Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole
Simon Cowell has confirmed that The X Factor's team are in talks with Cheryl Cole to bring her back to the show.
The 54-year-old music mogul will return to the ITV singing competition's judging panel this year after a three-year absence and for the first time he has acknowledged that former judge Cheryl could join him.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the 'Britain's Got Talent' auditions today (11.02.14) at London's Hammersmith Apollo, Simon said of his negotiations with Cheryl: "To be fair to Cheryl, it hasn't been about the money with her. It's about whether she wants to do it and whether she can handle the pressure, so I'm not quite sure yet [if she will come back]."
However, it seems the 'X Factor' creator has some work to do if he is to convince the 30-year-old beauty to return to the panel alongside him.
He added: "She had her poker face on."
Simon went on to compliment the songstress, with whom he has had a contentious relationship after she was axed from the US version of 'The X Factor' in 2011.
He said of his meeting with Cheryl: "I thought she looked and sounded the best I've seen her in years."
'The X Factor' USA was cancelled by FOX last week amid low ratings and Simon - who produced and judged the show for three years - has blamed the show's failure on the US TV market being too "competitive".
He explained: "I don't know why any show would want to be in America right now - anyone - because it's too tough of a market. I mean, there's going to be, this year, something like 14 talent shows on American TV. I've got one of them with 'America's Got Talent', which, luckily, is just as good as everybody else's. It's become a joke."
However, the Syco boss has no regrets about taking the show Stateside in 2011.
He said: "I think the artists we found last year, Alex and Sierra, are really, really good winners. That's what it's all about. What I didn't know was that it was going to be as competitive as it was. Having said that, it was good to take a break here and then come back again."
And Simon is excited by the prospect of returning to 'The X Factor' UK after the success of his last series in 2010, in which he discovered One Direction.
He enthused: "'The X Factor' UK, I've always said it's kind of like my baby. I love doing the show. It has found some amazing people. I want to go back to where we left off in 2010 ... if we do another year like that it'll be amazing. "
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