Simon Cowell is shaking up The X Factor and firing not only host Steven Jones and judge Nicole Scherzinger but also Paula Abdul according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Lakoda Rayne
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After much bragging and promises of huge ratings, the X-Factor didn’t live up to the hype this past fall in its debut season on Fox leading show creator Simon Cowell to do an extensive review of the show to determine what worked and what didn’t.

THR’s sources say that Paula was determined to “irrelevant to the mix,” in part through no fault of her own (as mentor to the groups, her contestants were picked off early in the competition).”

One of Abdul’s groups was Lakoda Rayne, a group put together during the audition process that included Wall’s Cari Fletcher.

 

Abdul is also being blamed for the departure of popular contestant Rachel Crow after she suggested to an indecisive Nicole Scherzinger to let her fate be decided by the public vote. America then sent the 13-year-old packing.

Rachel Crow elimination from The X Factor
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LA Reid appears to be safe on the show.

A Fox spokeswoman said Monday that Scherzinger and Jones will not return for the show’s second season. No other details were provided.

Jones, a British TV personality, called his departure “a shame” on Twitter and added that he couldn’t complain, “as I’ve had a great time.” He gave no reason why he wasn’t returning to the singing contest.

Scherzinger has not commented.

The New York Daily News speculates that the changes could pave the way for Mariah Carey to join the show. She was thought to be a leading candidate for the job but was pregnant at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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