The popular singing contest is back on air, much to the delight of its ardent followers. This season is a very important one for American Idol as it seems to be a defining period. For one, longtime judge Paula Abdul exited the stage after the previous season. Various celebrities guested as judges and now it is Ellen Degeneres who has taken Paula’s place permanently.

Now it seems that American Idol is to be dealt another blow: judge Simon Cowell is leaving after this season! The news is that he has decided to say goodbye to the show, which he has been part of for the longest time, because he is bringing a new show to the United States. Dubbed “The X Factor,” the show was created by Cowell and is already popular in Great Britain. He is introducing it to the American audience via Fox.

Obviously, this decision is going to have serious effects on American Idol. As sharp as Simon’s tongue can be, no one can deny that he brings a certain flavor to the show. The interaction between him and Paula was interesting, and Paula’s leaving has already had its effects. If Simon were to go for real, it just might bring down the mighty show called American Idol.

However, Simon Cowell and other bigwigs in the TV industry say that this is not going to be the case. They predict that American Idol will continue to be a major player in the world of reality TV shows. How about you? What is your prediction?