From BumpShack...Simon Cowell’s departure from American Idol has been announced a long time ago but it’s now official. Simon wants to bring “The X-Factor” to America and absolutely kill the competition. He is reportedly offering his former fellow AI judge Paula Abdul a staggering $4.5 million contract, which is still below the $10 million demand she made to stay on Idol. 

A source told the National Enquirer, “Simon flew Paula to London and wined and dined her relentlessly over the course of several days, even introducing her to everyone who works on X Factor. But what really clinched the deal was Simon’s pledge that she wouldn’t have to deal with all the nonsense and infighting that she hated on Idol.” 

Simon will reportedly leave “American Idol” this season in May to start working on the US version of his “The X-Factor”, which is set to premiere in 2011.