‘The X Factor’ USA: Cheryl Cole receives payout following lawsuit, early firing in season 1

Has Cheryl Cole managed to get the last laugh on “The X Factor”? It at least appears to be that way, judging from the latest news that is coming out this week.

According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Cole has won some sort of payout from the show’s Blue Orbit production house, after she was quickly dismissed following just a brief stint on the show during the first season. Early on, she was replaced by Nicole Scherzinger on the judging panel, who was originally supposed to be a co-host on the show alongside Steve Jones.

The irony that still remains from Cole’s quick dismissal is that we are not quite sure that the show has ever found a replacement for her that has been more well-received than she was during her brief stint on the show. Scherzinger was a disaster in America, though she has gone on to be very entertaining and fun on the British version of the show; meanwhile, Britney Spears last year was an expensive dud, and there is little that is particularly interesting about Paulina Rubio. At least Demi Lovato and Kelly Rowland are bringing some entertainment to the proceedings this time around, at least in comparison to what we’ve seen in the past.

This season of “The X Factor” is featuring the lowest ratings in the show’s history, and for the first time, we are in the middle of a November without news about whether or not there will be a renewal for another season. If there is, you have to imagine that there will be some more changes to the judging panel, and also to the format in order to make the show cheaper, and more appealing to Fox. Given the amount of in-show advertising that is done here, plus the success of the property worldwide, the executives could actually be convinced to keep it around.

If you want to read our full review of Wednesday’s “X Factor” performance show, just be sure to click here. We’re going to have our take on the results show coming up soon.

Photo: Fox