TV EXECUTIVES HAVE decided that US X Factor will end after just three seasons.

Fox and the show’s production companies announced yesterday that the US edition of the singing competition won’t be coming back this autumn.

X Factor head judge and creator Simon Cowell, who was also a judge on Fox’s American Idol for nine seasons, will instead return to the UK version of X Factor later this year. He said in a statement:

I’ve had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on The X Factor and American Idol. And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public — most of the time!

The acerbic judge initially predicted that X Factor would be a major hit before its 2011 debut, but the show never garnered stellar ratings, which continued to dip in last year’s third season. X Factor also failed to produce a winner as successful as past Idol champions.

But was the end of the show REALLY down to…

(a) This outfit that Cheryl Cole wore in her first appearance?

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(b) Britney Spears’ facial expressions leaving viewers bewildered and afraid?

or (c) Simon Cowell’s high-waisted trousers making it difficult for him to function in the LA heat?

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- Additional reporting Michael Freeman

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