L.A. Reid is Leaving "The X-Factor"

He will not return for season 3.

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Bad news for season 3 of The X-Factor: According to The Hollywood Reporter, judge L.A. Reid is departing the show after two seasons. Reid, who was key in assisting creator and judge Simon Cowell in bringing the show over to the U.S., will instead go back to his gig as chairman of Epic Records full-time.

But don't worry - at the very least, it doesn't look like there's any bad blood between Cowell and Reid. "I have the utmost respect for Simon Cowell," Reid said when commenting on his decision. "He is the very best, and I have had the opportunity to learn so much from him. Working with him on X Factor has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm honored to have sat on the panel with such incredible talent..."Of course, I will miss the show, in my opinion Simon attracts the best talent but I'm looking forward to getting back to my core business and the responsibility of running Epic Records."

No official word yet on if the remaining current judges, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, will be back next year, but Spears has previously said that she's interested.

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[via The Hollywood Reporter]

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