Reports of a shake-up in the X Factor cast

Photo caption: The cast of The X Factor, from left, Steve Jones, Nicole Scherzinger, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole.

In related news: The X Factor was aswirl in tabloid-ready developments last night.

TMZ and other Web sites reported last night night that Cheryl Cole, one of the four people signed to judge contestants on The X Factor, had been let go. The Web sites also said that Nicole Scherzinger, who had been hired as one of the show’s two hosts, had stepped in as a judge in Ms. Cole’s place. That would leave the show with a single host, Steve Jones, just as Idol has one host.

The reports surprised fans of Ms. Cole, a star in Britain who is not well known in the United States. Simon Cowell, who is developing the American version of The X Factor (it began in Britain), has talked about Ms. Cole for years as a star in the making, and he succeeded in hiring her as a judge just three weeks ago.

Fox representatives declined to comment on the matter last night, and a representative for Mr. Cowell’s production company did not respond to a request for comment.

(Via ArtsBeat)