8 Facts About Confirmed ‘X Factor’ Judge Cheryl Cole

Robbie Daw | May 5, 2011 8:53 am

America, say hello to the not un-attractive Cheryl Cole — she’ll be charming you (Fox hopes) on The X Factor this fall, it’s now been confirmed, as she takes a seat alongside Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and, uh, somebody else (Paula Abdul? Nicole Scherzinger?) at the judges’ table. So who exactly is Cheryl Cole, you might be asking yourself while scratching your noggin. Why, head below, inquisitive pop fan, and we’ll clue you in. * Cheryl, 27, is from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.

* Cole is (or was — it’s up in the air, at this point) one of the five members of Girls Aloud, a girl group formed on 2002 UK program Popstars The Rivals. See? She’s already a reality TV singing competition vet, America!

* Girls Aloud racked up four chart-topping hits and a slew of other Top 10 singles between 2002 and 2009 in their home country. And only a quarter of them were dodgy, watered-down covers of tried-and-true pop classics, like “I’ll Stand By You,” “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Jump.”

* Girls Aloud’s best single was “Call The Shots.” No, no — this is a fact. Don’t argue.

* Cheryl replaced UK X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne in 2008 and went on two mentor two consecutive winners on the show: Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry.

* After one album, Joe McElderry was dropped by Simon Cowell’s record label earlier this year.

* Cole’s best solo single (again, a fact) is “Fight For This Love.” It’s so rad, in fact, that the smitten members of Vampire Weekend covered it last year.

* Cole was married to pro soccer player (or “footballer” as the Brits say) Ashley Cole for four years. Since their divorce, she’s been linked to fleet-footed American fellow Derek Hough of Dancing With The Stars fame (Hough appeared in Cheryl’s 2010 “Parachute” video).

So there you have it. And there’s only one more seat to fill on The X Factor. Who do you think it’s going to be?