'X-Factor' Season Two Will be a 'Bloodbath' Says Simon Cowell
“X- Factor” producer and judge Simon Cowell says viewers should prepare themselves for some changes to the singing competition show next season.
"Can we make the show better? Yes. I will never ever go into anything going forward unless I can believe I can make it better," Cowell told People magazine on Thursday after the show’s winner, Melanie Amaro, was awarded the $5 million recording contract prize.
Amaro’s win is barely a week old and auditions are already being held for the “X- Factor’s” second season. "Next year will be a bloodbath. We have to come out with something better than the rest, and that's what we aim to do," Cowell told People magazine.
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Paula Abdul, another one of the show’s judges, told People, the show can improve with the right changes.
"It'll be successful if you are open to tweaking things," said Abdul. "I understand pros and cons of the value of having these big production numbers, but ... I am a fan of less is more."
Both fans and critics have complained about the show's loud numbers, including too many backup dancers, choirs and elaborate backdrops.
Cowell did not offer specifics, but told People, he plans to speak with sponsors, “X- Factor” board of advisors in the U.K., as well as FOX network before he makes any further decisions on next season’s production.
Two of the show’s judges, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid, and the show’s host, Steve Jones, have all already confirmed to People they’ll return for season two.
"I would love to come back – what I don't like is, I love it so much. I don't control it, it's up to the boss," said Reid.
"I look forward to working with the judges again," Jones said.
Abdul says she will return, "unless something weird and bizarre happens."
Judge Nicole Scherzinger has not confirmed whether she would return to the show for another season, saying in a press conference on Monday, she had a difficult time eliminating contestants, calling the process “something I could have never prepared for.”
Both Scherzinger and Abdul received death threats from fans earlier this month after the elimination of 14-year-old fan favorite Drew Ryniewicz.
Scherzinger also alluded she would continue on with her own music career next year in interviews this week. The show "took a lot out of me," the Pussycat Dolls lead singer said. "I'm an artist first, not a judge. At the beginning of next year, I'm focusing on my album and going on tour in Europe."
The “X-Factor” has had lackluster ratings in its first season, with an average of 10.9 million viewers per episode, compared to Cowell’s prediction of 20 million viewers before the show began.
