X Factor Host Steve Jones Set to Be Fired? (UPDATED)

By On 12/20/2011 · 59 Comments · In X Factor

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UK news sources, aka The Tabs, are reporting that host, Steve Jones, won’t be returning to the X Factor for Season 2.

With ratings that came in under creator, Simon Cowell’s, expectations (average 9M viewers or so, instead of the 20m he predicted) and critical reviews, I would expect a big shake up of personnel for next year.  Simon  hints at changes in a recent TV Guide interview.  But don’t expect the mercurial judge to confirm anything anytime soon.  Simon tends to leave the media hanging until the very last minute.

Deadline points out that judge, Nicole Scherzinger was originally set to co-host with Steve. Maybe Simon will move her into the hosts position next year.  She’s been an ineffectual judge and will be surprised if she survives changes to the judging panel Simon will likely make  for the new season.

UPDATE: Steve Jones’ rep releases a statement: “The Mirror Story is a fabrication that we would have corrected had we been called for comment. There have been absolutely no conversations about Steve Jones Leaving The X Factor,” his rep tells us. “Steve is very happy with the outcome of this season and he looks forward to being back and discovering more talent in the new year.”

Well. Not YET anyway.

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  • Anonymous

    I love Steve!  In a season that is boring, exasperating  and frustrating to watch, he is the one person who puts a smile on my face.  He has spawned several “Steve-isms” in my family, such as “Off you go!”  He seems so earnest and is trying so hard.  I think he’s the most likeable regular on the show–moreso than Simon, Paula, Nicole, & especially L.A.

  • shell29

    I know it has been a bit rough for Steve, but I hope TPTB will give him a chance to come back next season.  Allow him to have a second year to grow into his role as host.  Considering that this was supposed to be his “big break” in the States, he was trying way too hard and just came off a bit awkward.  He seems to have loosened up some and I think more people have warmed up to him lately (at least that’s what I gather from reading elsewhere online).  I hope he sticks around.   He is not entirely to blame for X Factor’s failure to meet the pre-season hype and ratings expectations so I hope he isn’t made the fall guy for it.

    Nicole is useless as a judge/mentor and would be an even bigger disaster as a host.  If anyone needs to be sent packing once the season ends, it’s her.

  • Anonymous

    They need to get Whitney Houston as a mentor/Judge.  She knows about having a successful career and and could mentor new people and help them avoid her mistakes as well.

  • Anonymous

    It could be worse people, Carson Daly could be the host. 

  • Anonymous

    There are a lot of things wrong with this show. Firing Steve is probably just the easiest fix.

    They need to get rid of the groups category entirely. Change it to bands or just make it 3 categories — boys, girls and overs.  They also need to let the contestants pick their own songs, do their own arrangements, etc. The mentors can advise, but ultimately, the performances and song choices should be left up to the contestants. Get rid of the cheesy OTT production, backup dancers, etc. Maybe have backup dancers and singers available, but only se them if they actually fit the song and the arrangement, rather than just having them for the sake of having them. Get rid of Nicole (and maybe Paula) and cut out the bickering amongst the judges. This show is supposed to be about the contestants, but — just like The Voice — it is really all about the judges and their egos right now.

    Also, shut up about the $5 million prize. They shouldn’t be getting that sort of prie to begin with, but constantly blabbering about it just makes it seem like people only care about the $$$, not about wanting to become a legit recording artist. Finally, raise the minimum age limit to 15 or (preferably) 16. I don’t want to see little kids crying hysterically when booted off or whn they get criticized. The majority of people that young simply aren’t emotionally mature enough to deal with all the crap that comes along with trying to make it in the entertainment business.

