'X Factor's' L.A. Reid on Josh Krajcik: 'I Actually Thought He'd Win' (Video)

Music executive and Fox’s The X Factor judge L.A. Reid not only had to watch his protégé, Chris Rene, take third, but he also a lost a bet he made with Simon Cowell, which will find L.A. parting with $10,000. But, he is at peace with the loss.

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“Dude won. I didn’t lose, but dude won,” L.A. tells reporters after Thursday’s finale. “I felt good about it. It was a good clean fight. I got jabbed a couple times. I went down and I got back up a couple times. I thought it was a great fight and dude won.”

As an executive at Epic Records, it’s L.A.’s business to spot talent and help mold them. It’s no different with the three finalists. And he definitely believes he would know what to do with winner Melanie Amaro, who he says America got right in choosing as the show’s winner.

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“I love her. I really love her. And I would really love to work with her,” he says. “And I know exactly how to do what she is. I know how to do that. I’ve worked with Mariah Carey and I’ve worked with Whitney Houston. And I’ve worked with Toni Braxton. I know how to do that… She’s the next great American voice.”

As for the two other finalists, L.A. says he’s expecting big things from them and makes it sound like Chris is getting right to work on an album.

VIDEO: 'X Factor's' Simon Cowell on Cutting Melanie Amaro: 'I Royally Screwed Up'

“I still think he’s the most original artist on the show,” L.A. says. “And tomorrow morning he’ll wake up, go into the studio, and hopefully we’ll hear him on the radio really, really soon.”

And when it comes to Josh, L.A. says he’ll of course make a rock record. “Josh will make a really good bluesy-based rock record. It’s who he is,” he says. “He can write that stuff and paired with the right people he’s going to be fine. That Josh, you’ll hear from him again.”

And then the judge envisioned Josh, who was working in a Mexican restaurant when he auditioned for the show, cooking him a meal befor dropping a little tidbit, “[Josh is] going to be OK. I actually thought he’d win.”

Watch more from the interview with L.A. Reid above.

Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro