X Factor confirms Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora are the new judges
The singer and Radio 1 DJ will join Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini on the 2015 judging panel, meaning Louis Walsh really has left
After months of speculation it has been confirmed that singer Rita Ora and Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw are joining the X Factor judging panel.
It's the first time a DJ has been a full-time judge on the show. As for Rita, it sees her jump from the spinning chairs of rival singing BBC talent show The Voice, to the ITV juggernaut.
Rita herself has been a guest judge on the show, but of joining full-time she said: "I am excited to be coming back to The X Factor – I had a ball here in 2012. This is a journey I can't wait to embark on to find some talented singers. It’s the new generation taking over. Booooom."
A new face to the show, Grimmers said: "I love X Factor and have watched the series religiously since it started, so obviously I'm hugely excited to be joining the show. Music is my job and my passion and I'm really looking forward to seeing what talent we can find and nurture this year. I can't wait for Judges Houses in Oldham!"
Of course this means that after being on every series judge Louis Walsh has actually left. The result? We've lost the man on the end of the panel telling everyone they remind him of a young someone else. Perhaps Grimmers will chuck the phrase in a few times to make us feel at home with the new series? It also means Mel B won't return after joining the line-up last year.
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Welcoming her new panel buddies, Cheryl said: “I haven't been as excited about an X Factor season since I first became a judge. The addition of Rita and Grimmy along with some interesting changes we've made to the format has refocused us to do what we do best, finding talent and making stars. I cannot wait to get started!”
Boss Simon Cowell added: "It’s taken a while! But I am very happy to be able to confirm our line-up of judges for The X Factor this year. The combination of Nick, Cheryl and Rita is going to be a lot of fun! They all bring a lot of enthusiasm and passion for music to the show.”
The changes follow plenty of others, including in-room auditions being dropped and the new presenting line-up of Olly Murs and Caroline Flack.
X Factor auditions with the judges start on July 6th. The series returns to ITV later in the year.
