It’s finally official – Britney Spears and Demi Lovato are joining “The X Factor.”
After much speculation and numerous reports, FOX confirmed the pop stars were joining the judging panel of Simon Cowell’s reality show during the Upfront Presentation in New York City on Monday afternoon.
Kevin Reilly, President of FOX Entertainment, brought up Simon, LA Reid, Britney and Demi for the big announcement.
“Well, we delivered. Rumors are one thing, delivering is something else,” Simon said on stage. “This has taken a year to get where we’ve got to today and I am thrilled to be able to confirm, as you can see, the return of LA Reid, the addition of Demi Lovato and the superstar Britney Spears.”
Britney – wearing a short, white dress – said she was thrilled for new gig.
“Well, first of all, I am so excited about this whole experience. It’s gonna be so much fun and so different from anything I’ve ever done and I’m ready to find the true star,” she said.
Demi echoed her sentiments and was grateful for the opportunity to join the show.
“I am totally stoked to be here because of, not only the opportunity to be a judge here, but the presence of you guys, is just an honor to be standing next to you,” Demi said to her new co-workers. “So, I’m excited to represent my generation and I’m ready to find the winner.”
Prior to the reveal, Britney posted a photo to her Twitter page, with the hashtags #britneyxfactor #SimonBritneyDemiLA, showing the pop princess with her new co-workers: Simon, LA Reid and Demi. See the photo, HERE!
Britney and Demi (whose first official “X Factor” promo photos appear above) will replace the departed Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, who left the show after one season, along with host Steve Jones.
“Not to be negative about the people leaving, but we just felt the mix could be more effective and more entertaining,” Peter Rice, entertainment chairman for the Fox Networks Group, told reporters earlier in the day on Monday.
Back in February, Billy Bush where the reality mogul said “X Factor” would be a “walk in the park” for Britney.
“I’m fascinated by [Britney.] The fact that she’s one of the most talked about – not just pop stars – but people in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power,” Simon told Billy at the time. “This girl has got resilience. I would think that if she’s managed to sustain a family, a career, which is tough, [‘X Factor’ would be] a walk in the park.”
While Simon is clearly impressed with the chops Britney will bring to the table, not everyone appears to agree.
During a press conference earlier this month, new “America’s Got Talent” judge Howard Stern said he doesn’t think the pop princess will bring much to the judges’ table.
“As far as any real criticism, I think Simon [Cowell] and L.A. Reid will be doing that. I think Britney is going to stand there and eat a lollipop and wear a sexy outfit. I don’t anticipate great opinions out of her,” Stern said. “I think she’s going to sit there like J.Lo and [say], ‘Oh, you’re wonderful. You’re terrific. Do you think I could get a perfume endorsement out of this? You think I could perform on the show?’ I think that’s what it’s about.
“I’ll tune in to see what kind of train wreck she is, absolutely,” he added.
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