Demi Lovato returning to ‘The X Factor’

Demi Lovato will return to “The X Factor,” Fox announced Thursday.

The pop singer joined the fledgling singing competition for its second season, alongside Britney Spears, after a bumpy first year saw Paula Abdul, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and the show’s host all get the boot.

Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of his popular British talent show was supposed to be a stiff rival to “American Idol” with its flashy production and drool-worthy recording contract (at $5 million, it’s the largest cash prize in TV history), but the show was shaken up before it even started after Scherzinger replaced British singer Cheryl Cole, who was cut during production.

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The singing competition is in the midst of another reboot after Spears’ high-profile exit at the end of the second season.

Spears’ exit came after record exec L.A. Reid also announced that he would be departing “The X Factor” to turn his attention to running Epic Records, where a number of the show’s contestants, including inaugural winner Melanie Amaro and last season’s girl group Fifth Harmony, have secured deals.

“I couldn’t be happier that Demi wants to come back this year,” Cowell said in a statement. “She’s a superstar in her own right and was a fantastic mentor last year. Even though she can be really, really annoying -- I truly enjoyed working with her and so did the artists. I’m especially pleased she’s back, even during her world tour!”

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