Pop icon Britney Spears, second from left, is pictured with judges L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell on "The X Factor" on Fox. RAY MICKSHAW/Fox
Britney Spears won't be back for the next season of "The X Factor" on Fox.
Pop artist Spears, who reportedly signed a $15 million one-year contact with the show, is quitting, according to tmz.com.
"We have unimpeachable sources who tell us Britney loves the show but wants to focus on her music ... which she is doing right now," reported the website Thursday.
"Britney is in the studio recording her 8th album, with some help from Will.i.am and producer Hit-Boy...."
MTV News is reporting the pop icon is leaving before being asked to leave after a lackluster season as one of the judges on the show (along with Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid and Cowell), it posted to its website Thursday. Reid previously announced this would be his last season on the show.
"Spears will be a one-termer after ratings for the show's second season suffered a double-digit dip last year," according to mtv.com. "The singer, whose most lasting legacy on 'Factor' could end up being her GIF-worthy grab bag of surprised/bored/blank facial expressions, has not officially been dropped from the panel yet, but the failure to launch made the writing on the wall very clear."
The appearance of Spears on the show was expected to boost ratings but that never happened. There has been no official comment on the report from Cowell or Spears. But Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told reporters at the Television Critics Association that Spears "did a good job."
"I thought it went very, very well," Reilly said Tuesday. "It was fraught with unknowns, and I think Britney did a very good job. People are fascinated with her and always will be. Last year, the ratings were a little bit higher but I think it was a better show this year. I think she tucked in really nicely on the bench."
The press-shy Spears, who is expected to release a new album this year, has made no official comment. "The X Factor" has been picked up for a third season.
Here she is last summer talking about "The X Factor."
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