It's official, Simon Cowell, one of the original judges on American Idol, will be leaving the show at the end of Season 9. Despite being well-compensated for his work on American Idol, Cowell wants to focus on his duties as executive producer and judge for the American version of his hit Brit talent show, "The X Factor," which will air on Fox in the fall of 2011.
Simon says that he doesn't think it's fair for him to have two American shows on the air at the same time, so he is bowing out of American Idol. He also refuses to confirm or deny the rumor that former American Idol judge, Paula Abdul will be joining him on the judging panel. Randy Jackson's contract comes up for renewal next season with American Idol so maybe Simon will decide not to break up the team and offer Randy a place at the judges' table at "The X Factor." Fan reaction to the news of Cowell's departure has been intensive.
Many believe that American Idol just won't be the same without Simon's acerbic critiques. Cowell does not suffer fools gladly, and can be downright mean at times. At the least, he doesn't pull his punches, delivering the knockout blow while the other judges soft-peddle their lack of approval. Cowell says he hopes to leave American Idol as strong as ever when he departs. Ratings have been slipping for the past couple of seasons, but the show is still number one in the ratings, with larger and larger crowds showing up at the auditions every season.
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