We added production stills from the Season 3 3×01 Auditions 1 that was taped in Charleston. Demi looks sooo amazing! Check them out in the Gallery!

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Simon Cowell will be surrounded by women when THE X FACTOR returns for its third season this fall on FOX. Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Rowland and international pop star Paulina Rubio join him and Demi Lovato as judges on the hit singing competition series. Simon Cowell said today,

“It’s taken more than a decade, but I’m delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!). Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”“I am very excited to be reuniting with Simon Cowell and THE X FACTOR family,” said Rowland. “It feels great to be able to take this journey here at home in the states!”“I love THE X FACTOR! I can’t wait to find the next big music star here in America,” added Rubio. “I’m so thrilled to be part of the show as a judge. Simon, be careful what you wish for, let’s see if you are ready to handle me, empieza la fiesta, amigo!”

A pop star since the age of 16, Kelly Rowland grew up in the spotlight as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time. Her powerful voice was a key ingredient in the group’s awe-inspiring list of chart-toppers and dance floor smashes, including four No. 1 singles in the U.S. and more than 60 million albums sold worldwide. The group received 14 Grammy Award nominations, and won three times, including Best R&B Song in 2001 for “Say My Name.” As a solo artist, Rowland has released three successful studio albums – “Simply Deep,” “Ms. Kelly” and “Here I Am” – selling more than five million records. Rowland’s first forays as a soloist contributed to the 2002 Grammy Award-winning song, “Dilemma (with Nelly),” and have been further evidenced by her gold and platinum solo albums. Her upcoming album, “Talk a Good Game,” will be released June 18. Rowland served as a judge on the eighth season of the U.K. version of “The X Factor.”

And then there were two. Right now, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell are the only two folks sitting on the “X Factor” judges table after both L.A. Reid and Britney Spears parted ways with the series. So, what’s next? Well, Lovato, who is stopping by the MTV Newsroom on Tuesday for an MTV.com live stream at 3 p.m. ET, dished that there are some A-list acts in the running to join the show. Simon has even reached out to Demi for ideas. “Yes! He has! I’ll like text him and be like ‘I have a crazy idea!’ And he’s like ‘Who? Talk to me!’ And I’ll like call him or whatever and we’ll talk,” she told MTV News on Monday (May 13) at the Fox upfront presentation. “I’m not letting you know any of them. You’ll find out soon enough. We have to make a decision soon.”

As it turns out, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the names being tossed around. She added, “Simon is like ‘Anything is possible.’ Last year we had Britney Spears. That was incredible.”

While Spears won’t be back for more “X Factor” fun for the show’s third season, her mentoring was felt by more than just the contestants before her departure. “What I learned from Britney is that you don’t have to change. Her family, we laughed several times, ’cause our families are so similar. Our moms are super close now,” she revealed. “And our dads are really similar. She has this southern down-to-earth family. And she’s still a southern down-to-earth girl. I already knew that you don’t have to change in the industry, but even at her level of success being the icon that she is, it was really refreshing.”

Demi Lovato is the Queen of The X Factor! After having shared the process with Britney Spears last season (the only other female on the judging panel), Demi is back alongside Simon Cowell for a brand new season of crazy auditions and amazing talent (minus Britney)! Lulu and Lala from Ty Loves NY will be auditioning for the upcoming season of The X Factor when the auditions hit NYC on Thursday, April 25th. But what is it like to audition for a reality singing competition? Lulu and Lala both offer a unique twist, since they are identical twin sisters. But what else do they need (other than a great voice) to help give them that extra special something for the X Factor producers and eventually, Demi and Simon? Lulu and Lala took over the first half of Demi’s interview with Zann to ask all things The X Factor; but most importantly the audition process.

Demi confessed to the twins that it’s all about “the look”:

“That is the very first thing that I notice. Because sometimes in that “look”, people have a twinkle in their eye. And if they don’t have that twinkle, than see ya!”

Demi compared The X Factor with other singing reality shows:

“The audition performance, it’s not just the voice but if you come at the judges with something refreshing (after a long day’s of auditions) than it might be memorable.

According to Demi the twins DO have that twinkle. But they might have to work extra hard for Simon. He IS Mr. Cowell after all. Are you thinking of auditioning for The X Factor? We want to hear from you, and what you are doing to prepare for the singing competition. Sound off in the comments below!

Demi will be returning to The X Factor when the show comes back for its third season this coming fall. There are many reasons why this doesn’t come as a surprise. Here are my five reasons why it was obvious that Demi would be back at the judges’ table.

1. What a Girl Wants – On February Demi said she would love to return to the show and why wouldn’t she? She seemed like she was having a blast.

