HOT FROM FOX...

BRITISH POP SUPERSTAR CHERYL COLE JOINS ANTONIO "L.A." REID AND SIMON COWELL ON "THE X FACTOR" JUDGES PANEL

Auditions Continue in Dallas on Thursday, May 26

Singers and Vocal Groups Age 12 and Over Eligible to Audition For Chance to Win a $5 Million Syco/Sony Music Recording Contract

British pop superstar Cheryl Cole will join Antonio "L.A." Reid and Simon Cowell as a judge on THE X FACTOR, the highly anticipated singing competition series debuting this fall on FOX. Cole, who has sat alongside Cowell as a judge on the U.K. version of "The X Factor" for three years, is a multi-platinum-selling solo artist and a member of Girls Aloud, one of the U.K.'s most successful female vocal groups of all time. Cole will join Cowell, Reid and an additional judge (to be announced) as they travel to THE X FACTOR audition cities searching for the next global superstar or breakout music group.

"I'm thrilled for Cheryl. She is massively excited about this show, and has been fantastic to work with," said Cowell. "She is also a complete brat! Most importantly, this girl can spot talent."

"I'm so excited to be taking part in the American version of THE X FACTOR. I absolutely love it here in the U.K., and with the talent they have out in America, I'm sure we're going to find someone very special. I can't wait to get started," said Cole. "I just can't decide whether I am more excited to find and nurture the talent or for the unbelievable amount of amusement and entertainment I will have watching Simon doing everything and anything he can to beat me. He's tried to beat me for three years in the U.K., and hasn't even come close. His ego must be so bruised. America is gonna love this."

"Cheryl Cole has the whole THE X FACTOR package: She's an incredibly talented artist and performer, as well as a style icon, and she has that special charisma that draws in fans around the world," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "Cheryl's charm and chemistry with Simon have been a key part of the overwhelming success of 'The X Factor' in the U.K., and we can't wait to welcome her to the U.S. on our air."

"As a young artist whose talent show discovery led to almost immediate stardom, Cheryl's career exemplifies the promise of THE X FACTOR," said executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "Her empathy and passion for identifying and nurturing undiscovered talent has made her a huge hit with British audiences, and I have no doubt America will fall in love with her beauty, her accent and her incredible chemistry with Simon Cowell."

Auditions continue in Dallas, TX, on Thursday, May 26. Now through this Sunday, May 8, hopefuls may also audition in specially built high-definition recording studios in Honolulu, HI; Phoenix, AZ; Nashville, TN; Anchorage, AK; Kansas City, KS; and Denver, CO.

THE X FACTOR is searching for undiscovered talent 12 years old or over - both solo artists and vocal groups - who are willing to brave the panel for a chance to win a $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music. Interested solo artists and vocal groups should sign up now for audition information at www.fox.com/theXfactor or call toll-free 855-345-5678.

In a departure from other singing competition series, the first time contestants audition for THE X FACTOR judges, they will do so in front of an audience of thousands - raising the stakes and increasing the pressure to impress not only the judges, but also a potential legion of fans. This will be the ultimate test to prove they have the vocal ability, charisma and stage presence that it takes to win an unprecedented $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music.

As previously announced, Pepsi will serve as an official sponsor of THE X FACTOR. The comprehensive sponsorship includes an extensive, multi-platform off-air marketing partnership; weekly in-show integrations and placements; and an immersive content experience online.

THE X FACTOR is produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. Simon Cowell, Rob Wade and Siobhan Greene are executive producers for Syco Television. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Richard Holloway and Andrew Llinares serve as executive producers for FremantleMedia North America.

