AP source: Britney Spears to join 'X Factor'; singing contest still short 1 judge, host

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Lynn Elber, The Associated Press

10/05/2012 6:31 PM | Comments: 0

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FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2011 file photo, singer Britney Spears performs on a stage during a concert in Moscow, Russia, during her European tour. A source says she is joining Simon Cowell's singing contest as a judge on the singing competition series "The X-Factor." (AP Photo, file)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Britney Spears is coming to the rescue of Fox's "The X Factor," the singing contest in search of a ratings boost.

The Grammy-winning pop star has signed on as a judge for the show's second season, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A call to Spears' publicist seeking comment was not immediately returned.

"The X Factor" debuted last fall to ratings that fell short of creator Simon Cowell's sky-high predictions. The show's slate was wiped nearly clean in January when judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger exited along with host Steve Jones.

That left Cowell and music producer Antonio "L.A." Reid as judges on "X Factor," which is based on Cowell's hit U.K. series.

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AP source: Britney Spears to join 'X Factor'; singing contest still short 1 judge, host