[tuyetvan]

 ... Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, and Sofia Vergara


 .... Lionel Richie, Katy Perry , and Luke Bryan


 ... Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon

 ... Terry Crews & Tyra Banks

 ... Howard Stern

......... Sharon Osbourne & Louis Walsh

 .... Dannii Minogue & Cheryl Fernandez-Versini


 .... Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos


   .... L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears and Simon Cowell

Reports claiming Spears' unravelling dogged the singer early in the tour, with multiple accounts alleging she took abrupt breaks to regain her composure.

Throughout, Cowell emerged as Spears' biggest defender, and during a visit to the show's Canadian broadcaster CTV he insisted Spears is tougher than people most think.

She may even be the toughest critic on the new and improved "X Factor," he said.

"She is fearless," said Cowell, his comments coming about halfway through the tour.

"To get a 'No' out of (previous judge) Paula (Abdul) as you know was like getting blood out of a stone because she didn't want to be unpopular. Britney has literally no qualms -- she can have 4,000 people going crazy about a contestant, (and she says) 'No."'

Combined with fellow newcomer Demi Lovato, Spears is downright unshakable, says Cowell, who returns to the judges' table with producer L.A. Reid.

"When the two of them get together (and) me and L.A. want someone to go through and these two (don't), they're immovable. And that's what happens when you put two girls together."

Despite establishing himself as one of TV's harshest reality show critics on "American Idol," Cowell said he doubts he's the toughest critic out of the four judges on "The X Factor."

"Watch the tape. I'm not so sure," said Cowell, whose past barbs have reduced wannabe stars to tears and provoked expletive-laden retorts.

He said Spears is out to prove there's more to her than her rocky past and that she can be a solid judge.

"She's taken that role really seriously -- (deciding) who she thinks is a star, more importantly who isn't. And I've got to trust her instincts. And then she wants to watch the stuff back to know what she's done wrong, you know, what she can improve on, so it's not just someone taking a cheque and just turning up. There's a real commitment."

Lovato, too, has proven to be "a total brat," Cowell smirked, making no bones about the fact he added the younger crooners in a bid to court younger audiences.

"She's just completely fearless, irreverent and I think it was important because me and L.A., I'm 52, LA's a lot older than I am -- a lot -- but you know, a lot of people who watch our show, they're 16, 17, and 18 and younger. So we had to have someone, I thought, on the panel who could reflect that younger audience."

Twenty-year-old Disney queen Lovato and the 30-year-old Spears replace last season's Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger.


 .... Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Simon Cowell, Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw

https://ew.com/article/2013/05/20/x-factor-new-judges/