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| Cheryl Cole might not be having a great time at the moment, but at least she knows she's wanted. Simon Cowell has lined up a $2.2million deal for the glamorous Geordie to be a judge on the American X Factor. And he has already insisted to Fox executives: 'She's our girl!' Simon has held meetings with Fox chairman Peter Rice and President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly where he's said that the Girls Aloud singer is his first choice. He told them: 'I took more of a gamble taking Piers Morgan to the States. Cheryl will be loved immediately. We've got to nail her.' The TV and music mogul has already spoken in the US about how successful 26-year-old Cheryl could be in America. He said: 'She'd be great over here - Cheryl's a star.' But this is the first time Cowell, 50, has moved to tie her down to a deal to be a judge on the show, which starts in 2011. He fears she may get booked up. Sources tell us Cowell has held several meetings and conference calls with Fox executives over recent weeks. And in the last two he has discussed who he wants to bring on board the judging panel. Our source says: 'Getting the right combination for the panel is imperative and Cheryl ticks all the boxes. 'She is sassy, sexy, confident and knows her stuff musically. Her profile may not be large Stateside yet, but Simon thinks that will work to his advantage as there's an element of mystery about Cheryl which is lacking from so many US stars. The money on offer is huge, but he knows it has to be a lot to persuade her to uproot, albeit temporarily.' The offer may come at the perfect moment for Cheryl, who has been left shell-shocked by reports of her estranged husband Ashley's cheating. Weirdly, the warring Coles may be squaring up to each other again.. in the charts. The crocked Chelsea player has teamed up with megastar rapper 50 Cent to make a hit song. Riiiight. Fiddy even hopes to meet Ashley when he's in London for his Before I Self Destruct tour, which kicks off at Wembley Arena on Saturday. He says: 'Ashley's passionate about his music. We actually wrote a song together. We created an idea and it was used in a film. We'll probably get together and have some fun. I've got his number.' Fiddy also tells Time Out: 'He's having a hard time. You gotta take your bumps and wear your bruises. I'll definitely see what's up with him.' |
