Simon Cowell has confirmed that Kelly Osbourne and ‘Glee’ Kevin McHale are out of the running to fill the open hosting position on the second season of ‘The X-Factor,’ Celebuzz is reporting. The judge and executive producer of the Fox singing competition, which premieres tomorrow night, simply said no when asked by Celebuzz if Osbourne and McHale would appear on the show.
But Cowell confirmed that there will be two co-hosts who will fill the void left by Season 1 host Steve Jones. “If it goes the way I’m hoping it will go, we’re going to make an announcement this week,” he added.
Among the other celebrities mentioned to replace Jones include Khloe Kardashian, Kevin Jonas, BET’s ‘106 & Park’ host Rocsi Diaz, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Chrissy Teigen, ‘Extra’ host Mario Lopez and ‘High School Musical’ star Corbin Bleu. But none of the frontrunners have been confirmed yet, either.
Of the two new judges joining the panel this season, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, Cowell said “I think Britney Spears still is the most interesting pop star in the world. She’s got the incredible staying power, that star power and she’s unpredictable.”
With Lovato, Cowell said “I think we’ve caught an artist on the rise…this week she’s No. 1 again for the second week running.”
Cowell hopes to raise the ratings for ‘The X-Factor’ this season, and beat such competition as ‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice,’ by “telling the story of the show through the contestants not through the producers or the judges.” He added that “It’s almost like making the show for the first time, how I felt when I first made ‘Idol.’ I have the same feeling for the show this year. This is different territory for me now.”
Written by: Karen Benardello
Watch the video below to see Cowell discuss the changes on the second season of ‘The X-Factor’ with Celebuzz below.
