D-day for Cole in X Factor furore
Cheryl Cole must decide today if she will return to ‘The X Factor’ in the UK.
The singer turned reality TV judge – who made a shock exit from the US version of the show after just four days of filming last week – has reportedly been given a £2m (€2.3m) offer to stay on the UK programme, but has to decide today as filming for the new series starts on Wednesday.
A source told the Daily Mail newspaper: “They have offered to double Cheryl’s pay packet in the UK and Simon is trying to convince her to take this opportunity.
“The truth is that Cheryl is in a major sulk and she may turn the offer down. No one knows what she’s going to do, but the feeling is that if she turns down X Factor in the UK it really would be career suicide.”
Another source claims Cole – who is said to have been convinced to take the job on ‘The X Factor’ in the US by show boss Simon Cowell – was refusing to talk to him last night, with her manager, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am taking all calls on her behalf.
The source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “She’s been told to get a grip, grow up and pick yourself up or you’ll lose the British show too.
“It’s tough, but we start filming the UK programme on Wednesday. No one is bigger than the show, that’s what she has to realise. If Cheryl doesn’t want to do it we’ll just go on without her.
“It’s very worrying that she’s refusing to engage with us. We need a dialogue but she won’t answer the phone. Cheryl needs to call us.”
The only member of the judging panel now confirmed for the UK version of the show is Take That singer Gary Barlow, though Louis Walsh is also expected to return. Also in the running are N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos and former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland.
