Cheryl Cole is officially out of Fox's upcoming U.S. edition of Simon Cowell's British The X Factor reality singing competition.
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Fox and the show's production companies have confirmed that Cole has been replaced by Nicole Scherzinger -- who had been previously serving as one of the show's two co-hosts -- on the judging panel of The X Factor's American edition.
"Fox, Fremantlemedia North America and Syco TV today confirm Nicole Scherzinger will be replacing Cheryl Cole on the judging panel of The X Factor. Nicole will join Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and Paula Abdul on their search across America to find the next global superstar or group to win the life-changing $5 million dollar recording deal," the three companies stated in a brief media statement on Monday.
Steve Jones, a British television host who had been co-hosting The X Factor with Scherzinger, will now serve as the sole host of the show, which will premiere on Fox this fall, according to the statement.
Reports that Cole -- who had served, along with Cowell, as one of the four judges on the U.K. edition of The X Factor the last three seasons -- had been dropped from The X Factor's American edition had first surfaced before Memorial Day weekend. However, Fox, Fremantlemedia and Syco TV had not formally commented on the reports until now.
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Monday's media statement did not explain why Cole -- who had only been formally announced as an X Factor judge in early May, days before the show's four judges participated in their first sets of auditions in Los Angeles and Chicago -- was dropped from The X Factor or how she will be billed in the show's coverage of the two audition cities.
However, recent reports have focused on two possible explanations for Cole's ouster: chemistry and her unusual accent.
While Cole and Cowell had a very playful relationship on The X Factor's U.K. edition, reports have claimed she lacked chemistry with her fellow judges -- particularly Abdul, the former American Idol judge who will be reuniting with Cowell on The X Factor -- during the show's Los Angeles and Chicago auditions.
"There was no spark," a source told The Hollywood Reporter. "It was nobody's fault. It just didn't work."
According to reports, Cole's heavy northern England accent and use of unfamiliar British expressions also resulted in auctioneers having a difficult time understanding her comments -- a problem Fox and the show's producers became concerned The X Factor viewers would also experience.
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Fox had reportedly expressed prior concerns about Cole's accent when The X Factor's judging panel was being determined, but Cowell had campaigned for her inclusion.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a desire to avoid paying Cole the full $1.5 million she is still reportedly due according to The X Factor contract -- which she will now reportedly receive -- was responsible for the delay in the announcement of her departure.
In addition, the discussions also reportedly included an attempt -- which Cole rejected -- to get Cole to reprise her former role on judging panel of The X Factor's U.K. edition.
About The Author: Steven Rogers