Nicole Scherzinger on the road with X Factor

Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger took up her role as an official X Factor judge at auditions in Newcastle yesterday.

Thousands of hopefuls flocked to the city’s Metro Radio Arena to share their talents with the multimillion-selling artist and her fellow judges, singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, N-Dubz singer Tulisa, and music mogul Louis Walsh.

Scherzinger said: “I’m so excited to join the UK X Factor family. It’s where I got my start, so it feels great to come full circle. I can’t wait to see what talent the UK has to offer and to help inspire and bring out the best in these artists.”

She was a guest judge on The X Factor in 2010 and again this year in London during the auditions tour. After taking a break from the group, she released an album in 2011, from which the single Don’t Hold Your Breath rose to No 1 in the UK charts with.