‘The X Factor’ notes: Mel B, Simon Cowell, and Restless Road stories

Is Mel B set to judge? – It has been a while since we last touched on what the future of “The X Factor” UK judging panel will be, but it feels more and more like the pieces are starting to come into place for Mel B. According to a report from the Mirror, the Spice Girl and Simon Cowell are close to finalizing terms on a deal that will have her on a panel with Cheryl Cole, Simon, and presumably Louis Walsh yet again.

The interesting thing about this gig is that it is really going to make scheduling tricky for Mel, given that she is finishing the kids’ version of “The Voice” in Australia, and has to be in America later this summer for the “America’s Got Talent” live shows. Basically, we imagine that she would film auditions before “America’s Got Talent” goes live, and then have her judges’ houses segment somewhere in America to make things a little easier for her.

We like Mel a good bit, but is there anything new that we can see from her? Part of the intrigue of a judging panel is when you get a fresh perspective.

Restless Road reborn – Remember the country group from this past season? Well, not only are they back in action now, but they have a new band member in Jared Keim who has replaced the departed Colton Pack.

In the video below, the group covers the new One Direction song “You & I” with a country twist. It’s a nice job for the trio, and something that shows that they really can twists things up and deliver contemporary country when given the time to do so. It’s hard to gauge what the future of a band on “The X Factor” is sometimes, but we at least applaud them for trying to make something work here.

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Photo: Fox