Her American dream came to a swift end when she was fired as a judge on X Factor USA after just three weeks.Yet Cheryl Cole has received a positive response from US TV critics who watched the preview of the show's very first episode, which aired in the States on Wednesday.The British singer appeared in the first half of the programme before she was replaced on the panel by Nicole Scherzinger.
"The opening episode gives a surprising amount of screen time to Cheryl Cole, a British pop star whom Mr Cowell jettisoned from the panel last spring, in the middle of auditions," Neil Glenzinger from the New York Times said of the singer's appearance. "In the premiere she just kind of disappears midshow, without much explanation, and suddenly Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls is in her chair. "It’s a downgrade. "Ms Cole showed glimmers of being interesting; in two seasons as a judge on The Sing-Off on NBC, Ms. Scherzinger was a pretty face but, judicially speaking, not much more than a seat warmer."
Mary McNamara of the LA Times wrote: "Cowell has said he replaced Cole because she seemed 'bewildered', but on a first impression, she is much more interesting than Scherzinger, if only for her fabulous Geordie accent.""In early scenes (Nicole) seems more interested in tearing up and out-glamming American Idol's Jennifer Lopez than brining much to the commentary. "Drawing much the same conclusion, Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune added: "Scherzinger doesn't come off as an obvious improvement in the early going. "She's most earnest like Kara DioGuardo than lovable like Jennifer Lopez. "And USA Today writer Robert Bianco seemed bewildered by the decision to replace Cheryl.
"Factor doesn't tell you why Cole was replaced or show you why she had to be. "Scherzinger does seem both a bit sharper and more effusive in the comments, but that can be chalked up to editing. "Fellow British export Steve Jones – host of the new talent show – did not fare so well.The New York Times described him as "utterly irrelevant" while The Boston Herald said "he is so far in the background, he might as well be on another network. "So far the big hit of the judging panel – which now includes Simon, Nicole and Paula Abdul – seems to be record label heavyweight LA Reid, the man responsible for the careers of Mariah Carey, Pink, Toni Braxton and Justin Bieber.