Simon Cowell's 'X Factor' Vs. 'American Idol': What's The Difference?

While they're both reality competitions, key differences separate the shows.By Eric Ditzian Simon Cowell Photo: Daniel Berehulak/ Getty Images Now that Simon Cowell has announced that he will vacate his "American Idol" judge's chair after nine seasons to settle in for a U.S. version of "The X Factor," the question for many fans was: What is "The X Factor"? Currently shown in 17 countries across the world — from Australia to Morocco to Spain — "X Factor" is a reality compe...

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