Written by Lauren Bucher
The rumors were finally confirmed: the face of American Idol, Simon Cowell, is leaving the show. But, he will still be getting airtime on Fox. He’s bringing his UK talent show, “The X Factor,” to the network.
Cowell recently announced that this will be his last season judging for “American Idol,” the day before the ninth season began during The Television Critics Association Press Tour, Monday, Jan 11.
“The X Factor,” a talent competition for aspiring singers with judges and viewer voting, will be on the air fall 2011. Cowell, who owns “The X Factor,” will serve as both a judge and an executive producer on the new show.
Cowell, generally thought to be the most influential and witty judge, is the second big-name “Idol” has lost recently. Paula Abdul, a popular judge since the beginning of the show in 2002, didn’t return after the eighth season. Because of the chemistry that Abdul and Cowell had on the show, many people think it’s a given that Abdul will be a co-judge on “The X Factor.”
“Whatever happens, I will be working with her [Abdul] in some capacity,” Cowell said.
“American Idol’s” viewership has steadily declined over the past several seasons. The 25 million people who watched the eighth season is low compared to its peak of 30 million viewers from the fifth season, according to The New York Times. But even so, “Idol” has been the most-watched show on television for several years and has had a lead over the no. 2 show each season. Fox executives, say the show is, “bigger than any one person,” and will continue to be a success even without Abdul and Cowell in the future. Others are less optimistic about the show’s future.
“He [Cowell] doesn’t need to be on the show as much as the show needs him to be on it,” student Susan Orozco said.
“Ratings will go down,” junior LaRell Reynolds said.
Fox plans to broadcast “The X Factor” in the fall and “Idol” in the spring, in alternating seasons. Skeptics wonder if the network can maintain enough viewer interest to support the similar talent shows. They speculate that “The X Factor” will eclipse “Idol” in popularity because Cowell and Abdul will be judging.
“I watched the first two seasons, but then I got bored with the show,” student Sasha Renee said. “I feel that the show has decreased in quality over the seasons. It probably hasn’t been as much fun since Simon and Paula had such a unique chemistry too,” student Sasha Renee said.
Cowell said it would be impossible to continue to work on “American Idol” while bringing “The X Factor” to the U.S. He has been working on three shows at once. In Britain, he is involved in two mega hits “The X Factor” and “Britain’s Got Talent.” ” Idol” pays him $36 million a year.
“I was offered a lot of money to stay on [‘Idol’],” Cowell said. “But that wasn’t the reason behind it. I wanted to do something different. I wanted a new challenge.”
Fox has not announced who will replace Cowell, but the show will continue to feature celebrities. Ellen DeGeneres, Abdul’s replacement, will be the fourth judge for the current season. The show plans to cycle weekly through prominent guest judges this season, including Joe Jonas and Avril Lavigne.
“I will probably still watch the show after Simon leaves, but his comments definitely are my favorite part,” junior Amber Bellcock said.
Many students say they will continue to watch the show even without Cowell and Abdul and remain optimistic about Idol’s future.
“I really like how American Idol has given the opportunity of a lifetime for so many people,” student Lauren Osburne said. “I really hope that it will continue into the future.”
