‘The X Factor’ notes: Alex & Sierra, Cher Lloyd, Cheryl Cole, and the UK panel

Alex and Sierra’s single release date – Fans of Alex & Sierra, mark your calendars now for June 23. One week from today, iTunes is going to officially release the duo’s first single, which they have performed at gigs, released a lyric video for, and have a music video coming out for in the near future.

Thanks to this information, we anticipate many more gigs and performances from the recent “X Factor” USA winners. So be sure to stay tuned for some more on that!

Cher Lloyd’s new performance – Cher was also in America this week for a promo tour of her new single “Sirens,” which she took to “Live! with Kelly and Michael.” This segment is similar to almost everything else that takes place on this morning show. There is a performance followed by a little, cheesy interview. These are the sort of interviews that admittedly drive us bonkers, since there is no real way to sound natural in them. We don’t blame Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan for it, though; they literally only have a split-second or two to ask questions before moving onto the next thing.

The new judging panel – Finally, we turn to the first photo of the new “X Factor” UK judging panel, which went to work on Monday as the search for new talent begins across multiple cities. Mel B shared this image below on her Instagram page, and it shows her, Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole, and Simon Cowell all seemingly happy to be there. Personally, though, we feel like the British press are making way too big of a deal out of where everyone is sitting.

We feel generally excited about this panel for now, but we’ll see whether or not that changes a few episodes in when their chemistry is revealed.

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Photo: Fox