Say what you want about Simon Cowell, but the creator of "The X Factor" may have just pulled off a brilliant move. The 52-year-old television producer is hoping to revive the ratings of a show that did not reach expectations like he had hoped.
To do so, judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger are gone, and now it appears that pop stars Demi Lovato and Britney Spears are set to take over and join L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell on the celebrity panel.
There are numerous reasons why adding these stars to "The X Factor" could pull the show out of its ratings slump and make it the No. 1 must-watch music show on TV.
Demi and Britney are strong survivors.
Nicole left "X" under controversy for not backing 13-year-old Rachel Crow, and although Cowell says he wanted to keep Paula, he was overruled. Paula never helped the ratings despite her history on "American Idol."
Both 19-year-old Lovato and 30-year-old Spears have been to celebrity hell and back. In 2010, Demi was forced to leave her career to deal with substance abuse, an eating disorder, cutting, and depression. The former Disney star went to rehab and completed her 90 days in January of 2011.
Britney's career was also derailed by her very public emotional breakdown and custody battles. Now fiancé Jason Trawick has become the co-conservator over Britney's affairs as Britney continues to climb the comeback trail.
Demi can attract the younger viewers.
While reality competitions draw fans of all ages, a star like Demi has the potential to bring in scores of younger fans, who still remember her from Disney's "Sonny With a Chance." These fans want to see a star under 30 give her viewpoint. Although Miley Cyrus was also in talks for the show, Cyrus has her own sordid resume that continues to play out.
Britney is superstar status.
Spears is arguable a bigger star than Abdul and Scherzinger ever were. The 30-year-old is a mega celeb who has been churning out top 10 hits ever since 1999's "Baby One More Time." For Cowell to have landed someone with this level of enormous success is almost sure to bring in viewers, some of whom may have never seen "The X Factor" before.
Hopefully the past will stay in the past for these two young and beautiful female singers as they are in a position to bring strength and respect to the "The X Factor."
