Sultry siren: Nicole seems to be Simon's new favourite Pic: ©TalkbackThames
Cheryl Cole has been left fearing for her future on The X Factor after Simon Cowell has become increasingly close to Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Nicole - who originally stood in for Dannii Minogue as a guest judge while off on her maternity leave - was such a hit that she was asked to continue on The X Factor when Cheryl Cole was forced to take time off during her battle with malaria.
Now Cheryl is worried that she’s out of favour and that her ‘nation’s sweetheart’ crown is about to be stolen by sultry singer Nicole.
A source told Star magazine: “The bubble has burst on their relationship. It’s obvious to all who know them well that they’ve grown apart.
“She thinks he (Cowell) is getting sick of her, and their cosy little set-up on The X Factor is more or less over.”
The insider continued: “At one time, they would have always been on the phone or texting one another with ideas about the show, but not now. She jokes he’s forgotten who she is, but deep down she’s worried.”
To add to Cheryl’s woes, Nicole is rumoured to be helping Simon to pick his favourite acts at the Judges’ Houses stage in the competition – something which his close friend Sinitta has always done.
The singer is also tipped to land a coveted slot as a judge on the American version of X Factor, something which Cheryl is thought to have been desperate for herself.
And it’s not just Simon that Nicole has impressed. Fellow judge Louis Walsh said of the guest judges: “My favourite was Nicole who I had never met before. The girl has the X Factor in every way. She just got it, was incredibly impressive and ticked every box.”
The X Factor’s host, Dermot O’Leary, was also quite taken with the Pussycat Dolls star, saying: “We were all stunned by her beauty.”
Poor Cheryl has now reportedly told a friend that she knows how pushed out Dannii Minogue must have felt when she came onto the panel. The source told the mag: “Cheryl said she knows how Dannii must have felt when Simon brought her on, and while Cheryl kknows Simon loves to make changes to keep the ratings high, she didn’t expect to be out in the cold so soon.”
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