2. Simon Says Chemistry – The interaction between judges on the previous season of The X Factorwas almost as bland as it has been the last five seasons of American Idol. The only interesting thing happening in the panel, other than Britney Spear’ funny faces, was Demi’s interaction with Simon Cowell. This chemistry was even stronger when they would appear together on talk shows. That is something that you can’t force and for the most part it seemed natural. Also, Simon seems to really like her, even when she would not let him talk.

3. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Demi is one of the youngest (if not the youngest) judges to appear on a show like this, which could make show appeal to an audience that can get fed-up with TV competitions and would prefer spending countless hours on Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter. Demi, who currently has more than 12 million followers on Twitter, has a very strong (and vocal) teenage fandom that follows her every move. It’s a smart move to keep someone who can bring in those viewers.

4. Shake it up, shake it up! – Can The X Factor survive so many shake-ups? So far we know that L.A. Reid, Britney Spears and Khloe Kardashian will not be returning to the show next season. This leaves Simon, Demi and possibly Mario Lopez. This would be the second season that the show loses most of his cast and unless this is the show’s modus operandi (which I doubt) it can give the idea that the show is just simply unstable.

5. Britney’s Deficit – Yes, Britney Spears is an iconic performer who revolutionized pop music, but she just wasn’t spectacular on the show. She looked bored and her critique to the contestants was less than inspired. She lucked out with Carly Rose Sonenclar, who was in my opinion the strongest contestant last season, but I don’t think Brit had much to do with how far the pint-sized songstress made it in the competition. Also, how many times can you repeat “that’s amazing” as your sole critique? Demi was simply stronger, and she wasn’t afraid to go after certain contestants knowing that they were competition. She was spunky, bratty and at times simply irreverent toward almighty Simon, which made for great TV.

Are you excited for Demi’s return? Do you think The X Factor will survive a third season?

Chart-dominating singer, songwriter and actress Demi Lovato is ready to take Simon on for round two! Lovato jumps back in her seat as the fan-favorite judge on THE X FACTOR, the hit singing competition series which launches its third season this fall on FOX. Last season, Lovato, the youngest judge and mentor to the Young Adults category, brought a fresh perspective to the panel and won over legions of THE X FACTOR fans with her playful banter, spot-on critiques and genuine encouragement. Lovato returns to the show amid the breakout success of her latest single, “Heart Attack,” which recently achieved gold status in the U.S. within just four weeks of its release.

“I couldn’t be happier that Demi wants to come back this year,” said Simon Cowell. “She’s a superstar in her own right and was a fantastic mentor last year. Even though she can be really, really annoying – I truly enjoyed working with her and so did the artists. I’m especially pleased she’s back, even during her world tour!”
“I am so excited to return as a judge and mentor on THE X FACTOR,” added Lovato. “Last season was an unbelievable experience and I really enjoyed developing personal relationships with the contestants and the panel. I look forward to taking my previous experience and applying it to make this season even better!” “We couldn’t be more excited for Demi to return to THE X FACTOR next season. She’s an incredible mentor, an insightful judge and we know she’ll bring her amazing energy, enthusiasm and charm to the panel,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, FOX. “She also isn’t afraid to stand up to Simon or say what’s on her mind – and we can’t wait to see more of that honesty and fun next year.” “Demi’s enormous popularity is evident by her latest No. 1 single and her current tour selling out arenas across the globe,” noted Trish Kinane, executive producer, THE X FACTOR. “She did an impressive job last season identifying and mentoring new talent and we’re delighted to welcome her back for Season Three.”

Lovato has had a phenomenal start to 2013, spurred by the release of “Heart Attack,” her first single off of her untitled, upcoming fourth album. The single recently debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes chart in 18 countries (including the U.S.) and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (the second-best Billboard debut of the year). The single became the most-added song on Top 40 Radio in the U.S. the week it premiered, and is currently being played on more than 190 radio stations. To date, there have been more than 20 worldwide Twitter trends for “Heart Attack.” The song was produced by The Suspex and co-written by Lovato.

Making the most of her time away from the recording studio, Demi Lovato chatted with Miami’s hit radio station Y100. The 20-year-old singer dished about everything from her single leaking through the airwaves to thoughts about Khloe Kardashian leaving the “X Factor.” When discussing her single scare, the “Skyscraper” songstress said,

“I really shouldn’t say this and it does matter to me when my song leaks, but at the end of the day I didn’t mind. I was like, ‘Oh cool! Well now it’s out and everyone can hear it.’”

In regards to making a return to the judging table next season, Demi explained,

“You know I wish I could tell you right now but I kinda can’t just not because I have to keep things all secretive but because nothing is not for sure.”

