Beside responding to reports of the possible new judges, the 'X Factor' creator also admits that his 'big mouth' has led people to think that the show wasn't a huge success.
- February 8, 2012
AceShowbiz -
Simon Cowell has eliminated a few names rumored to replace Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger as "The X Factor (US)" judges. In an interview with Extra which will air Wednesday, February 8, the British television producer denies that he is in talks with Beyonce Knowles, Elton John and Mariah Carey.
"No. I have no idea where this rumor came from. I read it online that I offered her $100 million a year. It's complete nonsense," so the creator of "The X Factor" responds to report that links the "Love on Top" songstress to his show. "The budget for the show is $100 million. No one's gonna pay $100 million for someone... It would never, ever, ever happen. It's absolute nonsense."
Of Elton, Simon simply says, "No... He wouldn't do it." As for Mariah, the former "American Idol" judge admits he would love to have her signed, but she is not on his list. "You can't expect someone who's just had two kids to make the kind of commitment you would need on this show," he reasons.
When asked to comment on other A-listers who have been said to be on his wish-list, the 52-year-old thinks Madonna would be "great", but "expensive". As for Katy Perry, he says, "She'd be fun, because she is... hot... in a good way. And she is feisty."
During the interview, Simon also offers his thought on why certain things didn't work out on "X Factor (US)". "It's only because I opened my big mouth and said we were going to get 20 million [viewers]," so he states. "If I hadn't said that, everybody would be saying the show was a huge success."
Asked if he thought "X Factor (US)" was at a disadvantage because its competitor "The Voice" is touting its Grammy-winning judges, the television personality confidently answers, "No. Because I would ask how many records have they made, how many artists have they discovered."
He further explains, "That's where we have to be different on the judging panel. It's very important that you have people on the panel that have actually signed and made artists successful all over the world, not just have made hit records yourself. That's why you have a judging panel."
With Paula and Nicole not being asked to return to season 2, Simon and L.A. Reid are the only original judges left on the show. The reality singing competition is also looking for a new host after firing Steve Jones.
