Simon Cowell has confirmed he will leave American Idol at the end of the current series to launch the X Factor in the US, the BBC reports. Cowell is paid a reported $36m (£22.3m) per season on Idol and insiders say he stands to earn even more with the X Factor as he owns the show's rights as well as being its executive producer. However, the mogul has insisted money is not behind his decision to change shows. "That wasn't the reason behind it. I wanted to do something different. I wanted a new challenge," he explained before revealing his excitement to launch his own show. "I'm thrilled that we have put a date on the launch of the US version of The X Factor, and delighted to be continuing to work with [TV station] Fox. We have a fantastic relationship, a great team and are all very excited about this."
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