From PEOPLE Magazine Click to enlarge
The rumor had been building for months: Would Britney Spears really be a judge on the second season of The X Factor? And on May 14 the world got its answer when the pop star strolled onstage at FOX's annual up-front presentation in New York City. Flanked by new boss Simon Cowell, returning judge L.A. Reid and newcomer Demi Lovato, Spears told the audience, "I'm so excited about this whole experience," adding that it will be "so different from anything I've ever done."

But is trading the stage for the judges' table a wise move? Since her breakdown four years ago, the pop star, 30, has made a comeback with two albums (2008's Circus and 2011's Femme Fatale) and two successful world tours. Yet some critics wonder whether Spears, who will earn $15 million for the season, can handle the rigors of auditions, mentoring contestants and trading barbs with Cowell on live TV. "It's an intense environment," says an X Factor source of the six-day-a-week schedule. (Spears and Lovato are replacing Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger; the show is also looking for a new host.) New America's Got Talent judge Howard Stern has already predicted she will be a "train wreck," while a Spears insider worries that the sometimes-timid pop star "isn't capable of being spontaneous."

Cowell, of course, has confidence in her. "She'll be interesting and serious," he tells PEOPLE. The foursome will begin auditioning contestants May 24 for the show, which returns this fall, and a source close to Spears insists she's ready for her next act: "She is thrilled. Britney is looking forward to having a lot of fun with the other judges. It's going to be fun for her."

  • Contributors:
  • Reported by Lesley Messer/New York City,
  • Jennifer Garcia/Los Angeles.