  • bmms

    Disagree completely. Ryan HAS personality, Steve does not. I will say that when AI premiered back in ’01 Ryan’s demeanor was in its ‘baby’ stages. Ryan has established himself as a professional host throughout the years.   And hasn’t Jonesy hosted on XFactor UK prior?  So what is there to ‘get better with time’ for?  E.g. In singing you’ve got to have the talent, nobody teaches you that.  If the singer is talented then the voice can be mastered with time.   One doesn’t master the voice if one doesn’t have the proper tools to begin with.  Same with Steve.  Ryan HAS the talent to host, this guy was born to host. You think if Ryan didn’t have what he’s got in order to be a super host, shows as Dick Clark’s NYE, The Oscars Red Carpet, The Emmy’s to name a few would have handed him the mic to handle a large order as hosting?  Not.  Every week that I’ve seen Steve I cringe and feel sorry for him to an extent.  He seems so uncomfortable on stage and has no charisma whatsoever.  Sorry he sucks.

  • Tera2

    LA Reid has produced albums by The Killers, Avril Lavigne, Santana, Kenny G, Gob, Heavy metal group From Zero and others who wouldn’t fall into the r&b and hip hop category.

    LA Reid isnt versatile enough like Randy of Idol to produce rock bands.  Anyone who knows music from 70′s and 80′s knows Kenny G and Santana have soul vibe and both work with R&B musicians for decades – that’s not far out of his comfort zone.  The Killers have some soul funk influence too.  He may oversee the production while having those who work for his label who knows Rock and pop-rock do the actual producing, but I doubt he’s really gonna do any real producing of a metal band.  I’m a fan of LA & BabyFace’s 80s/90′smusic, but Babyface has more vasatility and LA doesnt.  Look at the wikipedia of those LA wrote for and produced and its a long list and its 99.9% R&B and hip-hop, so I dont know where you got the idea he works much out of that genre.  The killers isnt enough to support your argument. The guy didnt even know a popular Christina Aguilera and Demi Lavato pop hits, and kept trying to make Marcus into Bobby Brown.  He obviously doesnt venture much out of his comfort zone of R&B/Hip-hop.  A judge of music talent show should have more versatility

    Also, just because LA signed Pink doesnt mean he knows more than just soul.  He signed her to sing Soul/R&B music which she did on her first CD, and after that she had to fight him to change to pop-rock which he was against, but she was adamant and he had no choice since she was already a star. And she proved to be a bigger success next CD with pop-rock.  He signed Avril to the label but doesnt mean he does much with helping produce her music.  He is head of a label and has others in his roaster doing that who knows more about her style of music.  He gets credits for signing Rihanna and Justin Bieber when Usher was the first to sign Bieber and Rihanna was with Jay-Z and they deserve more credit for discovering those two.

     I like pop/soul/Hip-hop/pop-rock/alternative/latin-pop and other styles cause I’m very versatile, but LA doesnt have the same versatility Randy from idol has to judge other genres. Randy played in a rock band and produced music for even country stars – LA is strictly rooted in R&B which is why he picked only contestants in his comfort zone and eliminated those who arent.  I was actually interested in him being a judge but his lack of versatility let me down.  I dont care how old you are if you are head of a music label you should know a hit pop song like Demi Lavato’s Skyscraper that’s on radio atleast a couple months before Drew sang it.  Its not like it was a rock or country song.

  • Karen C

    Some of the problems with the US version of the X Factor could be fixed actually if they made it more like the UK version. I have watched both this year, and watched the UK one last year too. 

    I also think part of the problem is that some of the contestants talk about the 5 million dollar prize too much, but in the UK, they don’t discuss the prize money, and it isn’t such a big prize. The prize is the recording contract.  Also, you have to be 16 or over to audition, so they do not have such young contestants on the UK version.  

    The thing that has to be changed though is the groups. In the UK, the groups are very popular, and are on the pop charts there.  For here, I agree they either have to include bands, or do away with the category compleatly.

    I do think that the over 30 category is taken much more seriously in the US, it is treated more like a joke in the UK. So, I think if they didn’t have a group category, I would rather see 2 over 30 categories for men and women. I think this would work better in the US.

    The one thing I am seeing, though,  is that some contestants do seem to have more input into their performances in the US version.  

    One thing I don’t like about both versions is that the judges are so involved, I think it’s better if the judges are more impartial.   It does become more about the judges than contestants this way. 

  • http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

    Steve drove me crazy during the season, but the last two shows he seemed to loosen up and smile more.  Simon needs to make a commitment with Steve by getting someone to work with him on hosting.

    Nicole must go.

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