NICOLE: It could be my last series!

NICOLE Scherzinger is considering quitting the show to relaunch her pop career.

The former Pussycat Doll admitted this season could be her last because she wants to challenge Adele and Ed Sheeran in the charts.

Her fellow judges – Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne – have already signed up for next year. But Nicole said: “I haven’t signed yet because I’m just trying to get through this year’s show.

“If I don’t come back it’s not because I don’t love the show, it’s because I’m a singer first.

“I’m sitting there telling all these people what they should be doing when I should be doing it myself.

“I’m still incredibly ambitious and still have a lot of things, musically, I want to achieve.” Nicole has kept Simon Cowell guessing for the last two years – signing up at the 11th hour.

She was only able to return this year because the live shows have been cut by a month. Simon is believed to be lining up Cheryl Tweedy to come back next year. Nicole, who hasn’t released new music for three years, said: “At this stage, as an artist I really have to think about the next moves that I make and the next music that I put out. “It’s got to mean something. It’s got to be authentic and special to separate you from the rest. “It’s just me taking time as an artist. Adele took some time to do that, Ed took some time to do that. I think every artist needs to reflect.” Nicole went on to reveal how time-consuming and mentally exhausting she finds The X Factor. She is balancing the show with her music career and a long-distance relationship with Bulgarian tennis ace Grigor Dimitrov.

Her fellow judges have been accused of having little contact with their contestants. But Lewis Hamilton’s ex said she wants to give the wannabes 100% commitment.

She added: “I’m not here to waste anybody’s time. I care, and that’s why it’s a huge decision for me whether I come back or not.”

Nicole has the best track record of any judge, winning two of the three times she has been a mentor.