[Callum]

Just broke on Sky News

[Jords]

Im pleased for her

[Smithy]

AXED Cheryl Cole is sensationally returning to American X Factor, the News of the World can reveal.

She's expected to rejoin the judging panel when auditions start again in New Jersey on Wednesday.

Her shock return comes after a huge U-turn by bosses at the American TV network Fox who have agreed NOT to sack the Girls Aloud singer - after Simon Cowell stepped in for Cheryl.

Last night Cowell was thrashing out the final terms of the deal for Cheryl to return to the judging panel - while Nicole Scherzinger, who was due to replace her, will now revert to being the show's co-presenter instead.

And Cheryl, 27, was frantically sorting out her visa so she can go straight back to work in the US on the panel with Simon, Paula Abdul and music mogul LA Reid.

An insider said: "This is the biggest surprise of the lot - Cheryl is back. Who could possibly have predicted this - it appeared that Simon had dumped Cheryl for good?

"But behind the scenes Simon has been wooing Cheryl.

"And key executives at Fox all realised they had made a big mistake. They have been watching the tapes of her at the American auditions and realising that she could be a huge star over there."

Three grainy camera phone videos - uploaded anonymously to YouTube - shoot down claims that her performance lacked confidence - or that she bombed in front of a live audience.

To an auditionee covering Lady Gaga's Paparazzi, she says: "It was serious, right?" and her comments are met with chuckles from the audience.

And when he leaves his bizarre hat - which seems to be a headband with two sheets hanging off it on stage - she calls him back to ask him what it is.


Wearing the ring... Ashley last week
It is this footage which Cowell has used to persuade bosses at Fox NOT to dump Cheryl.

She had signed a £1.2million deal with Fox in the US which will be honoured and she will continue judging the auditions and return for the twice weekly live shows in the autumn.

Significantly no one at Fox ever publicly confirmed that Cheryl had been sacked.

But Cheryl could never understand why bosses wanted her out of the US show after just four auditions.

She was thrilled with the way she'd gelled with the other judges - and the American audiences. And her accent was never a problem.

And she even had a joke at the expense of Cowell, saying: "Boo Simon all you like because we quite enjoy that."

Also this week, Cheryl kicked her love cheat ex Ashley into touch after he started wearing his wedding ring again - telling him: "We're divorced . . . you just have to accept that."

Dan Wootton's verdict
Simon Cowell has just made the boldest decision of his career - and it is a masterstroke.

Sacking Cheryl Cole was the wrong decision and deep down the TV king knew that. He's always fought for her.

This time he didn't need to fight too hard. Fox bosses realised they'd made a big mistake and agreed: They had to get Cheryl back.

Her American fans helped too. They've pointed out what I've always said: Nicole is no better known in the US than Cheryl.

Cowell's shock decision will no doubt create cries of "stunt" from the usual suspects. But, believe me, this was NOT done for publicity. For Cheryl, this is a lifeline. Without US X Factor, her plans to crack the lucrative American music market were all but over.

Now, they're back on track.

Simon and Fox executives have given her all she ever asked him for: The chance to win over the US public.His move also tells you one thing: He just couldn't cope without Cheryl in his life.

Ashley Cole knows how he feels.

So it was all a publicity stunt

[Jords]

PUBLICITY STUNT alert is beeping though.

[Smithy]

lmao we did it again

http://www.thisisbigbrother.com/foru...d.php?t=176976

[Doogle]

Almost as shocking as Jai winning BGT.

[Jords]

Originally Posted by Doogle

Almost as shocking as Jai winning BGT.

[Callum]

Originally Posted by Smithy

lmao we did it again

http://www.thisisbigbrother.com/foru...d.php?t=176976

Always XF related

[michael21]

Originally Posted by Callum

Just broke on Sky News

[Locke.]

Excellent news

[Vicky.]

Least she'l be staying away from ours then

But...its such an obvious publicity stunt

[Smithy]

Zippy isn't going to shut up about this

[GypsyGoth]

I feel used

[Beastie]

Why did they sack her off in the first place? Oh no oh wait.. publicity stunt. lol

Will she be sat next to Simon? lol

[King Gizzard]

Urgh.

[Tom4784]

I've been saying for ages that she hadn't been axed, just a publicity stunt.

[Omah]

WTF ?

Well, if BGT ain't fixed, XUSA is .....

What Cowell wants, Cowell gets .....

[Marsh.]

I don't see the point of it as a publicity stunt though, seeing as it's hardly news in America. But everyone knew something was up since nobody official has actually said anything and she hadn't returned to the UK panel.

I always laughed at her being on the USA panel and thought it wasn't right so I can't believe I'm writing this but.... I actually feel pleased for her. Maybe it's because she's British and I'm rooting for her I don't know.

But, yeah, fishy she was sacked and rehired to nicely fit into the break between audition dates lol.

[Patrick]

Oh ****** Off.

They can keep her then honestly, we have Tulisa now

[Iceman]

Did they actually confirm she was axed?

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Iceman

Did they actually confirm she was axed?

No, it was a all a big publicity stunt

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Oh ****** Off.

They can keep her then honestly, we have Tulisa now

Precisely why I won't be watching ours this year.
I wasn't a big fan of the whole Cheryl/Simon dynamic last series, it was sickening. But Tulisa is the Queen of Chav. Everything about her feels cheap to me.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

I don't see the point of it as a publicity stunt though, seeing as it's hardly news in America. But everyone knew something was up since nobody official has actually said anything and she hadn't returned to the UK panel.

I always laughed at her being on the USA panel and thought it wasn't right so I can't believe I'm writing this but.... I actually feel pleased for her. Maybe it's because she's British and I'm rooting for her I don't know.

But, yeah, fishy she was sacked and rehired to nicely fit into the break between audition dates lol.

Yeah it's rather attention seeking. What exactly are they getting out of it? More publicity?

She is going to be awful as a judge anyway. The Americans love their country music. And Chezza Cole knows sweet FA!

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

Precisely why I won't be watching ours this year.
I wasn't a big fan of the whole Cheryl/Simon dynamic last series, it was sickening. But Tulisa is the Queen of Chav. Everything about her feels cheap to me.

Cheryl was bad enough, but this plank is just a fail

[AJ.]

This is why I hate the XF & everything simon cowell.