PALIN MITENK BLOG

By JODY THOMPSON

Hello £1 million?: George Michael, seen here outside his house in Highgate, north London, after being released from prison in October after serving four weeks for crashing his car while high on drugs


George Michael is the latest big name mooted to be a judge on the new American version of the X Factor.

The former Wham! star is said to have been offered a deal worth more than £1million after Simon Cowell was seen visiting his home in north London last month.

The 47-year-old pop icon apparently sees the job as career boost following his embarrassing jail term earlier this year for drug-driving.

Even if true, George's recent conviction for driving under the influence and drug possession may affect his ability to be awarded a US work permit.

Cheryl Cole, who's also said to be joining the Cowell as a judge on the show in a deal worth £3million, is also said to be having problems negotiating a work permit because of her conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) in 2003


Pop idol?: George, seen here onstage during a concert in Athens in 2007, is said to be joining the U.S. X Factor panel to rehabilitate his career


The debut series of US X Factor is scheduled to start next autumn - at the same time the show is due to return to UK screens.

Other names revealed lately as rumoured to be in the running to join Cowell on the panel have included former Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, and even more bizarrely, Mick Jagger.

Even Victoria Beckham was rumoured to be in the running at the start of the year and other wild speculation has seen the names of Kelly Rowland, producer LA Reid, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey supposedly being lined up for roles on the show.


Wham!: The Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, north London, which George Michael crashed into while driving his Range Rover while under the influence of drugs in July


Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger are also being tipped to take their seat on the panel having both impressed head honcho Simon as guest judges on our own X Factor.


Sexy factor: Katy Perry and Cheryl Cole are among the ladies rumoured to be lined up for their place on the panel


Cowell said: 'I won’t be announcing the US X Factor line-up until January. No contracts have been signed yet. We are still in the discussion stages.'

Cowell is intent on making the U.S. X Factor even bigger than American Idol, produced by his rival Simon Fuller.


Thumbs up: X Factor head honcho Simon Cowell, seen here after the UK X Factor finals on Sunday, has appproached a bewildering array of big names to be judges on the U.S. show, if the rumours are to be believed


Nevertheless, he has pledged his future with ITV for another three years in a deal worth an estimated £100 million, and he has promised an X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent next year.

He said earlier this week of attempting both X Factors: 'I don’t do anything in half measures and they will both be great. If I have to do the transatlantic flights every week, I will — they manage it on Strictly.’

source: dailymail