DHAKA: Simon Cowell has officially confirmed pop singer Cheryl Cole is returning to the judging panel on UK talent show ‘The X Factor’.

The former Girls Aloud star served as a two-time winning coach on the British program between 2008 and 2010, and in 2011, she was famously dropped from the first season of the US version of the show after filming just two audition rounds.

For months, speculation has swirled suggesting she would make a comeback on this year’s series, and now the music mogul has announced the reports are true.

Taking to Twitter.com, he writes, ‘It’s official. Cheryl is back... Be careful what you wish for! Most importantly she is a brilliant judge of talent’.

Cole later took to her Instagram account to post a photo of her with her hands playfully around Cowell’s neck as if choking him, and wrote, ‘Guess What!! I`m baaaacccckkkkk!!!! #iMayActuallyRingHisNeck’.

The news comes a month after Cowell announced that he too will be back among the judges for the 11th season later this year.

Cowell originally quit the UK show to concentrate on launching the US version of the talent search, which was cancelled in February after three seasons, reports contactmusic.com.

BDST: 1509 HRS, MAR 11, 2014