“The X Factor“ announced its new lineup of judges in preparation for the show’s return this fall.
According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, longtime Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland and Latin star Paulina Rubio will join the FOX singing talent show, joining returning judge Demi Lovato and show founder Simon Cowell.
Both additions to the judges’ table are no strangers to such competitions, though. Rowland judged the British counterpart of “The X Factor,” while Rubio took a spot on the Mexican version of “The Voice.”
The inclusion of Rowland and Rubio creates a first for American singing competitions. When it premieres this fall, the show will have the first judging panel with a female majority, the three women outnumbering former “American Idol” judge Cowell.
Rubio becomes the second Latin music star with American crossover success (“Don’t Say Goodbye” peaked at No. 41 on the Hot 100 and found its way onto a NOW compilation in 2002) to coach a U.S. singing competition, following in the footsteps of Shakira, who is currently a part of “The Voice,” though she’ll be leaving by season’s end.
Rowland and Rubio replace the departing L.A. Reid, who had been with the show since its first season, and Britney Spears, who left “The X Factor” after just one season.
The changes to ” The X Factor” panel follow the announcement that Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green will return to “The Voice” after a season sabbatical that the singers replaced by Shakira and Usher. “American Idol” is also experiencing its fair share of judge shakeups, with long-running contributor Randy Jackson and first-timer Nicki Minaj leaving, and the rest of the show’s panel, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban, rumored to be following.
Source: billboard.com
