As ‘X Factor’ fans will no doubt be aware, Nicole is one of the three judges returning for this year’s series, where she’ll be sitting in the seat previously occupied by Cheryl, who she’s had small-scale beef with in the past.
When we asked her if she was disappointed to have missed out on being on the panel with Cheryl, she explained diplomatically: “I mean… Mrs O [Sharon Osbourne]. I call her OG, the original gangster… she’s the mama. I’m really close with her. The people on the panel, that’s my family.”
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Nicole Scherzinger did not want to talk about Cheryl
PA
Sensing she may have misheard the question, we then asked Nicole about Cheryl again… though as you can see in the video above, it was slightly less well-received second time around.
The rumoured tension between the two singers began in 2011, when the ‘Fight For This Love’ singer was sacked from the American version of ‘X Factor’ days into her tenure as a judge, only for Nicole - who’d originally been recruited to co-host the show with Steve Jones - to replace her on the panel.
Nicole later insisted: “The story is I met her once at ‘The X Factor’ and I wanted to make her feel good. I said I’d heard her song on the radio and I think I sang the words ‘promise this’. But I really don’t know any lyrics after that.”
The new series of ‘The X Factor’ kicks off on Saturday, August 27 at 8pm on ITV.
'X Factor' Judges Through The Years
Series 1-3 (2004-2006)(01 of11)
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The original line-up: Sharon Osbourne, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh (credit:ITV)
Series 4 (2007)(02 of11)
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All change: Dannii Minogue joins Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, with Brian Freidman replacing Louis Walsh.Dermot O'Leary also replaces Kate Thornton as the show's host.
Series 4 (2007)(03 of11)
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The return of the Walsh: Louis makes a comeback after Brian Freidman is axed from the panel after only a few days of auditions.
Series 5-7 (2008-2010)(04 of11)
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The golden era: Cheryl Cole replaces Sharon Osbourne, joining Simon, Dannii and Louis.
Series 8 (2011)(05 of11)
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A mass exodus: Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland join the only original remaining judge, Louis Walsh.
Series 9 (2012)(06 of11)
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Schermazing: Nicole Sherzinger replaces Kelly Rowland, joining Gary, Tulisa and Louis.
Series 10 (2013)(07 of11)
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She's BACK! Sharon Osbourne rejoins the panel after five years, replacing Tulisa and joining Louis, Gary and Nicole. (credit:Rex)
Series 11 (2014)(08 of11)
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REUNITED: Simon and Cheryl return alongside Louis Walsh and new judge Mel B. (credit:Syco/Thames/ITV)
Series 12 (2015)(09 of11)
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Bye bye Louis: Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora replace Louis and Mel, as they join Simon and Cheryl on the panel. Meanwhile, Caroline Flack and Olly Murs step into Dermot's shoes as hosts. (credit:Twitter)
Series 13-14 (2016-17)(10 of11)
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A vintage line-up: Nicole, Louis and Sharon all stage sensational returns to the panel after the departures of Cheryl, Nick and Rita, while Dermot also returns as host. (credit:ITV)
Series 15 (2018)(11 of11)
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WTF?! Louis Tomlinson becomes the first former contestant to join the panel permanently, while Robbie joins the panel alongside his wife and 'Loose Women' panellist Ayda Field. (credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)