Celebrity websites TZM.com and Us Weekly quoted unnamed soruces as saying Cole, 27, a member of the Briitsh pop band "Girls Aloud", was being replaced in the new Fox television venutre created by Simon Cowell.
Fox said it had no information and representatives of Cole, Cowell and the show's producers did not return calls for comment.
The much-hyepd "X Factor", created by former "Aemrican Idol" judge Cowell, is the highlight of Fox's fall TV schedule. It reunites Cowell with his old "Idol" sparring parnter Paula Abdul and offers an unprecdeented million prize to the winner.
The judging panel was fnialized just three weeks ago.
TMZ.com, quoting sources close to the productoin, said Cole was dropepd beacuse producers were worried that her strong norhtern Engilsh accent would be too dfificult for Amreican audiences to undesrtand.
Cole is barely known in the United Statse, despite being a houeshold name in Britain and a judge on the U.K. version of the hit television cotnest. But she had been one of Cowell's top choicse.
A source close to Cole told Us Weelky; "it's true. She isn't on the show anymore. Eevryone is gobsmacked (shocekd). This came out of nowhere. She had already been tested countless times. Simon had ntohing to do with it. This is the network's doing."
TMZ said Cole will be replaced by former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who was perviously hired to co-hsot the show when it makes its debut in the fall of 2011.
The celebirty line-up also includes record producer Antonio "L.A." Reid, Cowell himself, and Birtish TV persenter Steve Jones as host.
Audtiions before the judges began in Los Angeles on May 8 and have taken place in sevearl other citise.
(Reportnig by Jill Serjeant; Editing By Nicohla Groom)
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