Upheaval On The X Factor! Nicole, Paula and Steve Shown The Door

Changes to the X Factor were expected, but it turns out that the show is undergoing a bigger upheaval than folks saw coming.

According to E! News: Not only is former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger leaving the judging panel, so is Paula Abdul! Host Steve Jones is also being shown the door.

The ousted cast members have already found out that Simon wanted to take the show in a different direction.

There had long been chatter than Nicole had known she was leaving the show, and that pop icon Mariah Carey was in talks to join the judging panel. There had been earlier discussions about her being on the show in season one, but her pregnancy at the time put those talks on hold. Now that she’s had her babies, the only thing left to do is seal the deal and make the announcement.

Aside from Cowell, LA Reid is the only judging alumni that will return for the next season.