Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FRIENDS AGAIN
When it comes to people throwing their toys out the pram, new mum Cheryl must be getting plenty of experience. So dealing with diva contestants on her brief return to The X Factor as Simon Cowell’s guest mentor will probably be a walk in the park.
As Cheryl joins Simon for judges’ houses this weekend, she suggests there’s only one reason she isn’t yet back on the show for good – her sixmonth-old son Bear, who she shares with One Direction star Liam Payne.
In an exclusive joint interview with the Mirror, Cheryl, 34, and Simon, 58, give the strongest hint yet that she is ready to reclaim her full-time spot on the judging panel after a two-year break. But not just yet...
Cheryl says: “I want to be with Bear a little bit longer. It has just been me and him, and I’m just loving being a mother at the moment.
“He is only six months old. I’ve got time. I’ve got that luxury lifestyle, and some mothers don’t have that luxury and have to get back to work. I’m just taking it as I can but I do love the show.”
Spots on The X Factor panel could be up for grabs amid a shake-up after this series.
Nicole Scherzinger is heading back to the studio in December after a three-year hiatus, sparking speculation over her future on the show.
And Sharon Osbourne is weary of the transatlantic commute from LA to London, and has spoken of her plans to retire from the industry.
When asked about the likelihood of Cheryl replacing either of them, Simon says: “We’ll consider it. Let’s wait till the end of the show.
“Maybe they [Nicole and Sharon] don’t want come back. I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
Cheryl’s now-cosy relationship with Simon is a far cry from her dealings with him and US X Factor boss Richard Holloway, who sacked her in 2011. She faced criticism from US viewers, who struggled to understand her Geordie accent, and was slammed for wearing a bizarre orange-and-purple outfit at one the few US auditions she attended.
She has since revealed it felt like she was having a “nervous break-