First look: Cheryl Cole is seated next to Simon Cowell in official X Factor panel snap
SHE WAS famously sacked from the US version of The X Factor back in 2011, but it looks as though that's all water under the bridge for Cheryl Cole.
With Simon Cowell seemingly back in her good books, the star has taken her place back on the UK's judging panel - and has taken the coveted seat right next to the music mogul.
In the first set of images released of this year's panel, the Geordie singer can be seen sat alongside Cowell while happily grinning into the camera.
Both wearing white, the pair look as though they're back to being the best of friends, with former Spice Girl Mel B and X Factor veteran Louis Walsh also grinning away on the other side.
And while each judge looks content with their place on the panel now, it certainly sounds as though there could be a flair up at some point in the future.
According to reports, Cheryl wasn't too impressed with the return of Louis Walsh and even tried to persuade Simon not to employ him again.
And previously she even made a dig at Mel B's former girl band The Spice Girls, admitting she was annoyed with the constant comparison with her band Girls Aloud.
"We've been around for six years - they were around for 18 months," she said, according to The Mirror.
"We recognise what the Spice Girls did but it really annoys me when you meet girls who go: 'We wannabe the next Spice girls.'"
However, Mel B recently revealed that she would not be bitching with anyone, and had no plans to be 'Miss Nasty.'
Apparently the mother-of-three became embroiled in a bust-up with Cowell after he assumed she would play the villain in the new series.
"There is no way she is going to do that bitchy thing with anyone and has told Simon so," a source said.
“He isn’t happy at all. He had hoped that viewers would flock to watch the bust-ups between the two women judges.
“Simon wants explosive television. He wants Mel to give people a hard time, to have great fall-outs.
“But as far as she’s concerned it’s a job and she doesn’t want to get herself wrapped up in controversy.
“Mel wants to be a grown up judge, a bit of a female version of Simon.
“She doesn’t want to be unnecessarily mean to anyone."
Earlier in the day, the judges arrived on the red carpet for the first set of auditions - with Mel and Cheryl both opting for tiny mini skirts.