Simon Cowell Leaving as American Idol Season 9 Premieres

Take a good look when American Idol appears on Fox Television for its season 9 premiere. It will be the last premiere whereon Simon Cowell will sit on the judges' panel. And as new judge Ellen Degeneres quipped on her talk show that she was trying not to take it personally, Simon Cowell held a press conference to formally announce his exit from the show. Fox Television went into overdrive with the airing of promos for the new season over the weekend and Monday night saw at least one promo per commercial break. Much of the footage centered on the words and the facial expressions of American Idol's most loved -- and loved to be hated -- judge. You could almost feel the excitement of Fox Television radiating from the television screen as it geared up for the airing of the show that has been the #1 watched show in the United States for five straight years.

Even the Fox nightly news (at least on Fox News Atlanta) was previewed and led into by the story of Simon Cowell and the beginning of his last season on American Idol. You just couldn't escape it.

TMZ announced Monday that the press conference announcing he was leaving and starting a new show almost did not occur. Although details have not been forthcoming, TMZ reported that lawyers for both Simon Cowell and Fox Television were still deadlocked in negotiations when he arrived for the press. Cowell was literally on the phone with his people, he confirmed on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, and just before the press conference was to begin, the lawyers reached a settlement. He made the announcement that he was bringing over "The X Factor," a show much like American Idol that he produces in the United Kingdom.

So... instead of appearing as a judge on American Idol next year, Simon Cowell will be a judge on "The X Factor." There have been hints that he would work with ousted judge Paula Abdul in the future, which set off a chain reaction of speculation that Paula Abdul might sit in one of the judges chairs on "The X Factor." Although he did not say so in so many words, nor would he confirm such speculation, it is possible the "The X Factor" audience might see a Simon and Paula reunion next year.

The announcement Monday, made before the Television Critics Association, was confirmation of the rumors started when an inside source -- Simon Cowell's brother, Tony -- reported on his podcast that, although Simon was in intense negotiations with Fox and the producers of American Idol (for a contract reported worth over $100 million), what he really wanted to do was leave American Idol after Season 9 and bring his own successful show, "The X Factor," over from Britain and test it in America.

But was it the right move?

In the end, the American public will be the judge of that.

American Idol Season 9 premieres on Fox Television Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. EST.

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Source:

TMZ.com