Following last night’s three-part X Factor firing (host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were all let go), statements from Abdul and remaining host Simon Cowell have been issued.

Read ’em below thanks to Deadline. Earlier we shared insider reports of how the firings went down – be sure to read the story if you haven’t!

From Simon:

“I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year. We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next , but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”

From Paula:

“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season. I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations. Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle. I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams. This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.”

And lastly, Fox exec Mike Darnell hinted that they’d like to work with Abdul in the future:

“We love Paula. She is a remarkable talent and we appreciate all of her contributions. We’re lucky that she is a part of the FOX family, and we look forward to working with her again soon.”

No word yet who will replace the fired people.