Miley Cyrus

Spears says she wants to 'inspire' contestants on the Fox show. By Jocelyn Vena "X Factor" judges L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and Britney Spears at the FOX Upfront Photo: Desiree Navarro/ Getty Images Britney Spears seems poised and ready to sit beside her fellow "X Factor" judges on the revamped second season of the show. At the Fox upfront this week, the singer appeared alongside fellow newbie Demi Lovato, as well as returning judges Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid, and gushed about the Fox reality show. "Just really being able to be there and inspire the other contestants ... they're so young and they're trying to fulfill their dreams," she said at the event. "It's just a whole beautiful concept. It's just really cool." While her negotiations with the show had been making headlines in the weeks leading up to the official announcement, Cowell brushed off all the hoopla, which includes a rumored $15 million payday for joining the show. "A force of nature, I was somewhere in the middle, but I'm thrilled. I love these guys," he said of getting everyone, including Spears, on board. "I charmed her." Spears seemed equally taken with the prickly Brit. "He's adorable. He's completely adorable. He didn't have to try hard," she admitted. Spears' addition to the show is hardly the only casting making news: Lovato also opened up about having the "X Factor." While little is known about the final hours going into locking Lovato in for the show, she's rumored to be taking in $1 million, according to Gossip Cop. Lovato was on a short list of possible contenders to appear on the show that also reportedly included Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne. "I'm so excited to be here," she said. "I guess you called," she added with Simon by her side. "And that's how it got set up, just a phone call." In addition to getting warm and fuzzy about each other in the interview, Cowell shared that the judges will be filming in the next couple weeks when they hit up Austin, Texas, to begin scoping out talent. And if you think the claws might come out then, Reid assured viewers that that won't be the case. "Oh no, we're gonna be really sweet to each other," he said. "Nothing controversial. It'll be perfect." Related Artists Britney Spears

Phillip Phillips joins her in the bottom two for the first time, while David Cook and Jennifer Lopez hit the stage.By Adam Graham Hollie Cavanagh on "American Idol" Photo: Fox Phillip Phillips was given his first taste of the bottom two, but it was Hollie Cavanagh who was eliminated from "American Idol" on Thursday (May 10). Cavanagh, the 18-year-old from McKinney, Texas, received the lowest number of votes from the nearly 70 million votes cast, according to host Ryan Seacrest. Cavanagh received harsh marks for her performance of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" on Wednesday's performance episode; Randy Jackson called it "the wrong choice at the wrong time." Cavanagh just missed a trip back to Texas as part of the top three "Hometown Heroes" visits, which happen on next week's show. The Liverpudlian kept it together while singing Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" at the close of the show, though her close friend Joshua Ledet was shown tearing up nearby onstage. Mentor Jimmy Iovine had all but written off Cavanagh after "I Can't Make You Love Me." "I assumed she understood the core of the song. Evidently, she did not," Iovine said in his weekly roundup of the week's performances. "She did not have the personal experience or the professional experience to take on this song. When the chorus came in, she hit the opera button. And at that moment, I felt she crashed and burned and lost out to those other three singers." He had high praise for the others. He said Phillip Phillips "finally delivered on the promise that we've been looking for all year" with his version of Damien Rice's "Volcano"; Jessica Sanchez "murdered" her performance of the "Dreamgirls" hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, "referring to it as "shock and awe"; and Ledet "created a piece of magic that is very rarely seen on the "American Idol" stage" with his take on James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." "I've seen Prince, I've seen Bruce Springsteen do that, but I've never seen that on 'American Idol,' " Iovine said. "It was so, so captivating. I want to see it again and again and again." Iovine added that he thinks the competition is up for grabs. "Last year, I knew Scotty was gonna win the whole thing. This year, I haven't got a clue who's going to get into the final," he said. "Any one of them, with the right song and the right note, can steal the show. It's up to them and, eventually, America's vote." When the results were read, Sanchez was the first one told she made the top three, followed by Ledet. Also on the show, seventh-season "Idol" winner David Cook dropped by to perform "The Last Song I'll Write for You," and Jennifer Lopez turned in a performance of her song "Dance Again." What did you think of "Idol" on Thursday? Let us know in the comments! Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos 'American Idol' Season 11 Performances Most Shocking 'American Idol' Exits Related Artists Jennifer Lopez