Britney Spears Quits The X Factor Before She’s Fired, Show Already Eyeing A New Panel

Britney Spears has quit the The X Factor -- before it could fire her, and RadarOnline.com has exclusive new details into the show shakeup.

The 31-year-old pop icon will not do a second season of the competition so she can focus on recording her eighth studio album, then tour in support of it.

Insiders close to the production company told RadarOnline.com exclusively that producers, discussing a new panel with Simon over the holidays, already decided about a week ago that Britney wasn't in their plans for the show's third season in the states.

"Britney did her best, and it's fair to say she was a lot better in the show -- and especially during live shows -- than many critics had expected or predicted, but the writing was always on the wall," an insider said.

The resurgent mother-of-two collected $15 million last May for her service on the judges' panel alongside Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato.

"It was obvious a while before the end of last season that she and L.A. Reid weren't going to make the cut this time and they both knew that," the insider said.

Noting Reid was struggling balancing the show and his record label, the insider called the music mogul "a pro who knows when to take the lead and make his own exit first."

Past judges on The X Factor include Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger; we'll keep you abreast on who gets tapped for next season right here on RadarOnline.com.