MUMBAI: Former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole is back as the new judge for the next series of X Factor. The announcement was made by Simon Cowell through a tweet saying, ''It's official. Cheryl is back”Cheryl Cole revealed the association by posting a picture on her Instagram account with the message, "I'm baaaaaacccckk!!". Further reports have surfaced that Cole signed a ?1.5 million deal to return to the show.

Reports stated it took over 18 months for Cole and Cowell to resolve their differences and extend an olive branch. In the last few months there has been speculation of her return to the show, which has finally come to an end with the announcement.

In a post on Twitter, the 54-year-old music mogul also stated that she is a brilliant judge of talent.The deal has made Cole one of the highest paid judges on the panel. The recent X Factor line-up includes Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne, Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh. Cole was last seen on the show in 2010. Cole was a judge on 'The X Factor' from the fifth to the seventh season.

In September last year, there were reports that Cole would be teaming up with former bandmate Nicola Roberts for her upcoming album which would be her fourth solo album, due to be released in 2014. There is a possibility that her appointment on the show will also help promote her new album.