Veteran producer and reality TV judge, Simon Cowell has cancelled his scheduled appearance as a judge on the upcoming season of X Factor Israel.
Late last year, Simon had signed a deal to act as one of the judges on the next season of the Israeli musical reality show, which is scheduled to begin filming this summer.
Producers of X Factor Israel confirmed that Simon has cancelled his appearance without elaborating on the reasons for his decision. A spokesperson told Variety that he was cancelling “for his own reasons”. Whether Simon would have any part in the production of X Factor Israel outside of judging has not been confirmed or denied.
A representative of Reshet, which produces X Factor Israel, told the publication that members of Simon’s staff had reached out with “legitimate concerns” over his participation in the show.
A Jewish News report last week cited a source close to Simon as saying that the media mogul was “bitterly disappointed” that he could not take part for “a number of reasons.”
“Simon won’t be going to Israel after all. I know it has already been announced that he was one of the judges, but for a number of reasons he just can’t be there in Israel to film the show now. Of course, he is bitterly disappointed – but it was a decision he had to take,” stated the source refusing to say whether the decision had been taken as a result of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Simon, who created the original version of The X Factor in Britain, is currently appearing as a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.
