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But as the season winds down, judge L.A. Reid was the man of the hour, following last week's surprise announcement that he'll be leaving the show.
"I'm very sad to leave," the Grammy Award-winning music producer and record label exec told E! News. "I'm not happy. But I have responsibilities that I have to get back to."
L.A. is the chairman and CEO of Epic Records.
"[I] came into this knowing that it wasn't gonna become my life," he admitted. "Simon [Cowell] and I are really good friends, and he knew at some point I needed to get back to work." Well, at least it's nothing personal!
It is his "good friend" Simon, however, who insists L.A. is already second guessing his decision to part ways with the hit singing competition after two seasons. "[He's] regretting his decision, trust me."
The "X Factor" boss insists he hasn't even begun to think about possible L.A. replacements. "It'd be crazy to think about it while the show's [still] on," says Simon.
Perhaps he's hoping Reid will change his mind! Either way, Cowell is confident the talent will come to him. "I'll take a couple weeks off [after Thursday's finale], regroup, and wait for the calls to come in. I prefer that."
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