L.A. Reid Announces Departure From ‘The X Factor,’ Since He Has A Record Label To Run

Sad news for fans of L.A. Reid, the guy at the judges’ table who isn’t Simon Cowell, Britney Spears or Demi Lovato - if you’re out there, hey L.A. Reid’s fans! - the Epic Records chairman and CEO is departing The X Factor after this season so he can go back to running a major record label, which was his job before he became a FOX demi-celebrity.

“Of course I will miss the show,” Reid told The Hollywood Reporter. ”In my opinion Simon attracts the best talent, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my core business and the responsibility of running Epic Records.”

britney & demi are all smiles at 'x factor' launch: see the pics

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As Billboard notes, though (via Popjustice), virtually all of the talent produced by The X Factor (released by Epic Records under Reid’s guidance) has underperformed (which is an “industry term” that basically means “flopped”) commercially. So there’s that.

The good news: Reid says that his next priorities at Epic will be promoting Ciara and Avril Lavigne, which means music is basically saved.