Paula Abdul Confirms "The X Factor" Departure

Confirming rumors that first broke the previous night, Paula Abdul is a judge on "The X Factor" no more.

The 49-year-old released an official statement on the matter on Tuesday (January 31), as she told, “Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season. I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.”

Miss Abdul continued, “Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle.”

With the exit coming after just one season, Paula's wished the show well going forward, as she added, “I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams. This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful."

On top of Paula Abdul's departure news, Access Hollywood was able to confirm yesterday (January 30) that both Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones are leaving their positions on the FOX talent show's judging panel.

Opting to announce his decision himself, Jones tweeted a rather direct message to his followers reading, "I wont be hosting next seasons XFactor which is a shame but I cant complain as I've had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show."

Meanwhile, a source told E! News that Scherzinger "wants to focus on her music career," adding, "She's spoken to Simon [Cowell] and he's given her his blessing." 

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