The judging panel for the next X Factor has been confirmed, with Take That’s Gary Barlow, American singer Kelly Rowland, and Tulisa Contostavlos of the hip-hop outfit N-Dubz, joining patriarch Louis Walsh.

The announcement by ITV yesterday terminated speculation over whether Cheryl Cole would be involved, following her unceremonious “elimination” from the X Factor stateside, having appeared in just two episodes. Speculation has been rife as to why the Girls Aloud singer was dropped from the US show and explanations have included suggestions that programme makers feared American viewers would not understand her Geordie accent, to claims of a backstage showdown with fellow judge Paula Abdul.

It has been intimated that Cheryl Cole is believed to have been offered a place on the British X Factor panel as a consolation for her ejection from the show in the USA. Further gossip has expounded the theory that she declined the offer, in response to Simon Cowell being conspicuous by his absence in terms of coming to her defence in the USA.

Frankly I don’t care a jot!! Cheryl Cole is now an eX Factor Judge and Panelist!! So what? Yes, she’s a maternal and nurturing type, who was very adept at taking young “wannabees” under her wing. But in terms of her musical credentials, there are none!! Pretty beyond belief, sadly she cannot back this up with anything that could be described as coming close to talent……As irritating as Louis Walsh can be, his track record in developing successful acts stands close scrutiny. Clearly Gary Barlow will be a major asset to the X Factor, as one of the UK’s brightest songwriters and performers – Take That are far and away the most successful group to have emerged from the “Boy Band” mould.  Kelly Rowland is a talent in her own right, and the other girl I’m not familiar with, but no doubt she will bring hip-hop “street cred” to the show.

So although some “Doomsday merchants” might claim the UK X Factor will struggle without Cheryl Cole’s star quality, Simon Cowell seemed singularly unperturbed, when in ITV’s Press Release, he enthusiastically championed the new team of judges, stating –  “Each of them bring a different attitude. They have had a ton of hits between them, and they are all committed to finding a star. I have a feeling Louis and Tulisa will have slightly different points of view as to what the next star should look and sound like.” Gary Barlow said he was “extremely excited” at his new role, adding –  “I’ve always been a fan of the show and always enjoyed performing on it too. My goal is to find a global superstar. If I don’t find one, I won’t have done my job.”

Meanwhile London tourist attraction Madame Tussauds has prepared for Gary Barlow’s involvement with the X Factor by placing his figure in a special area dedicated to the show. Visitors can audition for the new judge in the “X Factor studio”, a re-creation of the audition space used for the show. They will also have a chance of having their efforts seen by the producers of the X Factor. The best audition from each day will be reviewed by the programme team as part of the selection process for this year’s series.

Nobody is indispensable in this world, and Cheryl Cole may wish to ponder that her stage act is as stilted and plastic as Gary Barlow’s waxwork model – as such her qualifications as an X Factor judge were dubious at best, and therefore she will soon be a distant memory, as the X Factor phenomenon rolls inexorably on…….