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Lovato in talk to join Britney Spears on judging panel.By Gil Kaufman Demi Lovato Photo: Scott Gries After booting Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell's "X Factor" appears to be going in a youthful direction. Though producers of the show have not yet officially announced that Britney Spears has joined the judging panel
 of the show for its upcoming second season, according to reports the fourth seat — next to Cowell and record executive L.A. Reid — could go toDemi Lovato. Citing unnamed sources, The Hollywood Reporter said on Tuesday that Disney star Lovato, 19, is "closing a deal" to join Spears as one of the new judges on the show. In an attempt to lure a younger audience, producers are in final negotiations to sign Lovato, though the trade magazine noted that, "The deal is not yet done and could fall apart." Spokespeople for Lovato and "Factor" could not be reached for comment at press time, and did not comment to the Reporter for their story, but the magazine speculated that Cowell could be planning to make a judging reveal at the Fox upfront event for ad buyers on May 14. Auditions with the new judges are slated to take place at the end of this month. Though Spears has reportedly been circling
 a $15 million deal to appear on the second season of the show, the Los Angeles Times noted that final talks on her contract have dragged on because the 30-year-old singer has, "Insisted on various perks that have bogged down negotiations." A point of conflict has reportedly been Cowell's insistence that Spears sign a two-year contract with the show, while she wants the option of opting out after just one season if she feels the gig is not a good fit. Whether Spears manager/boyfriend Jason Trawick
 and Cowell were able to reach an agreement on the issue has not been made public. Lovato's name is also not the only youthful one being bandied about for the final spot. Both Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne have been mentioned as potential judges, though no details or confirmation of those talks have emerged. Several other female stars, including Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, have also been rumored as potential "Factor" judges, but neither appear to be in the mix at this point. Related Videos 'Demi Lovato: Stay Strong' -- The After Show 'Demi Lovato: Stay Strong' Related Artists Demi Lovato Miley Cyrus

The FOX show's very long and public search for judges is making it look desperate.By John Mitchell Britney Spears Photo: Max Morse/Getty Images On Wednesday (May 2) we learned that Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus are all being courted as possible replacements for Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger on "The X Factor" judging panel. But don't get your knickers in a twist — "The X Factor" originated in Britain, after all — Britney Spears is reportedly still in the game too, though reports that she "insisted on various perks that have bogged down negotiations" are floating around. So to be clear, Britney might still be in, Demi is close to a deal and Miley and Avril are on the table. A few months ago, we could have replaced the Demi with Janet Jackson and Miley with Mariah Carey. And prior to her tragic passing in February, Whitney Houston was also being considered for the panel, according to remaining judges L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell. Never before has the casting process for a reality television show judge been so exhaustingly long and public. Sure, before Jennifer Lopez signed on to "American Idol" there were rumors that she was being pursued, but no public statements were made until she had signed on the dotted line. And while the constant stream of potential candidates being leaked to the press or talked about openly by Reid or Cowell may itself be a negotiation technique — most likely to try to ambush Spears into signing on for fear of being replaced — is also doing something very specific to the troubled signing competition. It is making "The X Factor" look desperate. Really desperate. With the FOX upfronts just two weeks away and filming on the production scheduled to begin early this summer, it's not exactly encouraging that the show cannot secure above-the-title talent. An upfront is a showcase hosted at the start of important advertising sales periods by network executives, and they are attended by the press and, more importantly, major advertisers. "The X Factor" is a costly show for FOX, and the deal on the table for Spears, reported to be $15 million per season, certainly isn't bringing the budget down. Watching the never-ending parade of potential judges unfurl and then walk away — and keep in mind that the show is also casting about for two hosts to replace Steve Jones — cannot be serving the show well with eagle-eyed advertisers watching closely to see where their money will be best spent. Conducting contract negations so publicly is always a risky endeavor, but in this specific case, "The X Factor" has backed itself into a corner. The show looked silly when talks with music legends Jackson and Carey fell through after so much public discussion, and in making the details of Spears' deal public and then failing to (at this point) lock her in, execs at "The X Factor" look borderline inept. There's been some discussion that by tossing Miley, Avril and Demi's names into the ring, the show is trying to make Spears seem replaceable and get her to back down on her alleged "various perks." It's a dirty way to conduct business and ultimately doesn't speak well of what is going on behind the scenes in the show's search for its new panelists. If that is indeed the case, it's like the show is grasping at straws. And that's not the best look when you are walking into the FOX upfronts seeking advertisers on the heels of an underperforming first season. Related Artists Britney Spears