Simon Cowell The X Factor

It's down to three on The X Factor. Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik and Chris Rene will sing for the title on tonight's final performance show.

So, who does Simon Cowell favor? It scarcely matters, he tells Us Weekly. Any one of the singers would make worthy champion.

"It will be the greatest final we've ever been in, in terms of talent," Cowell says. "The fact that all three of them are undiscovered before this show, amazing artists, amazing vocalists. One of these artists will be the legacy of this year.  This is $5 million dollar talent.  We are going to put on a show and it will be better next year."

While tonight should be exciting, tomorrow evening will really be the one to watch. Justin Bieber, Pitbull and Ne-Yo will all sing "superstar duets" with the show's finalists.

Which of the finalists do you think will win?

With Rachel Crow fans still still buzzing over Nicole Scherzinger's decision to send the most recent elimination episode to a deadlock, resulting in the ousting of this cute contestant, Simon Cowell has now taken it upon himself to anger Marcus Canty supporters.

Speaking to reporters this week, the judge scarcely even acknowledged the singer as an X Factor contender, despite his presence in the final four, saying:

"I think it's quite clear that it's down to three people now. And it's Melanie, Josh and Chris."

Canty, of course, has been stuck in the bottom two for three consecutive Thursdays, but he remains hopeful that he can pull an upset.

"For me to think for one second in my mind that I don't deserve to be here will be killing myself," he says. "This is my dream too. No matter what people think, I'm up here. This is my dream. And that's why I keep fighting to make it to the top."

That certainly is the right attitude. Who do you think will win The X Factor?

It has produced some great acts early on in it first season run - Josh Krajcik and Jazzlyn Little, for example - but The X Factor has NOT produced the kind of ratings Simon Cowell had initially hoped for.

At one point this summer, the former American Idol judge said he thought his new show could defeat his old and earn 20 million viewers per week. The actual results have been closer to 12 million.

Tora Woloshin X Factor Audition

I'm "humbled, but still competitive," Cowell told TV Line when asked about the performance of The X Factor so far. "We’re gonna get there in the end. I do believe that."

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Call him mean. Call him nasty. Call him abrasive.

But Simon Cowell has a better word for himself: real.

"I used to wind Ryan [Seacrest] up about this when I'd get accused of being constantly negative," Cowell tells TV Guide Magazine. "I'd say, 'Remember all the people who cried in these auditions and you'd say, 'I'm going to miss you so much. I care so much about you.' Have you ever picked up the phone and said 'Are you OK?' The answer is never. It's all for TV. The difference with me is I have no qualms saying whether I like you or dislike you. I find it more unkind when you give someone false hope."

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It's Simon vs. Simon in a battle of music industry titans.

Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol, has filed a legal complaint against Fox Broadcasting and FremantleMedia. At issue is former Idol host Simon Cowell's forthcoming U.S. version of the British hit, The X Factor.

Fuller says the companies failed to honor an agreement from a previous copyright lawsuit he filed against Cowell's rival reality show in the UK in 2005.

In that legal saga, Fuller claimed Cowell, with whom he has an uneasy relationship at best, stole his idea for the series.

Fuller's publicist said that he filed a legal complaint Fox and FremantleMedia's "refusal to honor a 2005 contract that granted Mr. Fuller an executive producer credit and fees on The X Factor television program in the U.S."

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Simon Cowell just wants to make your dream come true.

He wants to mold every contestant on The X Factor, give them a positive critique and build their confidence so they have a long, successful career. After all, as he says in the following extended promo for his new Fox series: "It's not about me anymore."

JUST KIDDING!

The X Factor Sneak Peek

Following a subdued intro, the preview that premiered during last night's Major League Baseball All-Star game features Simon at his snarkiest, Nicole Scherzinger at her leggiest and Paula Abdul at her... Paula Abdul-est. Get your first look at L.A. Reid and host Steve Jones above and decide: Can this compete with The Voice and American Idol?

Are you excited for The X-Factor?

Simon Cowell says Cheryl Cole is "one of [his] closest friends."

This may come as a surprise, considering the pop singer was just let go from her judging gig on The X-Factor, but Cowell says the move was made with Cole's well-being in mind.

“Not many people will believe that, but that’s the truth,” Cowell told The Associated Press today. “She was good on the American show, [but] I personally thought she was missing her family and friends. She just looked... not as happy as I’ve seen her on previous shows.”

Now, Cole is off both versions of the competition. Simon says the plan was to keep her on the British version, but then word of her American firing got out and "things went south... fast."

Has he spoken to her since the debacle? Yes, via text message.

“She told me she wasn’t happy but that she also accepted it was a business decision and she wished the show well. Typically, in Cheryl form, she was disappointed but charming at the same time.

With its full cast of judges and hosts assembled, The X-Factor has released its first, official, extended promo.

In the video below, Simon Cowell hypes the largest prize ever handed out for a reality show ($5 million!), while the names and images of the stars associated with the competition flash across the screen: Cheryl Cole! Nicole Scherzinger! Paula Abdul!

Will you be tuning in this fall? The X-Factor will air twice per week on Fox, American Idol-style, with a performance show and a results show. Check out the 90-second trailer now:

The X Factor Promo

Nicki Minaj is out. Might Nicole Scherzinger be in?

The hip hop star will not judge The X-Factor, but Simon Cowell himself sounds very close to naming the former Pussycat Doll as the second judge on his upcoming singing competition.

"I want her to do it, but we've got to get the deal done and find someone she has chemistry with," Cowell tells TV Guide. "I absolutely adore her. She was fantastic on the U.K. X Factor and I'm hopeful it will happen."

Cowell says Cheryl Cole is in the mix and also explains his connection to L.A. Reid, who has been confirmed for the panel.

"I met him approximately fifteen years ago when he'd launched Pink for the first time. He put on a show and got every single person in the room to believe this person was a star. The way he presented her with his passion drew me to him and was a big part of why I chose him to be on the show. A "yes" or "no" from L.A. Reid should really mean something to the contestants."

It won't premiere until the fall, but Fox is already starting to push The X Factor.

A commercial aired for the upcoming competition during Super Bowl XLV, and producer Simon Cowell took part in a conference call with reporters yesterday, talking to us about the show's massive grand prize, among other topics.

On the $5 million prize: "The money rightly puts an enormous amount of pressure on people... it's a massive, massive risk. But it's also an incredible incentive."

Might Paula Abdul judge? "I'm a massive fan of Paula's. When you work with somebody as long as I did with Paula... we were friends 80 percent of the time and interestingly, we've been in contact (after 'Idol'). I'm not going to say on this call who we are going to confirm or not confirm, but we're talking to a number of people."

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