Simon Cowell: Firing Paula Abdul from 'X Factor' Was Not Personal

Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell at the Final 3 Red Carpet and Press Conference.

Paula Abdul was recently dropped from the judges' panel on the American version of The X Factor, but according to lead judge and executive producer Simon Cowell, the decision to let her go was strictly business. "I would've liked to have kept her," Cowell told Extra about his relationship with Abdul, having worked alongside her on American Idol for eight seasons. "She was very gracious, and I said that to her. She understands it's business – it's never personal."

As of yet, Cowell has not selected a replacement for Abdul, or Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones, who were also sacked. He told Extra he thinks Madonna would be great for the show but very expensive, and that Katy Perry "would be fun, and she's feisty." He also explained that L.A. Reid will remain on X Factor because "there's not a record executive out there who is as good as him for the job."

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Simon Cowell: Firing Paula Abdul from 'X Factor' Was Not Personal

Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell at the Final 3 Red Carpet and Press Conference.

Paula Abdul was recently dropped from the judges' panel on the American version of The X Factor, but according to lead judge and executive producer Simon Cowell, the decision to let her go was strictly business. "I would've liked to have kept her," Cowell told Extra about his relationship with Abdul, having worked alongside her on American Idol for eight seasons. "She was very gracious, and I said that to her. She understands it's business – it's never personal."

As of yet, Cowell has not selected a replacement for Abdul, or Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones, who were also sacked. He told Extra he thinks Madonna would be great for the show but very expensive, and that Katy Perry "would be fun, and she's feisty." He also explained that L.A. Reid will remain on X Factor because "there's not a record executive out there who is as good as him for the job."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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'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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