Singer is thought to have been paid more than $1m in out-of-court settlement after abrupt exit from X Factor USA
Cheryl Cole has paved the way for a possible return to The X Factor next year after reaching an out-of-court settlement said to be worth more than $1m (£600,000) over her abrupt exit from the US version of the show.
Cole was reportedly removed from The X Factor USA after attending auditions in two US cities amid concerns that her Newcastle accent was too difficult for American viewers to understand. She was replaced on the US show by the former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, also a judge on the UK X Factor.
This year the 30-year-old sued the show's producer, Blue Orbit, for $2.3m for loss of earnings. The case has now been settled, with the production company paying Cole an undisclosed sum understood to be in the region of $1.5m, although this has not been confirmed.
The 11-page lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles superior court shows the singer was promised a salary of $1.8m for the first season of the Fox show, and $2m for a second season. She was paid for the first season, but not the rest of her salary or further expenses including a $100,000 wardrobe allowance, a $25,000 allowance for her stylist, $15,000 a month for a hotel or apartment and $2,500 for monthly living expenses.
The resolution of the court case could open the door to a return as a judge on The X Factor on ITV. The singer Gary Barlow has confirmed he will not be returning to the panel in 2014.
Speaking to Metro newspaper last week Simon Cowell said that he and Cole had "patched up our differences a long time ago". However, a source with knowledge of the situation said that at this stage there had been no talks with Cole or her representatives about a potential return to the UK judging panel.