‘The X Factor’ USA season 4: Simon Cowell looking at new judges; Demi Lovato gone

While you watch the season 3 finale for “The X Factor” USA on Thursday night, there are a few things that could be smart to keep in mind while you sit around and (eagerly?) await the show coming back on the air for season 4.

There are a ton of rumors out there that are mostly based on speculation, but let’s at least tell you now using some of the following points what has been confirmed by Simon Cowell and company. All of these “changes” are only really notable, though, in the event that Fox actually renews the show. For the time being, that is still somewhat in the air.

1. Demi Lovato will be gone – Demi confirmed the news last night following the show, saying that she did need to move on to her music career, and go on a global tour. She’s probably leaving at the right time since the perception is that this show is seemingly going to be in trouble if it does come back on.

2. There will be changes – Simon has suggested that there could even be a different role for himself next year, which may not be as a judge. He also suggested that there will likely be even more changes to the judging panel.

3. Fox will likely scale back the show – There may or may not be fewer weeks in which the show is on the air, but there will almost surely be fewer episodes. Like with “So You Think You Can Dance”, or “Dancing With The Stars” you can probably expect to see the show move itself back down to one episode a week. Given how drawn-out this show became at times, we have to proclaim this to be a pretty substantial win.

What do you want to see on “The X Factor” next year … provided that the show even comes back? Be sure to share your thoughts with a comment below.