Simon Cowell plans to leave “American Idol” after this season
Simon Cowell (Associated Press photo)
Sharp-tongued British judge Simon Cowell announced today that he will be leaving “American Idol” after its ninth season, reports EW.com. The ninth season of “Idol” starts with a two-night season premiere Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cowell will team with Fox to launch a U.S. version of his popular British show “The X Factor” in fall 2011.
Like “Idol,” “X Factor,” which launched the career of Brit songbird Leona Lewis, is a televised talent search that usually offers the prize of a recording contract. But “X Factor” divides contestants into four categories — guys, girls, groups, and singers of all ages — and doesn’t have an age cap limit like “Idol,” so singers older than their 20s can try out.
“I’m doing X Factor in America because I believe I can find someone incredibly talented through this process,” Cowell told TV critics today in Pasadena, Calif. “This country, thank God, has got thousands and thousands of people still waiting to be discovered. I want to find a star at the end, I genuinely do.”
Cowell said he was offered more cash to stay on “Idol,” but he wanted to do something different (though apparently not too different).
“I want to leave ‘Idol’ this year bigger and better than it’s ever been before. Having already done the auditions, it feels fresh, it feels relevant. I like the contestants this year. This final year for me feels different. I never would have wanted to walk out when the show was No. 21 in the ratings. You want to leave on a high. It’s been a fantastic time. We’re going to do something new. America needs a different type of show.” (But again, apparently not too different a show.)
It will be interesting to see how “Idol” fares without Simon, who has been the face of the show as much if not more than high-profile winners like Checotah native Carrie Underwood, former Tulsan David Cook or Kelly Clarkson.
“We are not going to find a Simon clone to do what he does because he is one of a kind,” said Peter Rice, Fox entertainment chairman. “The reason we are making the announcement in January is to give ourselves time and allow people to come forward. We were frankly surprised at the enthusiasm in replacing Paula. We have to make sure the chemistry is as good as it can be. So I don’t think we will rush into that.”
This year’s “Idol” judges lineup will be Simon, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres, who is filling the seat left by Paula Abdul after the eighth season. In the EW story, Simon intimates that he misses Abdul, whom he famously argued with nonstop on “Idol,” and plans to work with her again. Hmm … wonder if it will be on “X Factor.”
For more TV news, check out Penny Soldan’s blog at http://blog.newsok.com/television.
-BAM
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