Simon Cowell Headed Back to THE X FACTOR UK as Judge

Simon Cowell is headed back across the pond.

According to Deadline, the notorious TV and music industry insider has confirmed that he will return to the UK edition of The X Factor for its next season, leaving his post on the U.S. judging panel after mounting it on Fox three years ago.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be returning to The X Factor UK," said Cowell. "It's been three years since I last judged the competition and I'm excited to find a global superstar again."

As of now, THE X FACTOR U.S. has not been renewed for a fourth season.

In December, Cowell confirmed that should the singing competition series be picked up again, the network would downsizing due to diminishing ratings and rising production costs. There's also been speculation that THE X FACTOR might follow DANCING WITH THE STARS' lead, and broadcast a single episode each week, rather than the now-standard separate performance and elimination nights.

Since its premiere, THE X FACTOR has gone through a cycle of all-star judges, including Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and Nicole Scherzinger.

The X Factor was created by Syco Entertainment and is produced by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America. Executive producers are Andrew Llinares, Rob Wade, Trish Kinane, Richard Holloway and Nigel Hall.

Photo by Nino Munoz / FOX