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British "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell - Source: Reuters
American Idol judge Simon Cowell said he is quitting the
top-rated TV2 show in May to launch his own singing contest next
year.
The acerbic Cowell, one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in
reality TV, confirmed rampant speculation that he was bringing a US
version of his British show The X Factor to News Corp-owned Fox in
the fall of 2011.
Cowell, 50, whose sarcastic quips are arguably one of the biggest
factors in American Idol's six-year reign as the most-watched TV
show in the United States, said he would be both a judge and the
executive producer of The X Factor.
But Cowell told TV reporters at a Fox presentation he was confident
that American Idol would continue to do well without him when his
contract ends in May 2010.
The ninth season of the show starts in New Zealand on January 22 at
8:30pm, with Cowell in place and new judge Ellen DeGeneres joining
Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.
Original Idol judge Paula Abdul quit last summer in a dispute over
the renewal of her contract - and Cowell hinted on Tuesday
that Abdul might join him on The X Factor.
"I adore Paula. Whatever happens, I will be working with her in
some capacity because I miss her," he said.
Cowell said he had been offered "a lot of money" to renew his
contract with American Idol, whose average audiences have slipped
from 30.8 million in 2006 to 26.3 million in 2009.
"But I felt like doing something different. I want to leave Idol
this year bigger and better than before," he said.
"We did talk about me staying on both shows, but when we looked at
the practicalities of that, it was impossible."
"I believe it (Idol) is not my show, but it's still very close to
me...I am confident it will continue to be the number one show," he
said.
Differences between shows
Fox said The X Factor - the top-rated show in the UK and with an
audience of 500 million in 17 other nations - would be
broadcast in the fall of 2011, with American Idol keeping its
traditional spring time slot.
Fox said it had no replacement yet for Cowell. Media speculation
has focused on America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, who is also
British, and singer Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Last May, 49% of fans questioned in an AOL TV poll said they would
no longer watch Idol without Cowell.
But Fox executives on Tuesday expressed confidence in the show's
potential to attract huge ratings and said they planned to continue
broadcasting it for many years to come.
"We are very buoyant about where the show is going to be this
season. Every year Idol has increased its lead over the number two
show," said Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly.
American Idol has created Grammy-winning stars like Kelly Clarkson
and Carrie Underwood and is shown live or tape delayed in more than
100 nations.
In Britain, The X Factor discovered Leona Lewis in 2006, who had an
international hit with Bleeding Love, while Cowell's other TV
venture, Britain's Got Talent, made an international star last year
out of dowdy Scottish singer Susan Boyle. Both were signed to
Cowell's own record label.
Cowell said X Factor differed from American Idol by including both
younger and older singers, groups and duos. The show's judges also
act as mentors to the singers, but viewers vote on which
contestants will be eliminated.
