Quote:Britney Spears will likely fill one of the vacant mentor/judge seats next to Simon Cowell on The X Factor. I have learned that, following an overture by Cowell and an initial discussion, the pop star has received a $10 million offer to join the second season of Fox’s singing competition. The recruitment of Spears would bring the star power Cowell & Co. had been looking for after their decision to replace first-season X Factor judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. The offer also would catapult Spears to the top tier of reality series talent as it is in line with what Spears’ former Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cohort Christina Aguilera will be making on the third season of The Voice and just below the $12 million Jennifer Lopez received on American Idol last season.

The offer comes on the heels of a couple of public statements by Cowell in which he has been effusive in his praise for the Toxic singer as a prospective X Factor judge. “Are we flattered there would be interest from Britney Spears? Yes,” he said during a conference call two weeks ago. During a radio interview with Billy Bush last week, Cowell went further. “I’m fascinated by Britney,” he said. “The fact that she’s one of the most talked about — not just pop stars but people — in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power. This girl has resilience. I would think that if she’s managed to sustain a family, a career, which is tough, (X Factor would be) a walk in the park. I would be fascinated to hear what she has to say. She’s still hot, she’s still having hit records and she’s still controversial. There’s a reason for that.”