Nicole Scherzinger gets "extremely nervous" before every ‘X Factor’ live show.
The 38-year-old pop star insists it is far more nerve-wracking having to speak on TV than it is to sing, but she tries to keep herself focused by concentrating on her contestants and their needs.
She said: "I get extremely nervous, even after all these years.
"As a singer, I feel much more comfortable performing on stage than I do speaking.
"I find myself talking and thinking, ‘What am I saying?’ I try and focus my energy on the contestants and making sure they’re ok, but the nerves always creep in. It’s very exciting too though."
But the ‘Poison’ singer insists her nerves aren’t out of worry for her contestants because she always knows they’ll do well.
Asked if she’s nervous for her hopefuls, she said: "Not so much, I’m just nervous because Im an artist and I’m not as comfortable in a judging capacity as I am singing.
"I always feel confident for my acts because I make sure I’ve had enough time with them during the week so that we’re all confident they’re ready to go on a Saturday night."
After several years in the job, Nicole is a much "harder" judge than she used to be.
She told OK! magazine: "The core of what I Do is still the same – I listen to my heart and my gut. I make a judgement based on my experience and my knowledge of the industry, which I have a lot of from all my years performing.
"I have very wellrounded, diverse experiences to pull from.
"However, I’ve probably got a bit harder over the years.
"When I first started doing the show, I would cry all the time because I didn’t know how to say no to people. I was so sensitive.
"Now I’m a bit more willing to tell people this business isn’t for them. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time if I don’t think it’s right for them.
"It’s not fair to give people false hope, so it’s important to be tough with them."
Nicole Scherzinger gets ‘nervous’ before every X Factor live show
