Rita Ora has reportedly turned down £1 million to join the X Factor UK panel.
The singer was a guest judge on the reality competition in the past, and was being courted by Simon Cowell to take on a full-time position.
The media mogul was apparently having meetings with Rita at his Los Angeles mansion, but two weeks ago she gave him a definitive “no”.
“Rita was formally offered the X Factor job and was very flattered, but turned it down,” a source told UK newspaper The Mirror. “She is out in LA at the moment, having meetings, making contacts and working hard in the studio. Rita is bringing out a new album this summer – so that’s her priority.”
Rita purportedly feels as if being on the show could actually be detrimental to her career. The 23-year-old believes music is the most important thing for her to work on right now and TV would take time away from her efforts in the studio.
“She wants to focus purely on her music and not get distracted by other things. She also saw how Jessie J’s album struggled after she appeared as a coach on The Voice, and thinks the two could be connected,” the source added.
“Rita thinks Jessie might have come across badly on TV. For now, Rita is staying away from reality TV and is concentrating on the day job.”
The pop star has spoken in the past about the possibility of appearing full-time on the X Factor. According to the young Brit, it’s not a decision to be made lightly.
“There were talks. But if I were to take on that role, it would have to be at a point when I could give it my full attention,” she said. “I have so much to accomplish first and it’s kind of a full-time job being on X Factor. It’s not like a nine to five. It’s constant, for months.”
