X Factor US will be coming back next year, but not as we recognise it, after a day which has seen a merciless cull of the hosting stars as Simon Cowell seeks to revamp what, for him, was a disappointing debut for the adapted version of his UK original. Cbs reports that Welsh host Steve Jones was the first unceremoniously dumped from the show, revealing the news on Twitter, whilst Nicole Scherzinger has also joined him in leaving - Cowell's close friend Paula Abdul is also now rumoured to be heading out. If that were true it would leave Cowell and La Reid as the only two standing from the opening season. Jones was the first to go, Tweeting "I won't be hosting next seasons X Factor which is a shame but I can't complain as I've had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show." In truth Jones was never really in favour with the US audience, coming under criticism for a stilted performance as host and, like Cheryl Cole before him, struggling to connect thanks to his particularly accented dialect. However, Scherzinger's departure is more surprising, with The Hollywood Reporter's source saying that she's leaving to re-focus on her music career, stating "She's spoken to Simon and he's given her his blessing." Abdul is yet to be fully confirmed as a departure, but it would be a huge shock if she were to go. A close friend of Cowell's, nevertheless E! have quoted a source as saying "At this point, the only ones staying are Simon and L.A. Reid." Cowell had hoped that the first season of 'X Factor' would pull in 20 million weekly viewers, something it fell far short of with figures of 12.5 million putting the Fox shown program behind 'American Idol' and Nbc's 'The Voice.'
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