Cheryl in line for X Factor return... and Liam could be joining her too

SHE left The X Factor in 2016 as she announced plans to work on her music career – but Cheryl could be returning after a year away amid claims that Simon Cowell is offering her £500,000 (€560,000) for just two days’ work.

The singer, 34, pictured right, has been out of the spotlight since giving birth to her first child, Bear, in March. However, show bosses are hoping to lure her out with a big-money deal that could see her feature on the judges’ houses round of the show.

An insider told Heat magazine: ‘Simon wants to pull out all the stops for this year’s show, and bagging Cheryl’s long-awaited return to telly would be one of his top wishes.’

Revealing that there was also interest in involving her boyfriend, One Direction star Liam Payne, 23, they continued: ‘It would be telly gold.’

A show insider added: ‘Nothing’s decided yet, but bosses are very fond of Cheryl and when she’s ready to do something, of course we’d be interested.’

However, an X Factor spokesperson said: ‘No decisions have been made as yet with regards to the mentors for judges’ houses. This report is merely very premature speculation.’

Cheryl’s representative declined to comment.

Cheryl first joined The X Factor in 2008. During her time on the show, she mentored two singers to victory – Alexandra Burke in 2008 and Joe McElderry in 2009.

She left the show in 2010 to appear on the American version of the series – but was let go by Simon, who later admitted he felt something was ‘not quite right.’

Former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl later revealed how she sent the music mogul an expletive-filled text message in which she told him: ‘I hate you’ and condemned him for not warning her about her sacking face-to-face.

But the pair were soon back to being firm friends and Cheryl returned to the UK version of the show in 2014. She remained a judge for two series.

This year’s panel consists of Simon, Irishman Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne.

Alesha Dixon has also been handed a temporary judging position, filling in for both Nicole and Sharon during the auditions.