Leona Lewis is to return to The X Factor as a judge

Leona Lewis is to return to The X Factor as a judge

The singer has been lined up as a guest panelist for tomorrow’s London auditions at the O2 Arena.

She will join other top names for the try-outs in the capital including Robbie Williams and Rita Ora.

A source said: “Leona isn’t exactly the harshest critic in the world but she has experience of singing â€" and being on the X Factor.”

Leona won the third series of the X Factor in 2006 and has since sold ten million albums worldwide.

Last night bosses roped in singer Nicole Scherzinger for the third London session after plans for Robbie Williams to do a stint on the panel fell through.

Nicole’s inclusion will certainly raise eyebrows as she was dumped from the US X Factor after just one series.

She had originally impressed show boss Simon Cowell when she was a stand-in judge two years ago in the UK.

Nicole was even talked about as a full-time replacement for Dannii Minogue at one point.

A source said: “Whatever happened in the US, Simon knows Nicole is a pro. Brits like her and she has the sex factor.”