She may not have been good enough to survive a second season on the US X Factor, but that hasn't stopped Nicole Scherzinger making an entrance on the UK panel.
Nicole joined Tulisa, Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh as auditions hit Newcastle today, and with the complete panel finally in place, it's full steam ahead with the rest of the series from now until Christmas.
Nicole was officially unveiled as Kelly Rowland's full time replacement (and Tulisa's new style rival) last week, which means the X Factor fash-off can finally begin.
Nicole chose a short emerald green dress for her first day as a bona fide UK X Factor judge, while Tulisa upped her game in an edgy multicoloured number with spiked heels.
It seems the ladies have bonded already as they posed for a backstage snap at the arena. But as we saw with Tuilsa and Kelly last year, that could soon change...
As Nicole arrived in Newcastle ahead of the auditions last night, she tweeted of how she couldn't wait to get stuck in.
"Just landed in Newcastle and the sun is shining:) So excited to start the UK X Factor tomm. Here we go...!" she said.
Nicole previously stood in for Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole during the 2010 series, and came back as a guest judge at the London auditions earlier this month, fresh from her axing from the US series.
After impressing producers, she was invited to join the show full-time in a reported £750,000 deal, fending off competition for the role from other guest judges Geri Halliwell and Rita Ora.
In a statement following the official announcement last Thursday, she said: "I’m so excited to join the UK X Factor family. It's where I got my start, so it feels great to come full circle."
She added: "I can’t wait to see what talent the UK has to offer and to help inspire and bring out the best in these artists."
Watch the video below to see what Dermot O'Leary had to say about Nicole joining the show, as well as giving his opinions on guest judges Geri Halliwell, Mel B and Rita Ora... and he doesn't hold back.