Cheryl: Don’t put me in X Factor. Simon: I didn’t want you anyway

SHE was expected to make a sensational comeback to The X Factor judging panel alongside Simon Cowell later this year.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that after five series, Cheryl Tweedy won’t be returning to the long-running ITV talent show – because she wants to star in something ‘new and fresh’.

Cheryl, 34, will instead mentor dancers rather than singers after she signed up to new BBC1 show The Greatest Dancer, which airs early next year.

But she won’t be breaking away from Cowell completely as the show is produced by his Syco television company. It will go up against ITV’s The Voice in a primetime Saturday night slot.

A source close to Cheryl told the MoS: ‘She has done The X Factor lots of times and she wants something new and fresh to get going on.

‘Starring on The X Factor would undoubtedly have helped push that, but she also has her son Bear to think about in terms of how much time she spends working.

‘Simon loves working with Cheryl. They have a love-hate relationship, which the viewers do love, but it isn’t to be this year.’ An X Factor source said last night: ‘The feeling was mutual. Simon wanted Cheryl to do the dance show, not X Factor.’

Meanwhile, X Factor producers face finding a replacement for singer Nicole Scherzinger, who was let go from the show earlier this year. Rita Ora, Craig David and Mel B are in the frame to join Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Cowell.