IT APPEARS REPORTS of Cheryl’s Cole’s imminent return to the US version of the X Factor were greatly exaggerated. She’s been dropped and this time it has been confirmed.

The former Girls Aloud singer has been formally dropped as a judge from the Fox Television programme today with confirmation coming from Simon Cowell, his production company and others, reports The Guardian.

It had been reported yesterday that the Geordie lass would return to filming the programme in New Jersey this week after TV bosses admitted to a big error in dropping her, reportedly because of her thick Newcastle accent.

And it appears that eleventh hour moves were made to avoid the departure, which first emerged over a week ago.

But this did not see any progress with Cole said to be unhappy in the US after performing poorly in the initial filming of the US version of the hit British television programme, according to The Guardian.

A formal statement released by Fox and the programme’s co-producers, Cowell’s Syco and his partners Fremantle Media, said simply that the trio “confirm [Pussycat Dolls singer] Nicole Scherzinger will be replacing Cheryl Cole on the judging panel of The X Factor”.