'X Factor': Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and Steve Jones FIRED!

We always knew Simon Cowell could be ruthless, but this is ridiculous!

News broke Monday night that Steve Jones, the last-minute choice for the host of "The X Factor," will not be returning next year. That wasn't much of a surprise, as Jones was mostly hired for his chemistry with then-cohost Nicole Scherzinger, and was not well received by fans (I, for one, loved his exasperated reactions to the sobbing of ousted contestants).

That news was followed by the real surprises, though: Deadline reported shortly after that both Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, who served as mentors/judges for the first season, have also been fired from the show.

Scherzinger was on thin ice after refusing to do her (very simple) job more than once: it was her inability to send Marcus Canty home that got fan favorite Rachel Crow eliminated by default due to the audience vote. So Scherzinger's firing wasn't a huge surprise, as it would have been a little uncomfortable to simply demote her to host, where she was originally supposed to be.

However, Abdul's firing comes as a shock. It's clear from this season that she could be a pain to work with at times (though with "X Factor" it's hard to tell where the staged bickering ends and the real bickering begins), but she and Cowell have a long history at "American Idol" and her job seemed secure.

According to sources, none of the three left the show of their own volition: all three were fired.

This bloodbath of a personnel change leaves only Cowell and L.A. Reid on the show, and the other two spots at the judges' table as well as the hosting gig will all have to be filled before the start of season two.