Kelly Rowland not returning to the judging panel for X Factor... with Katy Perry in the frame to replace her

She may not be Beyoncé. But when Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland joined the X Factor, Simon Cowell hoped she would be the perfect replacement for Cheryl Cole. But with just two weeks to go before filming starts, the 31-year-old singer is ‘unlikely’ to return to the ITV talent hit, show sources confirmed last night. And in a mad dash to replace her, Cowell, 52, and ITV chiefs have been in talks with pop princess Katy Perry and a string of other stars.

In with the new, out with the old: Kelly Rowland in unlikely to return to the new series of X Factor, with Katy Perry - who was a guest judge in 2010 (below) - tipped to replace her

Last night, a source told the Mail that Miss Rowland was '95 per cent' unlikely to return to the X Factor, saying: 'Kelly was great in the auditions, but when she joined the live shows it just seemed that she didn’t really relax and enjoy herself. 'And to be honest, she wasn’t that popular with viewer.

Culled from Dailymail