Britney Spears mentoring contestants ages 12 to 16; paparazzi photos surface - Examiner.com

EXCLUSIVE REPORT

"The X Factor" U.S. has switched up the mentor categories again. Britney Spears, who was originally going to mentor contestants ages 17 to 24, is now mentoring contestants ages 12 to 16. Demi Lovato, who was originally going to mentor contestants ages 12 to 16, is now mentoring contestants ages 17 to 24.

Sources tell me that the reason for this switch is that the contestants in the 12-to-16 age category are considered stronger contenders than the contestants in the 17-to-24 age category, and the "powers that be" want their expensive hire Spears to have a category that has the best shot of having a contestant in the Top 3. "X Factor" bosses had to do something to justify why Spears was hired for a reported $15 million a year, considering she has bombed with TV audiences, as ratings for "The X Factor" U.S. have dropped dramatically ever since Spears became a judge on the show. It's bad enough that Spears is driving viewers away from the show. "X Factor" bosses think it would look even worse if she got stuck with a mentor category that they believe has less of a shot of winning on the show this year.

This isn't the first time "The X Factor" U.S. has made Spears and Lovato do a switch. At first, Spears got the coveted seat next to Simon Cowell at the show's judging table, but when it became obvious that Cowell had better chemistry with Lovato, Spears was moved down from Cowell and Lovato got the seat next to Cowell. Spears is now sitting at the table where Lovato originally sat: next to L.A. Reid.

As previously reported, Black Eyed Peas founder Will.i.am is the guest mentor paired with Spears for the "judges' houses" phase of the show in 2012.

The Daily Mail has paparazzi photos of Spears and Will.i.am filming the "judges' houses" episodes outdoors on the roof of a mansion in Malibu, California. The "judges' houses" stage of the competition features the show's Top 32 acts of the year. Those acts are then narrowed down to the 16 who will perform in the show's live episodes.

[Spoiler alert]

Reed Deming and Carly Rose Sonenclar (both 13 years old), two of the contestants whose auditions have been televised so far, are seen in the paparazzi photos as among the contestants who made it to "judges' houses" phase of the competition. Deming is the Justin Bieber look-alike who auditioned by singing the Bruno Mars songs "It Will Rain" and "Grenade." Sonenclar is the big-voiced prodigy who auditioned with the song "Feeling Good."

[End of spoiler alert]

As previously reported, Marc Anthony is the guest mentor assisting Cowell during the "judges' houses" phase of the competition in 2012.

Reid has already filmed his "judges' houses" episodes in Los Angeles with guest mentor Justin Bieber.

Lovato is paired with her good friend Nick Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers), who is the guest mentor assisting Lovato.

As previously reported, "The X Factor" U.S. has eliminated the Boys and Girls categories and replaced them with two age-based categories: solo singers ages 12 to 16 and solo singers ages 17 to 24. In addition, the minimum age for the Overs category has been lowered from 30 to 25.

Here are the "X Factor" U.S. mentor categories for 2012:

• Solo singers ages 12 to 16 - mentored by judge Britney Spears; guest mentor is Will.i.am
• Solo singers ages 17 to 24 - mentored by judge Demi Lovato; guest mentor is Nick Jonas
• Solo singers ages 25 and over - mentored by judge L.A. Reid; guest mentor is Justin Bieber
• Groups - mentored by judge Simon Cowell; guest mentor is Marc Anthony