Tulisa Axed As Sharon Osbourne Takes Her Seat On The X Factor

Tulisa axed as Sharon Osbourne joins Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh on X Factor judges panel

Tulisa has been axed from the X Factor, with Sharon Osbourne filling her seat alongside Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh on the judges panel.

Former judge Sharon, who quit the show in 2007, has signed up for a tidy sum of £1.5million, bringing the total wage for all four judges to an impressive £6m.

X Factor bosses have splashed out an extra £2m on the judging line-up to mark the show’s tenth anniversary, and in a bid to win back the two million viewers it lost last year.

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In addition to her £1.5m, Sharon will also get £300,000 to pay for first-class flights and a suite at London’s plush Dorchester Hotel during filming.

Former Take That star Gary, 42, gets £1.5m, the same as he was paid last year, Louis will get £1m, while Nicole has seen her pay packet double to £1.5m.

A source told The Sun newspaper: 'We’re really confident about this panel and we’re putting our money where our mouth is.

'Nicole deserved a pay rise after coming first and second last year. Also she’ll be there for the audition shows this year so we’re getting more bang for our buck.'

Yesterday X Factor boss Simon Cowell said: 'Three words I never thought I’d say — welcome back Sharon.'

And it's not just the judging panel that's had a shake up. This year producers have changed the format so that X Factor hopefuls will now have to make it through two sets of auditions.

First they will have to face the judges in an intimate audition room, and depending on if they receive three or more yes votes, they will go on to perform for the panel again in an arena.

Will you be watching this year's X Factor? What do you think of the new judge line-up? Share your thoughts in the box below...

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