Rod Stewart To Become A Temporary X-Factor Judge?

Rod Stewart has agreed to appear as a stand-in judge on The X Factor, according to reports. The Daily Mirror says that the singer has signed a deal to temporarily replace Kelly Rowland, who confirmed she would be leaving the show last month due to “scheduling issues” and “global commitments”, while bosses hunt for a permanent replacement. A source claimed that reality TV mogul Simon Cowell has persuaded Stewart to sit on the panel for early auditions, revealing:

“Rod is a genuine living legend and exactly what the show needs. The details are still to be ironed out but it looks like he’ll be at the auditions next month in London and possibly Glasgow because of his Scottish heritage. He’s sold more than 100 million records worldwide so he knows exactly what it takes to succeed in the tough world of showbusiness, and hopefully he’ll also be a big draw for viewers who might not have been fans of The X Factor before.”

Last year’s series of The X Factor was widely considered a ratings flop after steadily losing viewers in the opening weeks of its run. The show’s winners Little Mix scored a UK Number One with their cover of Damien Rice’s ‘Cannonball’, which was the fastest selling single of 2011, while also being the lowest-selling winner’s single since 2004.