Britney Spears reportedly exiting 'The X Factor' -- but by her own accord

Britney Spears will reportedly definitely not be returning to The X Factor, but it's her choice to leave and not because the show's dumping her.


Reports have surfaced that Spears has decided to leave The X Factor after judging its second season, ultimately beating Fox to the punch.

The pop star wants to focus on her music career and next album instead of continuing her stint on TV, sources told E! News, adding that the news comes after executives had been discussing The X Factor's third-season judging panel over the holidays but Spears wasn't part of the talks.

"Britney loves Simon, she likes Demi Lovato but her thing is music," a source told TMZ.

After Spears finishes up her eighth album, she's reportedly considering going on tour again as well.


While Fox hasn't announced anything publicly, Fox president Kevin Reilly was noncommittal when asked whether Spears would return to the reality singing competition on Tuesday.

"For next year, I don't know," Reilly told reporters, according to E! News.

Reilly did, however, say "yeah" when asked if he actually wanted Spears to come back.

Added the Fox executive, "[The X Factor creator Simon Cowell] hasn't talked about any of this going forward," especially since he's currently on vacation.

Spears reportedly earned a $15 million paycheck for her second-season The X Factor participation. Sources told Us Weekly last month that Spears was less than enthusiastic on the judging panel and contributed little to the show's entertainment value, which disappointed producers considering she was signed to the expensive contract.


"They paid all that for her to say 'amazing' and offer half-claps," a source told the magazine, suggesting the network would most likely fire the pop star.

Spears joined the show as a judge in May along with fellow newcomer Demi Lovato. Veteran judge L.A. Reid recently confirmed his departure from The X Factor, seemingly now leaving two spots open on the panel for the show's upcoming third season.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski