Mel B is being lined up to become a judge on ‘The X Factor’.
Simon Cowell – who is returning to the singing competition’s judging panel with Cheryl Cole – wants to hire the Spice Girls singer to fill the ‘alpha female’ void left by former judge Nicole Scherzinger.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Mel is top of Simon’s list. He thinks she has just the spark the panel needs. He doesn’t want any shrinking violets or pop stars who are just eye candy.
"He looks at it as Cheryl Cole is a princess and Mel is an alpha female."
The 38-year-old star – full name Melanie Brown – already works for Simon on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and show bosses are confident she can juggle the two commitments.
The US talent competition – which airs over the summer – will end in mid-September, just in time for the ‘X Factor’ live shows.
Mel B, who was previously a judge on the Australian version of ‘The X Factor’, divided opinion as she proved a harsh judge when she served as a stand-in panellist on the show two years ago.
Meanwhile, Simon, 54, has hinted veteran judge Louis Walsh will be back on the show this year, joining him and Cheryl, 30.
He said: "I can’t imagine the show without him."
The music mogul suggested he is eager to hire an unknown music industry expert rather than a star to join the panel too.
He added: "It would be someone who does this for a living — a manager, a songwriter. That’s my preference."
Mel B tipped to join The X Factor
