Carly Rose Sonenclar

L.A. Reid's protégé Tate Stevens was named the winner of The X Factor season two last night. The country star beat out Britney Spears's protégée Carly Rose Sonenclar and Simon Cowell's Fifth Harmony for the top spot and a $5 million recording contract. Carly finished second while Fifth Harmony placed third. Britney shared her support for Carly on Twitter, writing, "You are a winner in my eyes tonight Carly and I know you're going to have a very long career." The event wasn't just about music, though, since judge Demi Lovato, who didn't have anyone in the finals, wowed in a hologram minidress with cutout details. Cohost Khloé Kardashian wore a sequined pink look and later changed into black leather with a rhinestone headband from Untamed Petals. Special guests included One Direction and Pitbull, who both performed during the special finale.

Although her protégée didn't win, Britney said that The X Factor has been a positive influence on her and has helped her get over her shyness. Britney said, "It's no secret I'm a shy person. I feel doing this show over the past year has allowed me to come out of my shell a lot more. Everyone on the show has been amazing and made me feel really comfortable." Britney clearly enjoys her time on The X Factor and has already confirmed that she'll return for season three.

The X Factor season two finale kicked off last night and now the three finalists will have to wait until this evening to find out who will win The X Factor. The three finalists — Fifth Harmony, Tate Stevens, and Carly Rose Sonenclar — all performed three songs, including duets with music superstars. Fifth Harmony performed with judge Demi Lovato, Tate Stevens took the stage with Little Big Town, and Carly Rose Sonenclar sang a duet with LeAnn Rimes. Hosts Khloé Kardashian and Mario Lopez served as MCs for the live event, which included guests like the Jersey Shore cast and previous X Factor castoffs. The finale will finish off with a two-hour show tonight, during which One Direction will perform and the winner will be announced. Britney, who serves as Carly's mentor, has been campaigning hard for her protégée on Twitter, even following back fans who vote for her.

The finale wasn't the only big news for the X Factor judges. Simon Cowell confirmed that he's dating Carmen Electra. Simon said, "She's not my girlfriend. We're people who date. She's adorable, isn't she?"

Britney Spears wore an LBD to show support for her protégée, Carly Rose Sonenclar, at a press conference for The X Factor in LA last night. They're both preparing for the show's final week and were joined by fellow judges Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, and the remaining finalists to chat about what's to come. Hosts Khloé Kardashian and Mario Lopez moderated the event, during which they revealed the celebrity superstars who will be performing alongside each contestant tomorrow and Thursday. Britney's Carly will perform with LeAnn Rimes while L.A. Reid's Tate Stevens will take the stage with Little Big Town. Meanwhile, Demi will pull double-duty as judge and performer when she sings alongside Simon's group, Fifth Harmony.

Britney has been taking it easy this past weekend as she gears up for the big finale. She took her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, out to grab coffee ahead of her fiancé Jason Trawick's birthday, which was on Saturday.

Britney Spears won high fashion marks for her neon yellow Herve Leger dress on The X Factor last night. Emblem3, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Tate Stevens, and Fifth Harmony all performed for judges Britney, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, and Simon Cowell during the semifinals, and now they have to wait to find out who will make the cut to the finals next week. Most critics feel that Tate and Carly will have a guaranteed spot in the finals, but Simon's two groups, Emblem3 and Fifth Harmony, will have to duke it out to avoid getting cut this week. The acts moving on to the finals will be announced tonight.

This has been a busy week for Britney, who was recently named the top-earning female singer of 2012 by Forbes. That news, along with X Factor's upcoming finals, might help Britney bump her way to the top of our list of our favorite female celebrities of the year — don't forget to cast your vote!

The X Factor contestants brought their A-game last night for another evening of live performances in LA. We were on hand for the Pepsi LIVE preshow and sat in the audience while front-runners Carly Rose Sonenclar, Tate Stevens, Emblem 3, and the five other remaining contestants sang No. 1 hits. Carly Rose put her own spin on Adele's chart-topping single "Rolling in the Deep" while Tate stuck to his country roots and performed Keith Urban's "Somebody Like You."

The contestants didn't disappoint, but the highlight of the two-hour show went to Britney Spears and the world premiere of her new video with Will.i.am, "Scream & Shout." Britney lent her vocals to the song's intro and chorus and looked incredibly hot dancing throughout the video in an ab-baring minidress. Britney and her fellow judges, L.A. Reid, Simon Cowell, and Demi Lovato, return to the small screen tonight for the double elimination results show.