'X Factor' Dumps Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger

Steve Jones, L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger and Paula AbdulNoel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra

Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones have all been axed from the American version of Simon Cowell's hit singing competition The X Factor. The decision to fire two judges and the show's host was made at a meeting involving Cowell and his creative team in the United Kingdom, in which the group went over what they believe went right and wrong with the show's first season in the United States.

According to reports from a source close to the show, Abdul's role was deemed "irrelevant to the mix," particularly as the contestants she mentored were all picked off early in the competition. There was no explanation for why Scherzinger and Jones were dismissed, though the source noted that Cowell wanted to bring in bigger names for the second season. As it stands, L.A. Reid, the fourth judge on Cowell's panel, appears to be staying with the program.

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