Cheryl Cole close to signing US X Factor deal

After months of speculation, Cheryl Cole is reportedly on the verge of signing a contract to be a judge on The US X Factor after wowing network bosses.

Peter Rice, head of entertainment at Fox who will air the reality show in the Autumn, has said of the Geordie beauty: "If Cheryl was to be on the show, I think she's proved that she's a terrific judge. She has a wonderful chemistry with Simon."

There had been talk that 27-year-old Cheryl's strong Newcastle accent may prove a hindrance, but Mr Rice did not mention it.

However, speaking to U.S. entertainment show Access Hollywood at the Annual Television Critics Association seminar in Pasadena, California, Mr Rice said Simon is the only confirmed judge at the moment.

"It will be four judges as it is in England â€" two men, two women - one of which will be Simon," he said. "Simon's going to come to us and he's going to say, 'This is who I would like the judges to be,' and we'll have a conversation about it."

Meanwhile, Mr Rice seemed very confident that the show will be a huge success in the States, pointing out how different it will be to American Idol.

"I think it's an amazing TV show... It's just so well produced, so fun, so wildly entertaining. I think if they discover the next Susan Boyle next year on X Factor - that's not something that will happen on Idol."

Mr Rice added: "If they discover, Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson or some 10-year-old phenomenon, that's not something you're gonna see on Idol."