Simon Cowell to dangle £3MILLION X Factor contract in front of Nicole Scherzinger to lure her back
Simon could also be returning to the UK X Factor himself depending on whether his US version of the show is recommissioned – but he has yet to ask Cheryl Cole
Simon Cowell is to dangle £3million in front of Nicole Scherzinger to lure her back for this year’s X Factor.
The humdinger of a deal is double what Nicole, 35, got for last year’s series and would make her the highest-paid X Factor judge ever.
Simon, 54, is prepared to break the bank to retain the American singer because she is so popular with viewers of his hit ITV talent show.
He is also ready to move auditions around to make sure she can be at them while promoting her new album across the world – and keeping up her rekindled romance with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
A source close to Cowell told the Sunday People: “Simon absolutely loves Nicole. She is his perfect judge.
“She is so highly thought of by him that it is quite unbelievable.
“She is thought of as one of the family. Simon loves her both on screen and off and feels she has been extremely popular with the viewers.
“He is getting in quick because he doesn’t want to lose her to other commitments she has.
“Money is no object to Simon on this one. He is ready to throw whatever he has to at her.
“He knows that he almost didn’t get her last year because of various different reasons but he won’t be making that mistake again.
“He will break the bank to keep her for a third series. He knows that if he can then he has a very good X Factor series later this year.
“There is no Sharon Osbourne to pay this time around so there is the budget to give to Nicole.”
Sharon, 61, was previously the highest-paid judge with £2.5million for last year’s show.
Gary Barlow, 42, who is also not returning, got £1.5million, while Louis Walsh was on £1million.
Cheryl Cole, 30, reportedly earned £1.5million for her last UK judging stint in 2010 while Dannii Minogue, 42, got £1million and Tulisa Contostavlos got £500,000.
Last week it was revealed that Nicole has signed a £3million deal with Sony to release an album early this summer.
The date means she will be busy around May and June when X Factor auditions take place.
But Simon is ready to find a stand-in judge for when she can’t be there. Those close to Nicole says that she is keen to return.
But while she isn’t bothered too much by money, she is concerned that she won’t be able to find the time due to her hectic promotional tour.
One source said: “Nicole loves Simon and the X Factor.
“To her, they are family, particularly as they are in the UK where she doesn’t have her own family.
“She is flattered by how much loyalty and affection the team show her and she had the time of her life.
“The problem for her is whether or not she will genuinely be able to spare the time for the auditions. She is happy to work with Simon to find a solution to this.”
Last year Nicole didn’t sign for the 10th series of the show until just two weeks before filming.
She was originally supposed to release her album with Sony in November but chose to move its release date back to this summer so she could take part in X Factor.
Nicole was also having relationship troubles with motor race ace Lewis, 28, at the time.
Simon could also be returning to the UK X Factor himself depending on whether his US version of the show is recommissioned by Fox in the States.
But he has yet to ask Cheryl Cole to return.
Only two weeks ago he said: “She was a really, really good judge. She took what she did seriously.
“She used to phone me almost every night – one, two, three o’clock in the morning, talking about songs and what she should be doing.
“That’s the kind of judge you want to be working with on these shows because they really care.
“I hope we’re going to get the chance to work together. We have to find a way because we had a lot of fun.”
Cheryl was dumped from the US show by Cowell in 2011 after just five audition shows.
He begged her to return to the UK show but she refused.
A source close to Cheryl said: “She is a bit confused because she keeps hearing all of these things Simon is saying yet he hasn’t said a word to her.
“Who knows what she would do but at the moment she isn’t even considering it because she hasn’t heard from him.
“He had better hurry up and make contact if he does want her, or she will have other commitments.”
X Factor sources say that it is unlikely Dannii Minogue will make a return.
Simon faces putting a new panel together after Gary Barlow quit after three years and Sharon Osbourne told him she won’t be back.
Simon hasn’t written off the idea of coming back himself and would love Nicole and Cheryl to be sitting with him and Louis as judges.
The source added: “He loves both Nicole and Cheryl. He thinks they would be the perfect combination.”
A spokesman for Cowell’s company Syco said last night: “There have been no decisions made so far on the judging panel for 2014 X Factor as yet.”

竟然不是雪梨

这文章的长度都快赶上我的jiba了

雪梨快回来吧

都又一次和小汉复合了，多半是留在英X了，除非猫姐又想和小汉分手了。。。。。。。

当初2000万美刀请懒妮的豪情呢。。

猫姐不要答应啊，，，，看看三爷身边的女的一个个都成什么样子了，，，，真心不希望猫姐留下，，，

其实想知道Demi的价码多少？应该和懒泥差不多吧？

雪梨回来吧

太长了。。。

可以不留吗

虽然猫姐有点看腻，但是留下依然是很好选择，起码选歌靠谱，对选手贴心的导师留下了。。。我现在好奇的是其他三个会是谁。。。