'No decision' made on future X Factor judging line-up

By Steve Holden
Newsbeat reporter X Factor judges Tulisa, Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and host Dermot O'Leary

No decision has been made on the future of the judging line-up of The X Factor, an ITV spokesman has said.

It follows reports that youngest judge Tulisa Contostavlos is to be replaced on the panel in 2013 as part of a revamp.

The 2012 series had some of the lowest ratings since the show began in 2004.

It was won by James Arthur, whose single Impossible went on to sell more than a million copies.

The X Factor panel was made up of Tulisa, Louis Walsh, former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and Gary Barlow last year.

An X Factor spokesperson said: "No formal decisions have been made about the panel for this year's series of the X Factor as yet."

However, if the line-up does change for the 10th series, what might it look like?

SHARON OSBOURNE

Sharon Osbourne took part in four series of The X Factor

Sharon was part of the original judging line-up alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh and remained for four series. In 2007, the show introduced a fourth judge, Dannii Minogue, who Osbourne famously fell out with.

After leaving the show in 2008, Sharon went on to become a judge on America's Got Talent.

She's now quit that programme and has remained close to Simon Cowell. In the 2012 series of The X Factor she appeared as Louis Walsh's assistant during the judges' houses stage of the competition.

In recent weeks she's returned to the UK to present a Brit Award and was photographed at a dinner with Cowell and Walsh in London.

CHERYL COLE

Cheryl Cole won The X Factor twice

Cheryl Cole joined the show in 2008, winning with Alexandra Burke as one of her contestants. She won again in 2009 with Joe McElderry.

She remained on The X Factor for three years before leaving the show to join the launch of X Factor USA.

However, she was replaced by Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger after filming only a few auditions.

The X Factor made Cole a household name but after leaving she said she had no plans to return as a judge. She hasn't ruled out working with Simon Cowell again.

In 2012, she made a brief reappearance on the programme as Gary Barlow's assistant at the judges' houses stage.

SIMON COWELL

Simon Cowell is often cited as the man who pulls the strings at the X Factor

The X Factor's svengali figure, Simon Cowell, left the judging line-up in 2011 after seven series to concentrate on the launch of X Factor USA. In the States he'd also jumped ship from American Idol as head judge.

In the same year, he left the main panel of Britain's Got Talent before returning for the live shows.

During his final series in 2010, won by Matt Cardle, the show had average viewing figures of 14.1 million. By the end of the 2012 series, it had fallen to 9.6 million.

Earlier this year Cowell told Newsbeat that The X Factor would "be on TV for a long time to come".

TULISA CONTOSTAVLOS

Tulisa has been a judge since 2011

N-Dubz singer Tulisa joined the show in 2011 as part of a major revamp which saw Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland and head judge Gary Barlow join the panel.

She led Little Mix to victory as they became the first group to ever win the contest.

After the 2011 series, she was cleared by Ofcom over an arm gesture which showed a tattoo featuring the name of her own branded perfume.

In 2012, she told Newsbeat that Simon Cowell had given her his backing following tabloid reports about her personal life.

MEL B

Spice Girl Mel B is a judge on Australian X Factor

Scary Spice received a good audience reaction when she was a guest judge for the audition stages of the 2012 series.

She's already a judge on Australian X Factor and has just landed a spot on the America's Got Talent panel, replacing Sharon Osbourne.

On her brief role on the UK X Factor she said that Louis was "lovely", Gary was 'brilliant' and Tulisa was "sweet".

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