Famous pop singer Britney Spears and Disney star-turned-singer Demi Lovato have both been confirmed as judges for the second season of reality singing show The X-Factor US, Reuters.com reports. The two ladies are replacing singers Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, who were fired after the show's first season concluded in 2011.

This was announced on May 15 when Simon Cowell, creator of the franchise and a judge on the show, posted a message on his Twitter account, @SimonCowell, saying, "Can't believe it's finally happened. Very exciting!" His tweet included a photo of him with co-judge LA Reid from last season as well as Britney and Demi. Britney also posted a tweet with the photo on the same day on her account, @BritneySpears.

This is Britney's first time to judge a singing competition. "I'm so excited by this whole experience. It's so different from anything I've ever done," the singer of "Oops I Did It Again" fame is quoted as saying. Britney, who experienced lows in both her personal and career life in 2007, successfully returned to the music scene in 2008.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Demi is the youngest star to ever judge a singing show in the US. "Demi's had an amazing career in music, TV, and film for someone her age. She's young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it's really important that she speaks to our younger audience," Simon said of her in a statement. Besides being a singer, Demi has also acted in Disney movie Camp Rock and TV series Sonny with a Chance.

Fox, the network airing The X-Factor, gave no details about both stars' contracts, but reports say Britney might be getting $15 million for the season. According to Reuters.com, this amount is more than five times what Paula received when she was working on the show.

Critics are questioning whether or not the move to include Britney and Demi on the judging panel is a good one. TVLine.com writer Michael Slezak said Demi might not be ready for being back in the spotlight after her stint in rehab in 2010. Meanwhile, RealityBlurred.com editor Andy Dehnart questioned Britney's capacity to deliver successfully on the show, citing her inexperience as a TV personality.


(Photo of Britney Spears by www.chicagofabulousblog.com via Flickr Creative Commons; photo of Demi Lovato by Paige's Concerts via Wikimedia Commons)