Rita Ora won’t join X Factor panel this year
The Voice coach was on a list of possibles but won’t appear alongside Cowell and co for the twelfth series
Rita Ora won’t be spinning from her chair on The Voice to The X Factor this autumn.
Simon Cowell recently said there was no reason he couldn't look to poach the rival BBC1 talent show's coach, saying that the Hot Right Now singer was “fair game”.
However, RadioTimes.com understands that while the singer was on a long list of names considered for a judging role, she won't be being called up this year.
Show insiders say that the clash with The Voice is partly behind the decision not to include Ora in this year’s line-up. It's thought that a former guest judge recently seen on another shiny floor show would be unlikely to excite viewers.
X Factor sources also say a final decision is unlikely to be made for a while – but there is a desire to spice up the format.
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Whether or not that even means new judges has yet to be made clear. There’s been no confirmation that Mel B is departing, and Louis Walsh, well, we’ve all learned to take his chatter about leaving with a pinch of salt, right? Even Lou Lou makes a joke of it – the previous series launched with him yelling from a sports car that he’d never leave.
But changes are afoot even if Mel B and Louis Walsh both stay. The big X is already facing the curveball of ITV’s coverage of this year’s Rugby World Cup, meaning some live shows will be moved from Saturday nights to make bumper Sunday night editions.
And for the first time in eight years, the show won’t be helmed by Dermot O’Leary. Former Xtra Factor hosts Caroline Flack and Olly Murs have stepped up as the show's first presenting duo.
Now if some people could just put pen to paper we can all get excited about the new series...
X Factor returns to ITV later this year
