Simon Cowell has said a "massive thank you" to three of his X Factor co-stars who will not be returning to the show for the second season.

Judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, along with host Steve Jones, were axed in a massive shake up of the American version of the talent programme.

The British media mogul released a statement expressing his gratitude to them for their work but confirmed that they were parting ways.

"I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year," Simon said.

"We had a lot of fun making the show together I'm sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year."

Meanwhile, Paula released her own statement saying that she totally understood the "business decision."

"Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine."