![Britney Spears + Simon Cowell](http://townsquare.media/site/555/files/2013/03/cowell-spears.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Britney Spears + Simon Cowell
It’s Britney, of course. She and Simon Cowell were the major star power on the panel of the second season of ‘X-Factor,’ for which Spears became the highest paid celebrity judge on a competition show ever. But since she didn’t act crazy even once, the ratings sagged and she decided not to come back and to go make piles of money elsewhere.
Cowell has been scouting talent since the start of his career and made a name for himself as a producer and judge on talent competition shows like 'American Idol.' It was he who gave the world One Direction after he put them together and mentored them on the 2010 season of the British ‘X-Factor.’ (How you feel about that is solely up to you.)
While Simon seems to skate through celebrity life wearing aviators, a black T-shirt and jeans and dating whomever he wants for however long he wants, BritBrit has had some struggles over the last decade. She’s been married and divorced, fought for custody of her kids, shaved her head, fought for custody of herself and had to sue a longtime friend and manager for trying to take what was hers.
She can still sell albums, but she doesn’t have quite the star power she once had. That said, her star still shines brighter than most people's ever will.
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