Simon Cowell has filled at least one of the vacant seats for the next season, says report

Mar 12, 2012 07:03 GMT  ·  By
Britney Spears will be judge on season 2 of X Factor USA for $10 million (€7.63 million)
   Britney Spears will be judge on season 2 of X Factor USA for $10 million (€7.63 million)

The end of the first season of X Factor USA came with a massive bloodbath, when Simon Cowell decided to cut his losses and end the contract of 3 stars on it. Now, he's reportedly managed to bring on board as judge no other than the Princess of Pop herself, Britney Spears.

As fans of the singing competition must know, the season finale meant Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and Steve Jones did not see their contracts renewed for another season.

Since then, there has been much speculation about who might replace the two judges on the panel.

One of the names more recently thrown in the mix is that of Britney Spears, whom Cowell has reportedly been pursuing like crazy.

Deadline is now reporting that he's actually managed to get her to agree to an offer: $10 million (€7.63 million) for a year.

“Britney Spears will likely fill one of the vacant mentor/judge seats next to Simon Cowell on The X Factor,” the movie-oriented e-zine says.

“I have learned that, following an overture by Cowell and an initial discussion, the pop star has received a $10 million offer to join the second season of Fox’s singing competition,” Deadline adds.

The decision to bring Spears on board will benefit both parties: on one hand, Cowell's X Factor would get the star power it so badly needs right now to face competitors American Idol and The Voice.

On the other, Britney's career would receive a boost like never before, further confirming to the world that she's now a respectable, grownup artist, who is miles away from the erratic pop star who would only get tabloid exposure of a few years ago.

“The offer also would catapult Spears to the top tier of reality series talent as it is in line with what Spears’ former Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cohort Christina Aguilera will be making on the third season of The Voice and just below the $12 million [€9.16 million] Jennifer Lopez received on American Idol last season,” Deadline points out.

The same e-zine notes that the report comes just days after Simon sang Britney's praises in a radio interview, saying he would be delighted if he could get one of the most talked about people (not singers) in the world as judge on his show.