X Factor

Paula Abdul: X Factor is turbo bike ride

Paula Abdul says working with Simon Cowell again is like being on a ‘turbo-charged bike’.

The 49-year-old American recording artist and choreographer worked with the British music mogul on hit talent show American Idol between the years 2002 and 2009.

Paula joined the panel alongside Simon in 2002, before leaving the popular show after eight seasons.

The pair are starring alongside each other again on the judging panel for the highly-anticipated US X Factor, where they will judge budding singers with Nicole Scherzinger and LA Reid.

Paula has likened her working relationship with Simon to a fast-paced ride.

“Sitting down, it was like getting on a bike again,” she told ET Online. ” a new path and with a turbo engine on the bike.”

Meanwhile, Nicole insists that her role in the show is motivated by her genuine compassion for the contestants. The star, who replaced British songstress Cheryl Cole on the panel after she was sensationally axed from the line-up, was part of a reality TV girl group Eden’s Crush before finding fame with Pussycat Dolls.

“I’m definitely coming from a place of empathy and compassion,” she said.

“Being a part of the show is like a phenomenon. This is something no one’s ever seen before.”

US X Factor premieres next month on FOX.

Cheryl Cole can’t go shopping in Los Angeles because she gets hounded by the paparazzi

The former ‘X Factor’ judge has recently bought a $5 million two-bedroom apartment in Beverly Hills, and while she loves the city her close pal Kimberley Walsh revealed spending five days in Los Angeles with Cheryl recently made her realise how chaotic her bandmate’s life is.

She explained to the Daily Star newspaper: ‘t made me realise what it is like for her. I get scared for her in the madness.

‘t was wonderful to go and chill out completely. We had a bit of a dance and discovered coffee-flavoured Patron Tequila. It makes you a nice happy drunk so it was our girls’ holiday drink of choice.

‘The only thing missing was a bit of shopping but it became far too hard to organise as Cheryl gets hounded out there by the paparazzi. It was absolutely terrifying.’

Meanwhile, a model and former Miss Ireland contestant who has been linked to Cheryl’s ex husband Ashley Cole has claimed the soccer star has no plans to reunite with his former spouse.

Colette McBarron told The Sun newspaper: ‘Without saying too much I could guarantee that he probably isn’t, unless I’m hearing lies.

‘ can’t say I’ve never met him or that we’ve never been out together because clearly there are pictures of that on different occasions.’

Cheryl Cole Must Finish Filming for X Factor

On the heels of her dismissal from X Factor, Fox has asked Cheryl Cole to come back to the US to complete more filming for the show. Reports, however, say that Cole is not interested.

Cole was fired from the show in June, but had already participated in four audition shows. The show, which is set to air in September, will still air these episodes.

Part of Cole’s deal with Fox includes returning to the show to complete filming before scenes involving her replacement, Nicole Scherzinger.

A source says, “She made no secret of the fact that she does not want to go- and agreed only because TV channel Fox bosses gave her no option.”

Cole was recently seen as the American Embassy to get her visa. Another source says that Cole “left it until the last possible day to collect her visa because she didn’t want to spotted.”