Wednesday, May 16, 2012 2:50am ET by  
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Simon Cowell admits Spears and Lovato weren't confirmed for X Factor until the last minute

Simon Cowell has admitted that new X Factor USA judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato weren't confirmed until the very last moment.

As previously reported, X Factor USA ended months of speculation on Monday (May 14) after they confirmed that Spears and Lovato would be taking up the two vacant seats on the show's judging panel.

Speaking to Extra, Simon Cowell revealed that it wasn't literally until the day of the announcement that he was sure the pair were going to sign the dotted line. He said:

"Right up until today, I wasn't 100 percent sure it was going to happen or not. Because when you're negotiating with people like that who are big stars, you don't just sign the contract overnight. There's stuff you've got to sort out."

Cowell also opened up on the negotiations between himself and Britney Spears' manager, suggesting that her party were quick to rush into a deal. He said:

"I remember her manager, Larry, saying, 'Britney wants to speak to you' and about a week had passed and she got on the phone and said 'Simon, I want to tell you I'm in, and we have a deal.' [Her manager] said, 'We haven't quite got a deal yet!'... She spoke too soon."

 

 

 

Watch Simon Cowell speak about the X Factor below: