The biggest news in TV this week was the mass firings at Fox's X FACTOR that began on Monday with host Steve Jones tweeting to his followers that he won't be back for season two and rolled over to creator and head judge Simon Cowell confirming the firings of fellow judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul.
X Factor fans still dazed by the staffing bloodbath woke up today to calmer news. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the last judge standing, Epic Records head L.A. Reid signed a new contract yesterday to return as a judge for season two of X Factor.
Cowell recently completed a retreat in the U.K. to evaluate the show's first season and plan changes for season two. He also placed a gracious spin on the firings on a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
"I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nivole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year," he said. "We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I'm sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year."
X Factor fans, any guesses on the new season two judges? Mariah Carey is a heavy favorite. Are you hoping she joins the X Factor?