• by Wayne Friedman , January 11, 2010

Pasadena, Calif. -- "American Idol" celebrity judge Simon Cowell upstaged NBC's Leno/O'Brien discussion during Fox's part of the Television Critics Association meeting here: He's leaving "Idol" -- but starting another contest show on Fox, "The X Factor."

After this upcoming season, the high-profile Cowell -- the best-known "American Idol" judge -- will leave TV's highest-rated show. Rumors have abounded for some time that this would be Cowell's last season with the show.

Beginning in fall 2011, Cowell will start up his own singing contest series, "The X Factor," on Fox -- a program that is similar to "Idol." He will be the executive producer and on-air judge on that show.

In the U.K., "The X Factor" is the highest-rated TV show in that country. Simon also produces "Britain's Got Talent" in the U.K. and "America's Got Talent" on NBC.

"We talked about staying on both shows," said Cowell, who joined Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting, and Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment of Fox Broadcasting, on stage at the TCA. "But I didn't think it was right to do two shows in the U.S. I can barely do one show a year."

Cowell was a judge on the U.K.'s "Pop Idol," the show "American Idol" was based upon. "Pop Idol" ran on ITV and was replaced by "X Factor," where Cowell is also a judge.

Rice says the company does not have a replacement in mind for Cowell for "Idol." "We have to take our time on that. We have to make sure the chemistry with other judges is as good as could be."

This will now give the network three big reality shows: "The X Factor" in the fall, "Idol" in the spring, and "So You Think You Can Dance" in the summer, Reilly says.

Cowell said "X Factor" is different then "Idol" -- singers and groups of singers can enter the contest without an age limit. The chief difference is that judges are assigned to singers who guide them in song choice, style, arrangement and presentation.

Fox executives did talk about NBC host Conan O'Brien -- who, in speculative stories, has been rumored to have an interest in Fox creating a late-night Monday to Friday show for him.

Reilly said: "[O'Brien] has got a decision to make about his future. We have not pursued it. We have talked to his people, but more about commiserating about the situation."

In addition, Reilly says creating an immediate late-night time period -- which Fox does not currently program -- would be tough to start. He says Fox stations have sitcoms and other programming already committed to run in the time period.

"It's a sensitive business discussion," he adds.

Fox is committing to a second season of "Glee," but with a new wrinkle. A nationwide open audition and search for three new characters will be wrapped around a major marketing campaign for the fall. New characters will not be revealed until they appear on the screen for the first time. "We haven't worked out the mechanics yet," said Reilly.