Cheryl Cole's long wait

Simon Cowell's still not revealing whether Cheryl Cole will be sitting next to him on the US version of 'The X-Factor'

Cheryl is hoping for a place on the judging panel and the latest rumours are that she will land the plum job despite not being that well known in the States.

Simon insists no decisions have been made but has now admitted he has been in ''regular contact'' with Paula Abdul. The pair worked together on 'American Idol' until 2009. Simon said: "I'm a massive fan of Paula. We've been in regular contact. I'm not going to say who we are going to confirm or not because the truth is we haven't made up our minds up yet. It comes down to who I think is interesting and the commitment and the expertise each person offers."

Katy Perry, Will Smith, Nicole Scherzinger and Jessica Simpson have also been linked with judging roles.

Simon has also revealed the winner of the first series will get a $5 million recording contract.

Because the judging panel is not finalised Simon had to advertise the show himself during the Super Bowl. It's thought almost £2 million was spent on the 30 second ad which was broadcast to an audience of 100 million.