'X Factor' return for Cole

Cheryl Cole returned to 'The X Factor' last night.

The singer - who judged the show from 2008 to 2010 before a disastrous turn on the US version of the programme, which saw her axed before the live finals - arrived by helicopter to join Gary Barlow for the Judges' Houses stage of the competition.

The 'Fight For This Love' singer beamed as she entered the Boughton House estate in Northamptonshire where she will help Barlow whittle down his Over 25 acts for this year's live finals.

Cole's appearance on the show was a surprise to many, and Barlow reportedly even kept show supremo Simon Cowell in the dark about inviting Cole to appear, leading him to believe he was going to have his former Take That bandmate Robbie Williams.

The show's other judges will also be joined by glamorous guests to help them choose their acts, with singer Ne-Yo helping Nicole Scherzinger choose between the Boys in Dubai, Tinie Tempah teaming with Tulisa to pick the Girls in the Caribbean and Louis Walsh joined by another ex-judge, Sharon Osbourne, to pick between the groups in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, last night's show saw the judges wowed by Irish singer Melanie McCabe, who is making a comeback after getting all the way to the Judge's Houses section of the show last year, but being axed by Kelly Rowland.

Speaking of her devastation, she said: "It killed me so much when Kelly didn’t put me through. I was really far away from home and I just wanted to get out.

"I felt like my whole world was falling down because I’d pinned all my hopes and dreams on 'X Factor', so when Kelly said no it just killed me.

"I was really down for a good while because I didn’t know what to do with my life.

"Everything had been focused on 'X Factor' for so long. I just had to pick myself up and keep going."

Melanie's performance of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' saw her sail through to the Boot Camp stage of the show.