Britney Spears Close to Signing Deal As X FACTOR Judge

Deadline.com reports that Britney Spears is nearing a deal to appear as a judge on the upcoming second season of Fox's THE X FACTOR. 

Speculation that Spears would take on the hosting duties has been rampant since the announcement was made that Season 1 judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger had been axed from the program. According to the Deadline source, the two sides are in the "final stretch [of negotiations] after a big breakthrough over the weekend when major deal points were agreed upon."

According to initial reports, Spears were offered a whopping $10 million to take on the judging gig. Now sources say her salary may be as high as $16 million, far exceeding the $12 million which Jennifer Lopez earned on the last season of 'American Idol'.

In his recent praise of Spears, X FACTOR's Simon Cowell commented, “I’m fascinated by Britney. 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.”