As for her thoughts about who she thinks should replace Khloe as co-host, Miss Lovato sadly said,

“Nobody! I love Khloe! I don’t have a favorite [Kardashian] because they’re all pretty awesome. But she was really, really funny and I love, love, love her.”

The X Factor is going to go through plenty of changes before Season 3 airs. Britney Spears is already out, L.A. Reid needs to focus more on his business as a record producer, and Khloe Kardashian has been rumored to have been fired. According to Simon Cowell, though, the show would really, really like to keep Demi Lovato around—if she’s willing.

Cowell hung out with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show on Wednesday to talk about the upcoming season of Fox’s fall singing competition show. Cowell and Lovato had a pretty teasing-based relationship when they judged together during Season 2, but Cowell says he likes the 20-year-old singer and would like her to be part of the judges panel again next year.

“Nothing is official, but I liked having Demi on the show. She’s fun to work with. I think we’d be crazy not to have her back.”

Prepare to have a heart attack, Lovatics! While Britney Spears and L.A. Reid may be abandoning their posts at The X Factor, HollywoodLife.com has exclusively learned that Demi Lovato is “mostly a lock” to return as a judge in season three — and that’s not all the former Sonny With A Chance star has up her sleeve! According to our source, if Demi does return to The X Factor, she’ll be doing some major collaborating with girl-group Fifth Harmony! Even though the girls were on Team Simon Cowell last season, Demi will “most likely” sing on one of the group’s singles and share the X Factor stage with them for a live performance. We spoke to Demi in Dec. 2012, and she told us she’d be open to the idea of collaborating with the girls.

“I am always open to collaborations, and I would like to show these girls a ‘Thank you,’ and show them how much they have done for me,” Demi told us. “If I can help in [an] album in any way or to collaborate since they are so down to earth girls.”

Do you hope Demi returns to The X Factor? Drop your comments below!

Demi Lovato has “no idea” if she’ll return as a judge on the next season of “The X Factor,” but if she does, well, she’s got a pretty good idea of who, she’d like to see join her on the panel: Lady Gaga. Yes, in a new interview with Extra, Lovato said that she’s hoping to see the Mother Monster replace departing judge Britney Spears on the show (or perhaps departing judge L.A. Reid … she’s just that versatile), but was also quick to add that landing Gaga for the gig might be a long-shot.

“I would love to see Lady Gaga,” Lovato said. “I don’t know if that’s possible or not.”

Hey, you never know … Gaga’s schedule has just gotten a whole lot lighter. And while she’s campaigning for LG to join her on the third season of the struggling show, the fact remains that Lovato herself still isn’t sure if she’ll return. After all, she’s got her musical career to focus on.

“I have no idea what’s gonna happen next season, and I don’t think anybody does,” Lovato told MTV News. “It’s just crazy ’cause at the same time, just like L.A. is, I’m trying to build a career for my own too. It was an amazing experience and I loved doing this show. It’s just, there’s no way to tell.

Simon Cowell is no stranger to rebooting judging panels. After axing X Factor season one judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Sherzinger, keeping Epic Records chairman L.A. Reid, last January, Cowell now faces vacant seats from Britney Spears and the aforementioned Reid as he looks ahead to season three. Reid announced his exit from the program just one week ahead of the season two finale, which saw one of his own mentees, country man Tate Stevens, nab the $5 million prize. Meanwhile, Spears made her exodus official in early January after reports had speculated that she would not be asked back for another shot, citing a lackluster performance on screen. Both judges said they would be returning to focus on their day jobs: music. It remains unclear whether season two judge Demi Lovato will stay put for another season, but we sure hope she will. Here’s why:

Lovato may have beat viewers over the head with her self-proclamations of being “young” and “awesome,” (while Cowell was “old” and “crusty”) but as the youngest panelist at 20 years old, Lovato did bring a fresh perspective to the panel – all aged over 30. Her bantering – make that bickering – with Cowell provided fodder not only for the viewing audience, but for the covering press and the contestants as well. Arguably, the best zingers of the competition (aside from Spears’ quizzical “I just didn’t get it” to CeCe Frey, perhaps her best contribution of the entire season,) came from the mouths of Lovato and Cowell — oftentimes in the midst of an argument.

Cowell has said numerous times that even amid declining ratings for his program, the goal was to gain a much younger-skewing audience, and on that front, succeed they did. While plenty of Khloe Kardashian and Spears fans tuned in — most of whom are likely to be over 18 — it was undoubtedly Ms. Lovato’s loyal Lovatics carrying the tween audience. Even in studio tapings, the former Disney star was the subject of constant and deafening screams, and countless signs. Her fanatical followers stayed glued to Lovato’s every move and offered words of praise and encouragement via social media.