Leon Jackson enter, and also on the high-profile dismissals of judge Louis Walsh and presenter Kate Thornton, to be replaced by choreographer and "Grease Is the Word" judge Brian Friedman and "Big Brother's Little Brother" host Dermot O'Leary respectively. Before hiring Freidman and Minogue, Cowell had apparently approached colleague and fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, and close friend and "X Factor" mentor Sinitta. Walsh, however, was quickly reinstated, with Friedman becoming the show's choreographer. Jackson's prize as winner was a £1 million recording contract. His first single release was "When You Believe", arranged for the finalists by composer Stephen Schwartz and
American Idol (season 9) the show as the new permanent fourth judge for the rounds held at CBS Television City for Hollywood Week and thereafter, onto the live shows. In addition, Simon Cowell announced shortly before the ninth season began that it would be his last season on "American Idol". Cowell left the show to begin preparations for an American version of his talent show "The X-Factor". Also, DeGeneres announced on July 29, 2010 that she would not return to the judging panel because it was not the right fit for her. DioGuardi would also not return as a judge for the tenth season