Add singer and former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato to Britney Spears as possible judges to replace Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger for Season 2 of the US X Factor. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Demi is in negotiations, but the deal is not yet set in stone.
Lovato seems like another desperation pick. Supposedly, he wants to pull in a younger demographic, which would supposedly be good for the demo ratings. However, it is the 18-to-49 demographic that is the prime object of TV shows like X Factor and other network programs. Aren’t Demi’s fans teens instead of young adults?
And while Demi is a decent singer, what is a group of people like the over 30s going to learn from a 19-year-old singer? This has the potential to look really silly. If Simon Cowell and company had a track record of making good decisions, then I’d say there is no way Demi Lovato will be a judge. But with Cowell, who knows what will happen. He’s bound to try just about anything as long as the girl he picks is at least semi-attractive.
Another thing to remember is that neither the Britney nor the Demi deal are complete. Both of these could be nothing but rumors. The last rumor was that Whitney Houston might be a judge (that story occurred literally days before her death). Cowell later confirmed that they were not even in negotiations with Whitney before her death.
Despite the possible negatives, Demi Lovato should not be instantly eliminated as a possible choice. Even though she is 19, some teenagers are very articulate and knowledgeable and could handle the task of being a judge. It all depends on that and personality, and Lovato has both the singing and acting experience to be comfortable in front of the camera. It’s impossible to say how articulate and composed she would be as a judge. We would have to see her in action first.
I wouldn’t put the odds of Demi becoming a judge as close to 100%. Likely, they will be discussing these options with many other people. But don’t count on Cowell making any decision based on anything but what he thinks will be good for ratings. Age, experience, intelligence, the knowledge to actually mentor, and other factors are all secondary to ratings.