Britney Spears officially leaving 'X Factor'

Britney Spears is exiting Fox's "The X Factor" stage right.

The series saw a dip in ratings this season despite the added star power of Spears as judge, which only fueled the rumors of her exit. The singer ultimately decided to quit on her own terms when news of her not being asked back for next season began to make the rounds. Spears' exit was first reported by TMZ, which noted that the 31-year-old would also prefer to focus on her own music career despite her love for "The X Factor".

There is still no official comment from Fox or producers of the show. However, the writing seemed to be on the wall with rumors circulating that Cowell and company were unhappy with her performance, citing her work as judge on the series as underwhelming. Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly complimented Spears on her performance. "I think Britney did a really good job,” he told reporters. "Maybe some people were waiting for more drastic displays of some nature that never came, so for those expecting that, it didn’t happen... She’s just an interesting figure who’s lived a unique life, and I thought she brought some of that."

L.A. Reid had already announced he would not be returning for the third season, leaving two judges' chairs for Fox and FremantleMedia producers to fill.

What do you think of Spears leaving the show?