Previous reports had Cheryl Cole and Nicole Scherzinger all locked down to be the X Factor US judges, but new rumors are pointing toward another candidate.

“Look, I’ve said I’d love Cheryl out there but whether it will happen, who knows?” [Simon] Cowell told the London newspaper News of the World over the weekend.

“Mariah Carey would be an amazing addition to the US show,” he said. “And she’s exactly the right caliber of star that we want for the show.”

If she does sign, Carey will join Cowell and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, winner of “Dancing With the Stars” last season, as a judge.

I’m a little surprised that the star power of Nicole Scherzinger would be that much greater than Cheryl Cole’s potential. With Cole continuing to build her career there’d be larger potential over a former Pussycat Doll, but maybe I’ve got that turned around.

Source: NY Post

Everytime a show is brought across from one country to another the questions come about on just how it can be made fresh and interesting for the new, and often times, quite different viewer tastes. Simon Cowell, the creator of “X Factor” sat down with Deadline to discuss what steps he was planning to take to do just that.

Deadline London: What changes are you going to make to the U.S. X Factor so that it’s different to the show we see over here?

Cowell: I said to everybody the other day, with the American show, just think blank sheet of paper. Don’t make any promises, don’t make any predictions. Go in with a blank sheet of paper right now. I can feel a change in the air. While everybody’s going left, we’re going to be going right.

DL: How would you describe what the new show’s going to be like for U.S. viewers used to American Idol?

Cowell: Zero rules. Because I can’t bear rules. For instance, I’ve never liked the idea you have to be a certain age to be a pop star. I like the idea that anybody can enter, anybody can compete. And obviously the fact that groups can compete as well as individuals. They haven’t had that on American TV before. I thought long and hard about whether to bring the show over to America or not. The show’s done so well all over the world, and I think to myself ‘Is this room for one more show?’ What’s never happened in America before is a big talent show that runs up to Christmastime. The US show will run from September to December next year. We’re putting a lot of resources behind it. But the main thing is that we’re going to America because there’s a lot of talent in America and there’s a lot of people over the age of 30 who want to get to these shows as well. It should be a 14-year-old competing against a 50-year-old competing against the next ‘N Sync. That to me is an interesting show because it’s got a variety of contestants. And we are going to scour the whole country to make sure that the whole of America is aware of the show and is given the chance to audition in as many different places as possible.

I really do like the idea of widening the eligibility, but I’m not sure it’s something that hasn’t been done before here. Actually, I’m pretty sure Simon has done that very same thing with America’s Got Talent. Cowell brought that show over and it’s open to young, old, solos, group acts, and everything in between. So this was kind of strange to hear him say, but I’m sure however X Factor US turns out he’ll make sure it’s great.

Source: Deadline

A source close to Simon Cowell, the man behind X Factor which is coming over from the UK next year, has just confirmed that Cheryl Cole will join Simon at the Judges’ Panel. Cole already works next to Cowell on the UK version of the reality television talent series and was widely expected to be offered the role.

A source close to millionaire Cowell, 50, last night confirmed the move, telling the Daily Mail: ‘I would say it’s a good bet that Cheryl is coming to America. It’s something that Simon and Cheryl have been discussing for months. You know, it’s a very exciting prospect for everyone involved to have Cheryl on board.’

‘When Cheryl goes to America she will also launch her music career there too. It’s the next part of her big plan, she’s an incredibly hard worker and she will definitely get a boost by appearing on the X Factor, which is set to be a sure-fire hit.

Cheryl Cole isn’t the only judge being named to sit next to Simon Cowell though. Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger is also rumored to be in the running for the coveted X Factor role which is likely to launch a new long running series akin to American Idol which is now preparing for its tenth season.

Source: Daily Mail

I’m not sure what makes Katy Perry an authority on X Factor, but the singer is claiming that Simon Cowell will bring Cheryl Cole across the Atlantic from X Factor UK to join him on X Factor US when it premieres in Fall 2011.

Katy said Cowell considered Cole his right-hand woman. “Simon absolutely adores her,” Katy revealed. “I’m convinced he’ll be taking her to LA. She has all the star qualities.”

It’s now thought likely that Cheryl will make a permanent move to Los Angeles early next year, after her duties on the British version of X Factor are out of the way.

Starting up a new series won’t be easy, but heck, it’s Simon Cowell so it should be a no-brainer. All the same, bringing along someone who knows the show inside and out is a great idea. Not to mention, have you seen Cheryl Cole? Yeah, smart move, Simon. I think she’ll do quite well over here on X Factor.

Source: MTV UK

X Factor US won’t start up for another entire year, but there’s already plenty of drama on X Factor UK with a scandal regarding AutoTune, the voice correcting software. Apparently production has been manipulating contestants’ voices to both sound better and worse, depending on how they want to influence the competition. Whoa! An insider provided the scoop to Mirror UK:

“It was an open secret on the show that Auto-Tune was used to both make contestants slightly more on key – or off – key. On some occasions it was used to such extremes that while the contestant may have sounded like they were hitting the right note, the backing band had gone right out of tune.

“It has been used for a long time on the show both for the auditions and the live shows.

Since X Factor is Simon Cowell’s baby he immediately arrived on the scene, said he had no idea this was going on, and immediately banned it from future use on the show. Hmm, he’s in charge of the show and had no idea what was going on?

Well let’s hope they clear things up before XFactor hits the US in Fall 2011!