Paula Abdul is the latest host to come under The X Factor ax, following the ousting of fellow co-judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.
The reality show star released a statement confirming her exit from the singing competition series. Fox and X Factor‘s almost-last-man-standing Simon Cowell released supportive statements immediately after Abdul’s.
Paula Abdul said in her statement:
Yes, it’s true, I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season. I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations. Simon [Cowell] and I, along with Fox and [producers] Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle. I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams. This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.
Simon Cowell’s statement read:
I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year. We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.
Fox’s Mike Darnell wrote : “We love Paula. She is a remarkable talent and we appreciate all of her contributions. We’re lucky that she is a part of the Fox family, and we look forward to working with her again soon.”
It’s hard not to speculate why Scherzinger and Jones were omitted from Darnell’s statement, but Abdul’s extensive history with Fox probably played a factor in her being singled out.
The aftermath of The X Factor shakeup currently leaves only judges Cowell and L.A. Reid in place from the first season. It’s too early to tell if their jobs are in jeopardy also.
