Cheryl Cole will debut her first solo single on the X-Factor

Cheryl Cole will be putting herself directly in the firing line during the next series of X-Factor as she makes her first solo performance on the live Saturday night show. Fellow judge, Simon Cowell, has agreed to let the Girls Aloud singer debut her first solo single on the hit ITV show.

Reports suggest that the rest of the judging panel, made up of Simon, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue, are all right behind the 26 year old singer. However a source did add “there is always the fear that Simon will say something a bit catty.” Although this is unlikely as Cheryl is a big hit with the music mogul.

Whether Cheryl can rely on Louis Walsh’s support is another matter entirely. The Irish manager recently moaned in a national newspaper that his female colleagues, Dannii and Cheryl, were turning the programme into a fashion show. During his long whinge he said “Cheryl has different hair all the time – new hair, high hair, different clothes. They come in like little peacocks in their high heels every day.”

Despite the fact Cheryl performed on the last series of X-Factor with Girls Aloud, this performance will be a whole new experience for the Geordie singer as she won’t have her band mates around to support her. Although the circumstances are not completely alien to the Cheryl as she won her place in the chart-topping girl band through her performance on the talent show Pop Stars, The Rivals in 2002.

Cheryl only joined the X-Factor last year but managed to successfully mentor the winning act, Alexandra Burke, who is also scheduled to perform on this year’s show. In a twist of fate the two female singers will battle it out in the charts as their two solo albums are released next month. The coming months are sure to bring plenty of drama and excitement as the X-Factor machine swings into action, bring it on!