About Cheryl Cole

There aren't many who have successfully made the transition from girl group to solo star. But one woman who has, and made it seem utterly effortless, is Cheryl Cole. Cole's first solo single, "Fight For This Love," was the fastest-selling single of 2009, and both of her solo albums charted at No. 1. The first, "3 Words," has been certified triple platinum. Three further top five singles followed, along with two BRITs nominations and winning the coveted Best Music Act at the ELLE Style Awards 2011. In making these albums, Cole collaborated with an impressive number of music's A-list, including Dizzee Rascal, Travie McCoy, Taio Cruz and most notably will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. As well as effortlessly charming her collaborators, Cole has garnered many a famous fan too. Adele, the voice of 2011, chose to cover "Promise This," the No. 1 lead-in single from Cole's second album, "Messy Little Raindrops," in the Live Lounge on Radio 1. Another very big fan is Simon Cowell, who personally handpicked her as a judge for "The X Factor" in the U.K. in 2008. Cole became an instant hit with viewers and went on to win the show in both 2008 with Alexandra Burke and 2009 with Joe McElderry. The last season of "The X Factor" was the most talked-about show in Britain, regularly attracting audiences of 15 million. The finale peaked at 21 million viewers and saw Cole with two of her contestants in the finale. Cole has also become a leading style icon. She has graced the cover of British Vogue twice, the first time becoming the highest-ever-selling February issue in the title's history. She has also appeared on the covers of Harper's Bazaar and ELLE. Cole is also a L'Oreal spokesmodel fronting the L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 hair care range. Despite massive success as a singer, style icon and TV star, Cole is keen to give back. In February 2009, she joined an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in order to raise money for Comic Relief. In February 2011, Cole announced the launch of her own charitable foundation with The Prince's Trust. The Cheryl Cole Foundation will provide funding to work with disadvantaged young people from Cole's hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne and surrounding areas of northeast England. Cole did her growing up in Girls Aloud, the U.K.'s most successful girl band. Formed on TV show "Popstars: The Rivals" in 2002, they went on to record five albums and sell over 10 million records. Girls Aloud topped the singles chart four times, had 20 top 10 singles and won the BRIT Award for Best Single in 2009 with "The Promise." Girls Aloud won critical acclaim and fans from every corner. Their third album, "Chemistry," got five-star reviews, and the single "Love Machine" was covered by the Arctic Monkeys. Coldplay's Chris Martin personally requested that Girls Aloud were on the lineup alongside Jay-Z for the Wembley Stadium shows in 2009. For more information on Cole, please visit www.cherylcole.com.

About "The X Factor"

Since its debut in 2004, "The X Factor" has remained the U.K.'s #1 program for the last seven years, peaking with an audience of 21 million with 65% audience share for its 2010 finale. The format swiftly broke similar records around the world, where local versions have consistently rated #1 in 15 territories, with a worldwide audience now well over 100 million. In Denmark, it has ranked #1 for the last four years, peaking with an 80% share of the audience. In Colombia, it has consistently ranked #1 with a 75% share of the audience. Additionally, "The X Factor" consistently delivers a 50% to 65% share of the viewing audiences in Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, France and Italy - with the highest percentage of these shares in A15-34. In some markets, "The X Factor" has increased the channel average demographic by up to 250%. The series has received numerous honors worldwide, including three BAFTA awards, numerous NTA awards and the coveted Rose d'Or. In the U.K., an unprecedented 1.5 million iTunes downloads were made from "The X Factor" contestant performances in 2010. Globally, more than 100 million records have been sold by artists launched through the series, including over 90 #1 singles and albums and 150 Top Ten records.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About Syco/Simon Cowell

Syco, with offices in London and Los Angeles, is a global music, television and film production joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment. Syco Television owns and produces the BAFTA Award-winning "The X Factor," which has topped the charts around the world. Syco Television is also the owner of the "Got Talent" television format. Versions of both "The X Factor" and "Got Talent" are co-produced by Syco, and are shown in more than 70 countries and have won multiple awards including national television awards and BAFTAs. Syco is also the record label home for such diverse international recording stars as Leona Lewis and Il Divo. Cowell has worked with artists selling more than 200 million albums and delivering more than 180 No. 1 records. Britain's Got Talent in 2009 launched the global singing career of Susan Boyle. Her debut Syco album sold over 8 million units in six weeks, making it the world's biggest-selling album of 2009 and the fastest-selling album in history and a total of 20 million records to date. In 2009, Cowell was named No. 1 in Hollywood Reporter's Top 50 Most Powerful in Reality TV and Entertainment Weekly's Top Entertainer of the Year. In 2010 Simon Cowell was awarded Variety International's Humanitarian Award for his extensive charitable work, The Rose d'Or Golden Jubilee Award and BAFTA's Special Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry and development of new talent. He also appeared on Time Magazine's list of Most Influential People in the World and was awarded the International Emmy Founders Award.

About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon AMERICAN IDOL (FOX), "America's Got Talent" (NBC), "What Chilli Wants" (VH1), "Hole In The Wall" (Cartoon Network), "Jump City: Seattle" (G4), "Let's Make A Deal" (CBS), "Family Feud" (syn), "The Price Is Right" (CBS) and the much-anticipated THE X FACTOR in Fall 2011.