Cowell To Leave Idol

American Idol judge Simon Cowell has announced that this will be his final season on the show.

Following weeks of speculation, it has been made public that Cowell will step down so he can start up an American version of the wildly successful British show X Factor. Cowell makes $36 million as Idol judge but stands to make even more if his new show takes off.

American Idol first aired in 2002 as a spin off of the British Pop Idol which also featured Cowell as a judge. Pop Idol only aired two seasons as Cowell left to start a show that he owned the rights to.

X Factor first aired in 2006 and it has been responsible for launching the careers of most notably Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke. Different than its predecessors, X Factor allowed vocal groups as well as older individuals to compete.