Tulisa to return to X Factor judging panel

Tulisa to return to X Factor judging panel
Tulisa to return to X Factor judging panel (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Tulisa Contostavlos has confirmed she will be back as a judge on the next series of The X Factor. ITV1 revealed on Tuesday that Take That star Gary Barlow was returning to the show, and that the other names 'will be announced soon'. But the N-Dubz singer, 23, blabbed after being asked by Top Of The Pops magazine about the new series. "I don't know if I'm allowed to answer," she said. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, so let's just say (I've known for) quite a while." She added of her return: "Would it be cheeky to say I think I did a good enough job to keep my place?" Tulisa won the last series of the ITV1 show with girl group Little Mix. The group were among the contestants reportedly criticised by Simon Cowell, as the show lost out to BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing in the ratings war. Tulisa said of the next series: "I'm growing as a person, so you might see a change in me simply because I'm growing up, but I'm just going to be me. Whatever comes out, comes out." The singer recently hit the headlines when a sex tape showing her sharing an 'intimate moment' with a former boyfriend appeared online. Tulisa took legal action against former boyfriend Justin Edwards, who denies posting the tape. Louis Walsh, who was a judge last year along with Kelly Rowland, has already announced he will be taking part in the 2012 series. Gary said of his return: "I'm thrilled to be back and really looking forward to working with The X Factor team again. The fact that a superstar could just walk out on that stage is very exciting."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.