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Simon Cowell Talks X Factor Firings, Possible Replacements (VIDEO)

Truth rating: 10

8:25 pm, February 7th, 2012

(Extra)

Simon Cowell is speaking out about his recent decisions to fire Nicole Scherzinger and pal Paula Abdul from “The X Factor.”

After the show’s first season was largely maligned by critics and failed to live up to ratings expectations, Cowell and his team quickly decided a reboot was in order for the upcoming second season.

Of Abdul he says, “I would’ve liked to have kept her. She was very gracious and I said that to her. She understands it’s business; it’s never personal.”

But while Abdul may have taken the news in stride, Scherzinger wasn’t as receptive.

VIDEO BELOW

“I don’t think she’s mad. I think she’s disappointed,” Cowell explains in an interview scheduled to air on “Extra” Wednesday.

But the former “American Idol” judge actually places some of the blame on himself as well, admitting “X Factor” didn’t live up to his own hype.

RELATED – Steve Jones Axed From “X Factor”

“It’s only because I opened my big mouth and said we were going to get 20 million [viewers],” he says. “If I hadn’t said that, everybody would be saying the show was a huge success.”

As for who will come on board to help improve the show, Cowell admits he’d love to have Mariah Carey as a judge, but knows the mom of infant twins can’t make the commitment.

Katy Perry would be “fun,” he says, while Madonna would be “great” – and “expensive.”

But don’t expect to see the mogul shelling out $100 million a year to snag Beyonce, as some outlets have claimed.

“I have no idea where this rumor came from,” Cowell says, adding, “It’s complete nonsense.”

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  • Simon

    I think Simon Cowel is after big star names to sell his show now instead of originality and creativity

  • French Flies

    The show didn’t struggle from the judges – it was the format and the games. I can’t believe some of the stupid things I heard people say on that show just to drum up drama. I think people felt insulted, but since Simon seems to suffer from high self-esteem, I doubt he’d admit it.

  • lori

    The show quickly became about the judges, not the contestants. It was painfully obvious that the judges were willing to tear down a contestant just to get back at their mentor. It should be about grooming talent, not boosting egos of the folks with the BIG heads in the judges chairs. I DVR’d it last season, so I could fast forward through the nonsense. I’ll likely skip it altogether next season. I’m not an L.A. fan, and I wish he had been fired instead of Paula…

  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_63SFUJ622FEIJ65S5YKIQG425A Sophia

    Where is Simon’s loyalty? All through his time on Idol, he always said that he and Paula were the best of friends and that they would always be there for each other, no matter what. Now, he goes and fires her? Not right. I think he and Paula are a match made in heaven, but on a business note, it was NOT her, it was the format of the show itself. i personally think Simon’s ego is getting bigger by the minute. He fired Steve because he didnt like him, not because he didnt do a good job. Now he fired his partner in crime, as well as his best friend. Paula is a genuinely sweet woman who deserves another chance.

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