Simon Cowell `regrets X Factor deal with Britney Spears`

London: Simon Cowell reportedly regrets signing Britney Spears as a judge after she staged another walkout on the US X Factor.

The singer left her seat on the judging panel empty for the second time since starting on the show a fortnight ago, leaving the surprised crowd in Kansas City chanting: “Where’s Britney?” According to insiders, the 52-year-old X Factor boss, who is ill with bronchitis, is now receiving daily updates from producers about her behaviour amid fears that she could crack from the intense pressure of the show. “It’s embarrassing to have an empty seat on the panel in filming sessions as the footage is almost totally wasted. If a great singer appears and producers want to use the audition, you have to tell viewers why Britney wasn’t there. That’s not easy,” the Mirror quoted a source as saying. “Britney is getting 10million pounds to appear and it could be the biggest gamble Simon has ever made,” the source said. The 30-year-old’s latest vanishing act came as along with judges – L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell stand-in Louis Walsh – she walked out over a contestant’s behaviour. The male hopeful started singing facing away from the panel, then became abusive. An audience member said: “He had a very bad attitude.” He was quickly removed, but while the other judges returned immediately, Britney went to her dressing room leaving Louis, L.A. and Demi to finish the session without her. But she returned for a second filming session. Britney’s first walkout was in Austin, Texas, when she was accused of being “unprofessional” for leaving her seat empty at the end of her first day of filming. “If she continues to behave like this it will get embarrassing,” the source said. Her fiance Jason Trawick has smoothed things over appearing often on the set and on Monday night her manager Larry Rudolph said : “What is everyone’s problem? Everything is fine, Britney loves being on X Factor.” ANI