names for potential judging candidates have been rumoured, including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Katy Perry.

Britney Spears has also expressed interest in joining the show, according to Us Weekly. The singer allegedly reached out to the series recently.

Simon Cowell has confirmed that he will be adding two females to X Factor USA's judging panel.

Rimes recently admitted that she struggled with her weight when she was younger, confessing that she was fat as a child.

[lizann]

Britney Spears is likely to become a judge on the next series of the US X Factor, according to reports. While there has been no official announcement, multiple sources report that Spears has accepted Simon Cowell's terms for joining the show.

The singer will become the highest-paid judge in reality TV, according to E Online, earning $15m (£9.4m) a year, $3m more than American Idol's Jennifer Lopez. "[Money] was the big sticking point and now, thankfully, it's been sorted," a source told E. "All they need to do now is work out the smaller points."

[tammyy2j]

Demi Lovato has officially joined US X Factor, it has been reported.

The 19-year-old actress and singer has signed a deal to take a seat on the panel of Simon Cowell's programme and is heading to New York for the formal announcement, reports TMZ.com.

Demi - who sought treatment in 2010 as she was battling bulimia and bipolar disorder - will join Britney Spears, Simon and music executive LA Reid on the judging panel when the programme returns in September.

Simon and LA were already judges, but newcomers Demi and Britney will be filling the spots vacated when Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul were axed following the show's first season.

Demi and Britney have both been in the frame for a while, and Britney is thought to have finalised her deal last week. It has been reported that she will pocket 15 million dollars for season two of the show.

[tammyy2j]

Ashley Roberts is reportedly in talks to join The X Factor USA as its new co-host for the live shows.

The dancer and singer is said to have already auditioned to replace her former Pussycat Dolls bandmate Nicole Scherzinger on the show, E! reports

Roberts is believed to be meeting executives from Fox later this week.

Scherzinger was hired as co-host for the first US season of the show, but moved to the judging panel after Cheryl Cole was axed.

She and Paula Abdul have been replaced for the second season by Demi Lovato and Britney Spears.

Scherzinger this year joined the UK X Factor judging panel as a replacement for former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland.

She admitted last year that she no longer speaks to the Pussycat Dolls after their disintegration.

106 & Park star Terrence J is rumoured to be the male co-host for the upcoming show after announcing in May that he would be leaving BET

"Right now, I don't want to think of the next thing," he told E!.

"My first process before I make any decision or even think about anything is to take some time with my family who I've neglected a little bit too much and getting away.

"I'm going to take the month of August off and get away from it all. And then I'll come back and figure out what's next."

[Perdita]

The X Factor USA's premiere date on ITV2 has been confirmed.

Season two of the Fox series - which introduces Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to the panel alongside Simon Cowell and LA Reid - will begin at 8pm on Thursday, September 27.

This means that UK fans will not see The X Factor's first episode until 15 days after it airs in America tonight (September 12).

The gap in transmission dates is significantly greater than when X Factor USA's first season, which had Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul as judges, aired on ITV2 last year.

A number of trailers and promos have been released ahead of the show's return, including one where Cowell teases Lovato about her reported romance with One Direction's Niall Horan.

The show has made news in the US due to numerous reports of Spears storming out of auditions, all of which have been denied, and its scheduling war with the third season of rival format The Voice

A host has yet to be confirmed for The X Factor USA, though Khloe Kardashian is said to be a frontrunner for the role.

[tammyy2j]

Still no word on who will host yet