PALIN MITENK BLOG

By Emily Sheridan

Stepping in: Nicole Scherzinger, pictured at the X Factor live auditions in Manchester last week, will replace ailing Cheryl Cole at boot camp next week


With Dannii Minogue's pregnancy and subsequent birth and Cheryl Cole's battle with malaria, this year's X Factor has been thrown into chaos.

After managing to get through the live auditions with the help of various celebrity guest judges, TV bosses have asked Nicole Scherzinger to return for the boot camp session next week after Mrs Cole was deemed to ill to return.

The Pussycat Dolls singer, 32, will join Simon Cowell, 50, and Louis Walsh, 57, at the boot camp auditions next Thursday after previously appearing alongside them at the Manchester auditions last week.

While X Factor bosses have managed to secure Scherzinger's presence, they have decided to cancel the live aspect of the boot camp, which was originally scheduled to take place at Wembley Arena.

An X Factor spokesman said on the show's Twitter site: 'Nicole Scherzinger will be standing in as a judge at The X Factor Bootcamp next week, alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.

'Due to the unusual circumstances, we are not inviting an audience to watch the contestants perform at The X Factor boot camp next week.'

Originally the guest judges had been brought in to replace Minogue while she was on maternity leave, but Cole's recent illness has complicated matters.


Settling in: Scherzinger at day two of the Manchester auditions with Louis Walsh


It was originally thought just Mrs Cole, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell would oversee the boot camp part of the show, which sees them whittle down the auditionees to 24 acts in front of a 3,000-strong audience.

So while Scherzinger was originally drafted in as a replacement for Minogue, 38, in Manchester, this time she will be stepping in for 27-year-old Cole

Out of all the celebrity judges used this series, Scherzinger is the only one who has been asked to return.

Geri Halliwell judged at the first auditions in Glasgow, Natalie Imbruglia at Birmingham, Katy Perry at Dublin and Pixie Lott at Cardiff.


Two out of four... Both female judges are currently absent from the line-up
Following boot camp, 24 acts will be whittled down to 12 at the judge's houses section of the show ahead of the live Saturday night shows.


Minogue, who gave birth to her son Ethan Edward in Melbourne, Australia on July 5, is expected to return from maternity leave for the judge's house part of the show, which is filmed in late August, early September.

Girls Aloud singer Cole is currently recovering from contracting malaria at her £6million Surrey home after spending most of the past two weeks in hospital.

Doctors belived she caught the illness after being bitten by an infected mosquito during a holiday in Tanzania with her dancer friend Derek Hough.

Cowell has urged Cole to focus on her health and not to rush back to the show until she's ready.

He said: 'I want to make sure Cheryl doesn't rush back too early.'

The singer, who is currently in the process of divorcing estranged husband Ashley Cole, has also pulled out of her performance at the V Festival on August 21-22.


source: dailymail