Simon Cowell Speaks Out on 'X Factor' Shakeup

Simon Cowell is opening up about the exits of Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, and Steve Jones from The X Factor.

“I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year,” the 52-year-old judge said in a statement.

“We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year,” Simon added.