‘X Factor’ Is Banking Its Future On ‘Drama Free’ Judging Panel

Simon Cowell is trying something different for the upcoming season of the X Factor; he’s working with a group of people who he believes will get along.

Cowell is the shows executive producer and ultimately has final say on who gets hired for the show. For the upcoming season, he chose Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland.

Speaking to TheWrap during a press conference in Los Angeles, the former American Idol judge proclaimed:

“I’ve wanted to work with Paulina [Rubio] for years and Kelly [Rowland] did the UK show for me and did a brilliant job.”

Cowell continues: “So, it was a very easy decision to put these three together and you hope it’s going to work and they’re going to get on well. And luckily they did.”

While judges on such shows are often at one another’s throats, that isn’t the only type of setup that has worked. For example, the judges on So You Think You Can Dance get along famously on camera, and their chemistry works just fine.

Lovato also chimed in about the X Factor cast for the upcoming season, noting:

“The whole cast this year, there’s something really special about it. And when we come together I feel it’s actually a family, which is actually so rare and I feel like it never happens, especially on these shows.”

Cowell and Lovato are still reportedly playing along with their love-hate relationship, which wasn’t grating, and offered some quite moments between the pair last season.

With the focus taken off the judges, perhaps the X Factor will reach its goal of becoming a hot bed for music winners. The problem in the past was that most of the shows press focused on the antics of Simon Cowell and his judges and not on the show’s competitors.

The X Factor has watched as The Voice has taken the music formula and flipped it on its head with judges who make fun of one another but ultimately get along.

With Mario Lopez now the only host on the show, judges hired to get along, and a new season on its way, this could finally be the season where I remember a few of the contestants names.

Do you think a frictionless judging panel on X Factor will help the show be better?