Simon Cowell drops out of X Factor Israel jury duty, network's spokesperson confirms

Record producer and television personality Simon Cowell has cancelled his scheduled appearance as a judge on the upcoming season of The X Factor Israel. A spokesman from Reshet, the network which produces the show, has told Variety that Cowell has cancelled the scheduled appearance “for his own reasons”. Further, Reshet has not commented whether Cowell is associated with X Factor Israel in any other way outside of judging. The 61-year-old music mogul last December signed a deal to serve as one of the judges on the fourth instalment of the Israel version of the singing reality show. At that time, he had commented, “I can barely wait to see what the Israelis have to offer”. This would have been Cowell’s first time being a judge of an international X Factor outside of the US and UK versions. As per a Reshet representative, Cowell’s staff had reached out to the makers with “legitimate concerns” over his participation in the show after the violence broke out between Israel and Gaza but at that time, no final decision was taken. Representatives for Cowell did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Cowell broke his back in a bike accident last year and had to take a break from work for surgery and extensive rehab and recovery. TV presenter Liron Weizman will host The X Factor Israel, which is slated to begin shooting this summer. In the new season, Mizrahi singer Margalit Tzan’ani, singer-songwriter Aviv Geffen, and singer and Eurovision 2018 winner Netta Barzilai will serve as judges. After Cowell’s exit, a fourth judge is yet to be named. Cowell currently appears as a judge on America’s Got Talent. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)