Simon Cowell: 'Nickelodeon Is Perfect Fit For X Factor's Rachel Crow'

From Digital Spy:

Simon Cowell: 'Nickelodeon is perfect fit for X Factor's Rachel Crow'

Simon Cowell has said that Nickelodeon is the "perfect fit" for former X Factor USA contestant Rachel Crow.

The teenager announced this week that she had signed a deal with Nickelodeon and Columbia Records, which is believed to include a starring role in a musical pilot and recurring part on Fred: The Show.

Cowell, who mentored Crow on The X Factor, said: "It's incredible. I can remember sprinting on to the stage [when she was eliminated] and saying to her, 'Look, honestly, I genuinely believe in a weird way this is the best thing that has ever happened to your career', which didn't go down particularly well on the night, but a few days later it sunk in.

"We stuck to what we said which was, we'll make a commitment to you and the public is interested in you, and then along came Nickelodeon which is such a perfect fit for her, and Columbia Records."

He added: "I think we did a good job in our great season of not just finding one great artist but a number and Rachel is one of a few who will have a great career off the back of this."

Fellow X Factor judge LA Reid added: "From the very beginning we always felt she had what it takes to become a major star and she did have the X Factor. Winning was difficult but it didn't stop the process. She will be a big star and I stand by that."

Speaking after the deal was announced, Crow told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's been amazing. A couple [of] days after the elimination I just found myself sitting home asking myself, 'What am I going to do now?' And I never would've thought that this is what I was going to do now. So, it's pretty amazing. I'm very thankful and I feel very blessed to have all this."

Auditions for the second season of The X Factor begin in Missouri on March 14. Full details on all the open casting calls, MyStudio Recording Booth and online auditions are available at www.thexfactorusa.com.

Watch Rachel Crow's X Factor audition below: