Simon Cowell said he wants to change some of the elements of The X Factor and in deciding who gets to judge contestants, he believes "chemistry" is more important than “celebrity.”

“Simon delivered a simple message: Forget the big names in favor of chemistry,” an insider told the New York Daily News. “He said all these shows have become distracted by signing celebrities rather than judges who really have something to say. We have all seen that big names don’t translate into big ratings.”

Cowell reportedly came to the conclusion after he paid Britney Spears approximately $15 million for judging last season and the show didn’t receive the popularity he had intended. His former show, American Idol, declined in ratings even though Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj were added to the panel of judges.

“Chemistry is top of the list of demands for next season,” the insider said.

Demi Lovato will be re-upped after she bonded with Cowell last season, with one executive pointing out that “they were the best thing about the panel” last year.

The source added that the chemistry Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paul Abdul had on American Idol was “unbeatable, and the viewers related to that."

The source said the show’s organizers will announce their decisions on the new judges in the next few weeks. The new season of The X Factor airs in the fall.

Tags: The X Factor Simon Cowell American Idol