Simon Cowell confirms Cheryl Cole’s X Factor return

Simon Cowell has officially confirmed pop singer Cheryl Cole is returning to the judging panel on U.K. talent show The X Factor. The former Girls Aloud star served as a two-time winning coach on the British programme between 2008 to 2010, and in 2011, she was famously dropped from the first season of the U.S. version of the show after filming just two audition rounds.
For months, speculation has swirled suggesting she would make a comeback on this year’s (14) series, and now the music mogul has announced the reports are true.
Taking to Twitter.com, he writes, “It’s official. Cheryl is back… Be careful what you wish for! Most importantly she is a brilliant judge of talent.”
Cole later took to her Instagram account to post a photo of her with her hands playfully around Cowell’s neck as if choking him, and wrote, “GUESS WHAT!! I’m baaaacccckkkkk!!!! #iMayActuallyRingHisNeck”
The news comes a month after Cowell announced that he too will be back among the judges for the 11th season later this year (14).
Cowell originally quit the U.K. show to concentrate on launching the U.S. version of the talent search, which was cancelled in February (14) after three seasons.