Whitney Houston was being eyed to fill one of the two open spots on The X Factor's second-season judging panel, replacing either Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger, Simon Cowell has confirmed.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
"The rumors had got back to us... and that's often what happens when people want to be on these shows, somebody tells someone to get the word out, it's normally a sign that they are interested."
Cowell said the 48-year-old singer and former Being Bobby Brown co-star would have been a great addition to the reality singing competition's upcoming season.
"Given the choice, I would have liked to have taken her under my wing as well, because she would have been the ultimate, ultimate mentor to any contestant coming on the show," The X Factor creator added.
Houston, who had made a guest appearance on the U.K. version of The X Factor in October 2009, was found dead in her hotel room on Saturday afternoon just a day after The Reporter claimed she had been approached by Fox to join the show's American version as a judge. According to the Friday report, Mariah Carey is still under consideration despite Cowell's recently admitted hesitation.
Cowell was extremely saddened by the Grammy-winning singer's sudden passing.
"I am absolutely devastated by this news," Cowell said.
"I am so sad for her. She was undoubtedly one of the greatest superstars of all time. One of the greatest voices in our time we're likely ever to hear."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
