You've got the X Factor: Simon Cowell wants Cheryl Cole back instead of Tulisa
Masterplan would see Girlds aloud star team up with Nicole Scherzinger for the next series
Friendly rivals: Cowell's plan might drive a wedge between Cheryl and TulisaCarl Fox/Daily Mirror
SIMON Cowell is working on a master plan to bring Cheryl Cole back to X Factor and it could spell curtains for Tulisa.
He hopes to team up the Girls Aloud star with Nicole Scherzinger, 34, on the judges panel for the next series.
A source close to the music mogul said: Simon sees Cheryl and Nicole as the dream team. He believes those two women on the show would pull in viewers and make it so much more appealing than the current series.
Simon thinks people would watch it in their droves so he is currently lining up an audacious bid to offer her.
He knows Cheryl wont be cheap but more importantly he knows he needs to offer her the right role.
She has resisted going back despite him offering Cheryl the UK X Factor after the US situation went wrong.
He doesnt expect it to be easy but Simon likes a challenge.
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If Cheryl, 29, came back it could leave Tulisa, 24, out of the 2013 series.
Or she could replace head ju! dge Gary Barlow, 41, who has made no secret of his unhappiness on the show.
The source added: Someone will have to make way for Cheryls return and it definitely wont be Nicole. Tulisa could find herself for the chop or Cheryl could even replace Gary.
The current view is he wont return to the show next year, probably through his choice rather than Simons.
Cheryl had a big-time falling out with Simon, 53, after he sacked her from the US X Factor 18 months ago.
They have since made it up but Simon has confessed to aides he anticipates it will be hard for him to get Cheryl to sign up for the 10th series of X Factor.
Yet he is determined to get his prize because he knows what a difference she will make to the ITV1 show.
Simon and Cheryl became pals after he recruited her in 2008. They worked side by side for three years and regularly popped outside together for a smoke. It could be time to reignite the flame.
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