THE "X FACTOR" EXES

It's Official:  Paula Abdul Has Been Dropped from "X Factor": 

The rumors were true:  Yesterday, PAULA ABDUL released a statement confirming that SIMON COWELL dropped her from "X Factor". --She said, quote, "I won't be returning to 'The X Factor' next season.  I've learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.  --"Simon and I have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.  Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I've treasured my experience working [on the show] this past season.  --"I want nothing more than for 'The X Factor' to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams.  This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful." --Simon later released a statement on this so-called "bloodbath," which included the dismissal of host STEVE JONES and judge NICOLE SCHERZINGER.  But Simon gave Paula some extra lovin'.

--He said, quote, "I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of 'The X Factor' last year.  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."

"X Factor":  What Happened? 

The "Hollywood Reporter" says that SIMON COWELL recently assembled "the creative team" behind "X Factor" for a series of powwows in Britain to discuss the future of the show.

--An "insider" says the purpose was to "detail what went wrong and what was done right" on the first season, and to talk about what changes could be made to bring the show to the next level.

--The presumption is that these meetings led to the decision to overhaul the show . . . and to dump PAULA ABDUL, NICOLE SCHERZINER and host STEVE JONES.

--This "insider" didn't reveal any specifics from the meeting, other than to say that Paula was deemed, quote, "irrelevant to the mix," partially through no fault of her own.  (--The groups Paula mentored were eliminated very early in the competition.)

(--Plus, there was the RACHEL CROW "scandal," in which Paula told Nicole to leave Rachel's fate up to the public vote.  That may very well have played into the decision to axe Paula and Nicole . . . but that's just speculation for now.)

--In a vacuum, "X Factor" was a success for Fox.  The show averaged 12.4 million viewers, which is comparable to what "The Voice" did in its first season for NBC. 

--But all things considered, "The Voice" was seen as a success, while "X Factor" was considered a failure.  And that's because of EXPECTATIONS.

--Before the show aired, Simon infamously said that he thought "X Factor" would average 20 million viewers, and that anything less would be a disappointment.

--Plus, whether it's fair or not, the show is always going to be compared to "American Idol" . . . and its ratings didn't even come close.

"X Factor":  What's Next? 

There's no word yet from SIMON COWELL or Fox on who may replace PAULA ABDUL, NICOLE SCHERZINGER and host STEVE JONES.  But the positions may be filled sooner than later.

--There's talk that Simon already has a list of candidates . . . who may even be prepared to sign on NOW.

--The thinking is that Simon wouldn't have made this move without knowing that he could IMPROVE on what he already had.  And if so, the longer he waits to announce those names . . . the more time it gives the media to SPECULATE.

--Some big names are sure to be tossed around . . . and if Simon's choices don't live up to the hype, it could cut into fans' anticipation leading into next season.

--There may be additional changes to the show, not related to the personnel.

--Here are some random possibilities that are floating around online:  Changing the mentor assignments, so that each judge has a boy, a girl, a group, and someone over 30 . . . that way, one judge doesn't get stuck with all the groups like Paula did.

--Raising the age minimum from 12 to 16, so that the singers have a little more emotional maturity . . . Starting the show earlier, so that it doesn't end the week before Christmas . . . and looking into KELLY ROWLAND from DESTINY'S CHILD as a possible judge.

(--Kelly just finished her first season on the British "X Factor".)