Nicole Scherzinger is no stranger to the “X-Factor” UK family. This year, she’s back on the judging panel with Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh for “Celebrity: X-Factor”.
The former Pussycat Doll lead singer first joined the reality-singing competition in 2012 where she mentored the boys category. Her act James Arthur went on to win the show. She has since been on “X-Factor” UK for four seasons.
Check out the exclusive interview with here below:
How did Simon convince you to come back?
I’ve been a part of The X Factor family for many years now and honestly, I love the UK so much. They’ve always been so good to me, Great Britain is my second home. So, Simon called me personally and that always means a lot. We had a few discussions about what was going to happen and that was it really. I didn’t have any concerns about coming back, it’s in my blood to do this. I feel like I’m really good at this. Simon really wanted me back, so we made a pact and we made it work.
Where you pleased when you heard Louis was back?
There’s no one else that I would have wanted back more. I love him, he’s always been there for me. He is the best at what he does, so rightfully so, he should be there.
Simon seems to really trust you both…
Oh, you have to have that trust. I think he goes back to us each time because he knows that he can trust us, we’re family.
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What did you think when you found out it was a celebrity version of the show this year?
I love that. Obviously it’s a lot shorter, which is the difference between The X Factor: Celebrity and the ones in the past. This one doesn’t have boot camp and all that jazz, and I loved that we just cut straight to the chase. I was really excited to see who the celebrities were going to be.
Was there anyone who you were really surprised they were doing it?
Martin Bashir. He’s my biggest surprise. We’re used to seeing him interview people like Princess Diana. He’s the kind of person people are not used to seeing in this light, and the way he spoke about why he did it, his voice and his performance, he was the biggest surprise to me, for sure.
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What was it like doing the auditions in Simon’s garden in Malibu?
It was really cool. It was unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and I don’t think Simon’s ever done anything like that before, at least not on that scale. I know he did judges’ houses there last year but that was small compared to this! It was amazing, because here we are in his beautiful home, right there in Malibu, the setting couldn’t be any more divine. We had tables filled with people, most of them were my peers and my mentors. These were the biggest heavy hitters in the industry. And so when I was there, I felt even more at home, because I saw them and realised, “My friends are here!” But at the same time, I felt a little bit of pressure as next I thought, “Wow, my mentors are here as well.” It made us up our game. I just thought it was a brilliant idea.
Did it increase the pressure for the celebs?
I told one of my friends, “I would not want to be auditioning in front of these people!” These were some of the biggest names in the industry, billions of record sales and they are judging! I was fortunate, because a lot of them are my friends, David Forster, Diane Warren, Tricky Steward and Dallas Austin. I won’t say who, but yeah, they had their say in who their favourites were!
Are we going to see you as competitive as always?
Oh always! You can’t take that out of me! I’m just going to be very supportive. This year I think the way Simon has done it is that we help them and support them. In the past when I did it, I was quite hands-on and did a lot. But I’m ready to see what they are going to bring to this show.
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What are you looking forward to about the live shows?
The performances, that’s my favourite part. You know how much fun I have when I’m so affected by the music and the performances. It gets me riled up. I think it’s going to be really fun and interesting.
The British fans are looking forward to having you back…
Oh, that’s really sweet. I can’t take for granted whatever is out there. That’s another reason – when Simon asked me to do this show, I realised how much I miss the UK. It’ll be great to be back. It’s so funny, because all my friends think I’m pretty much an adopted Brit, because every time they’re in London they’re like, “We’re in London! Where are you?” I’m like, “Guys, I’m in LA.” They normally just assume that I live there all the time. So, it’ll be great to go back and spend some time there.
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“Celebrity X-Factor” airs on Sundays 7:55 pm only on Blue Ant Entertainment (Unifi TV Ch 473).
