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Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger do not work out for X Factor

By April MacIntyre Jan 31, 2012, 12:24 GMT

12/19/2011 - Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell - \'X Factor\' has tossed out the old: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones, and are looking for new blood to replace the team Simon Cowell assembled for the US version and debut of the splashy British series. © Andrew Evans / PR Photos

'X Factor' has tossed out the old: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones, and are looking for new blood to replace the team Simon Cowell assembled for the US version and debut of the splashy British series.

Multiple industry sources including Deadline.com confirm all three stars will not return for X Factor‘s second season next fall, though Fox has only officially acknowledged the departure of Steve Jones and Scherzinger.

At the last winter press tour of the Television Critics' Association, FOX chieftain Kevin Reilly forewarned everyone trouble was afoot for The X Factor series:

Reilly said, "I’m thrilled with the fact that the show [X Factor] has helped provide us with a schedule that’s up 14 percent for the fall, one of the strongest falls we’ve had in our history...it’s a show that’s returning that people loved... there’s an awful lot of similarities to IDOL and other imitators, but it’s its own show. It’s its own energy. It’s its own spectacle. And I loved it."

Reilly then dropped the bomb: "I will tell you, there are things Simon is going to do. If it did twice the rating, he would still change it. He’s relentless in that way. So there are changes. I can tell you I have no idea what they are going to be. You’ll talk to Mike [Darnell] and his team, who are here today. Mike is not going to tell you because he doesn’t know yet. Neither does Simon. He’s off decompressing right now on vacation. There will be some changes."

Reilly then praised the once dismissed minor role that Ryan Seacrest has turned into mogul clout: "The only thing I will say is, as we know, it is a much harder job than meets the eye. I think everybody now has come to realize the value of a Ryan Seacrest. If you dialed the clock back 11 years, I’m not sure everybody in this room would have given him all of the credit at that time. Those are very hard jobs to do. So whether Steve’s the guy or not, some of it comes under the heading of growth in general. So there will be some tweaks to the show, but I’ll tell you, I’m very happy to have it, and it’s going to be a part of us for a long time."

So far the remaining talent is Simon Cowell and record producer L.A. Reid.

The performances of Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones were not well-received by TV critics.

“I won’t be hosting next seasons X Factor which is a shame but I cant complain as I’ve had a great time,” Steve Jones wrote on Twitter. “Good luck to everyone on the show.”

Scherzinger's camp is painting the decision to be hers. E! reported that her people claimed it was too much work for the former Pussycat Doll. “She wants to focus on her music career. She’s spoken to Simon [Cowell] and he’s given her his blessing. X Factor took a lot more of her time than she ever expected. She didn’t have any time really to work on her music.”