Britney Spears near deal to judge 'X Factor'
It’s true: Pop singer and tabloid fixture Britney Spears is near a deal to judge Fox’s X Factor.
Sources confirm the singer is in final-stage negotiations with Fox and X Factor producers to join the series this fall. Spears has reportedly haggled a $15 million payout for the gig (slightly more than Jennifer Lopez snagged for American Idol).
If the deal closes, Spears could be an ideal choice to boost the music competition’s ratings: She has both credible music industry experience and a chaotic personality that’s lent itself to fun headlines over the years. That’s the type of celebrity mixture that Factor chief Simon Cowell can work with.
Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey have also been discussed as potential replacements for exiting judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, though nothing is clear yet on that front.
