Much has been said recently about Simon Cowell and his plans of bringing the X Factor to the US and turning it into as big a show as its British counterpart is, but few actually expected this to come at the cost of his chair as judge on American Idol. Simon’s own brother, Tony, has confirmed the decision during one of his weekly podcasts, EW has learned.

Speculation about Cowell wanting to bring X Factor to American audiences has been making the rounds for quite some time, but he reportedly came across some difficulties and was reconsidering his stance on the entire matter. Now, Tony Cowell is saying that not only will this happen successfully, but that it will also mark Simon’s last season on American Idol. This, in turn, means that the season that kicks off in 2010 is actually his last, so fans might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

“Meanwhile, Simon prepares for a new season of Idol – or should I say, his last season of Idol. OK, I will. Because it is. As I sit here with my family in the sunny Caribbean, a press statement is being prepared, which will confirm what everyone expected: Simon will leave Idol at the end of 2010 to concentrate on bringing the American version of X Factor to US TV in 2011,” EW quotes Tony Cowell as saying.

Simon, who just recently said that he had... (read more)