14 DAY TRIAL // The first season of X Factor USA debuted with a few hiccups, but it went to win over audiences. As is usually the case, there's plenty of speculation already on whether the second season will return in the same format.
As it turns out, host Steve Jones might be replaced, show insiders tell the media, as cited by the Daily Mail.
Initially, Jones was meant to host with Nicole Scherzinger, but he was left alone to do the job when Cheryl Cole was fired as judge and Nicole suddenly got a “promotion.”
Word online has it that audiences at home are really not warming up to Steve as a host and, unlike with Cheryl, his accent has nothing to do it, but rather the fact that he doesn't know how to deal with contestants in certain situations.
What's even worse, he really loves his job and wants to be given a second chance to make it work.
“Steve keeps saying that living in LA is a dream come true. He loves the weather and the women, and he loves working on X Factor – it's just a shame that the US public has not warmed to him,” an unnamed insider is quoted as saying.
“He got terrible reviews from critics when he started and things haven't got better. There have been mistakes and he just doesn't seem to have the knack for dealing with contestants,” the spy further says.
Producers have already decided to have him replaced in the second season and, as per the tipster, there's really nothing that Steve can do now to have them change their mind.
“The executives at Fox have already decided not to renew his contract and so, short of a miracle happening, it is pretty much a done deal that he will not take part next season,” notes the insider.
A rep for Fox has denied that such a decision has been made, saying in a “standard” statement to the press that all contract negotiations begin when the current contract is up – which isn't necessarily true in all cases.