Sharon Osbourne has landed one of the biggest deals in 'X Factor' history, after negotiating a £2 million contract to return to the show.
The star, who was one of the original judges on the ITV talent competition, announced her comeback alongside Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger on Wednesday (1 June), and details of her deal have now seemingly come to light.
The Mirror has claimed that as part of her contract, she demanded over £300,000 in expenses to include hotel accommodation, stylists and first class flights for each weekend of the live shows so she can return to LA to film her chat show 'The Talk' during the week.
Her reported £2m payday is over double the rumoured price tag for both Louis and Nicole, who are said to be being paid less than £1m each.
A source told the paper: “Sharon drives a hard bargain and has other commitments but Simon was certain he wanted her for the panel and he is thrilled to have a line up viewers are familiar with and have enjoyed in the past.
Announcing her return, Sharon said yesterday: “I’m overjoyed about going back to 'The X Factor', sitting with Lou Lou, gorgeous Nicole and naughty Simon. But most of all, I can’t wait to meet baby Eric.”
However, comments she made about the show in 2014 have come back to haunt her, after she slated it during a US TV interview.
Awkwardly, she said: “If one more person stands in front of me and sings, I tell you. I’ve had it with people singing at me and I’ve had it watching people sing on TV,” she ranted.
“They’ve all got something wrong - they’ve either got one lung, one kidney, they’ve all got somebody sick in hospital and it’s like, ‘Oh lord, just shut up and sing.’ But then when they sing, it’s like, ‘Please stop it. I can’t take it any more.’”
Speaking after her last stint on the ‘X Factor’ panel in 2013, which saw her win with contestant Sam Bailey, Sharon added: “[They’re] too contrived, boring, boring, boring.
“If I see another judge cry, I tell you please. As soon as they go out the door, we bloody crack up laughing.”
The judges will begin filming the new series in Leicester next Friday, with the room auditions making a welcome return.
'The X Factor' returns to ITV in the autumn.