Simon Cowell is to offer Cheryl Cole a new profitable contract

The music mogul announced he was leaving talent contest American Idol to bring British programme The X Factor to the US in January. Since then, there has been intense speculation about who will join him on the judging panel.

Cheryl currently works with him on the show in the UK, and there have been several reports she is keen to launch her career in America by working with him. She recently split from her husband Ashley after it was claimed he had been unfaithful with a string of women, and is said to want to make a fresh start in a new country.

Simon is already said to have pleaded her case with show bosses, claiming they should listen to him as his decision to get Piers Morgan involved with America`s Got Talent was such a good one. "I took more of a gamble taking Piers Morgan to the States," he apparently said in a meeting. "Cheryl will be loved immediately. We`ve got to nail her down."

Simon is adamant the 26-year-old will be a big hit in America. He is said to have argued it doesn`t matter that she is unknown over there, claiming it will add a sense of mystique to the show.

"Getting the right combination for the panel is imperative and Cheryl ticks all the boxes," a source told British newspaper The Daily Mirror. "She is sassy, sexy, confident and knows her stuff musically. Her profile may not be large Stateside yet but that is not a huge mountain to climb. In fact, Simon thinks it will work to his advantage as there`s an element of mystery about her which is lacking from so many US stars. The money on offer is huge but Simon knows it has to be a lot to persuade her to uproot and move over, albeit temporarily."

sections: Celebrities