Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell confirm her exit from The X Factor USA 2013, Cowell teases replacement and Season 4 rule changes

In an update to yesterday's news, The X Factor judge Demi Lovato and fellow judge and creator Simon Cowell confirmed Wednesday night that the 21-year-old singer would not return for Season 4 should Fox renew the show.

Lovato told a group of reporters, including some from The Hollywood Reporter, that she would not resume her judging/coaching/mentoring duties for a third season. Lovato starts her first arena tour on Feb. 9, and the schedule would conflict with The X Factor, according to sources in a People article on Wednesday.

"I started the show being a singer and a musician, and so I'm going to go back to that," Lovato said. "It's been really great, but I'm so excited for 2014. I'm going to dedicate it completely and entirely to music -- touring and making a new album. Possibly releasing one."

Cowell confirmed to reporters that he anticipated Lovato's exit from the show.

"I always knew she wasn't coming back because she's touring, so I knew that," he said.

The original source told People that Lovato "plans to spend next year completely focused on her music. Lovato herself told the site back in November that her "main thing is singing" and that she wanted to take some time off for a little while.

Cowell also teased a potential replacement for Lovato when he told the press (quote via TVLine) that "there is somebody in mind who we've wanted for a while for this show that has suddenly become available...[H]e's larger than life and would be spectacular." The site also notes that Cowell might need to replace himself, as he has hinted that he may not return to the judges' table, either. He also tweeted the following tease on Thursday:

Next year on our shows the rules change. I had a light bulb moment two weeks ago.

— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) December 19, 2013

Of course, this could all be much ado about nothing because The X Factor may not even come back for Season 4. Simon Cowell said earlier in the week that The X Factor would return in a slightly different form, but no decision has come yet from Fox. Ratings have plummeted in Season 3 and the show set multiple series lows throughout its most recent run.

The Season 3 results finale of The X Factor airs at 8 p.m. Thursday.