Simon Cowell: Britney Spears Is Mean On ‘X Factor’

X Factor mastermind Simon Cowell says fans of Britney Spears might be surprised at how mean she can be on the show. Spears and Demi Lovato join Cowell for the second season of X Factor which debuts Wednesday on Fox.

Simon told reporters at a news conference on Monday:

“I’ve seen the first show and I think it’s sensational. I think the girls do a great job and the contestants are great. The show looks different than anything we’ve ever made before.”

Simon then opened up specifically about Britney Spears, revealing:

“[She] is a fascinating person because you just don’t know anything about her. She’s very unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen. She has taken this very seriously and she’s surprisingly quite mean.”

Cowell adds of Spears refusal to push contestants off the show:

“In the past we’ve had judges that never say no. [But] she can’t say no quick enough on this show. She’s quite difficult to please.”

Apparently Demi Lovato became a big fan of Britney Spears’ judging style on the show, calling her “witty” and “quirky” and “funny.”

Cowell admits that controlling Britney Spears and Demi Lovato is a much different situation than his time spent on the show with Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. Simon says of the new lineup:

“We have no control over these two whatsoever, and there are many, many times that we disagree. But that’s what’s made it more interesting this year. They are both unpredictable and have different and strong views.”

Will you be tuning in to see Demi Lovato and Britney Spears as they take on the X Factor contestants?