Kelly Rowland 'Could Return To The X Factor'

Kelly Rowland could return as a judge on Simon Cowell and executive producer Richard Holloway were very pleased with her on last year's show and would have her back. It's at an early stage and discussions have yet to start. But Kelly is still very much in the mix."

The paper also quoted a friend of Kelly's, who claimed that she might be happy to come back.

The pal said: "Kelly had a great time and is actually very keen to come back.

"She loved all the drama, even when it was pretty harsh against her. Kelly is a tough cookie and a few barbs from viewers or whoever is water off a duck's back to her.

"Yes, it was a draining experience and one she probably didn't realise at the outset was going to be quite so gruelling.

"But mentoring her acts — especially Misha B — was really rewarding for her and she loved it. Talks haven't started but they will soon."

Gary Barlow is reported to be in negotiation already over a return, while Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh are both claimed to be "dead certs" to get another year as judges.

Last week Simon Cowell said he hadn't even ruled out returning to the show himself, saying: "Maybe if we can move the dates around so I can do both shows in the future because I miss it. The other judges are not as good as me."

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