Cheryl Cole returns to judge The X Factor, jokes she may kill Simon Cowell

Cheryl Cole is returning to The X Factor after signing a contract for a reported £1.5m fee.

11:40 11 March 2014

Singer and former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has gone public to state that she will be returning to the TV talent show's judging panel this year.

Cole, 30, confirmed her reappointment via Instagram. She posted an image of herself jokingly throttling show boss Simon Cowell.

Underneath the image she wrote: “GUESS WHAT!!.. I'm baaaacccckkkkk!!!! #iMayActuallyRingHisNec #XFactor2014"

Cowell also took to a social network to spill the beans, penning on Twitter: "It's official. Cheryl is back." A minute later he followed it up with "Be careful what you wish for!"

Various media reports stated that Cole had inked a £1.5m contract to secure her return to the show.

Cole's last appearance helped bring in a massive 17.7m viewers (for the 2010 final), a marked contrast to last year's 11.5m.

A friend of Cole's reportedly told The Sun: “This is nothing to do with the money. She loves the show and has unfinished business.”

Cole was also the winning judge on her first two years of the show, having mentored Alexandra Burke in 2008 and Joe McElderry in 2009, while her 2010 pick of Rebecca Ferguson was a runner-up.