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Even though Simon Cowell has been championing British X Factor judge Cheryl Cole for a spot on the US version, Mariah Carey may push her out of the running.

Fox is apparently already in negotiations with the possibly preggers singer to sit next to Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger at the judges' table when the show premieres next summer, reports the Mirror.

Cowell said, “Look, I’ve said I’d love Cheryl out there but whether it will happen, who knows? Mariah Carey would be an ­amazing addition to the US show. And she’s exactly the right calibre of star that we want for the show. I can’t say more because it’s too early and I can’t say. But there will be surprises.”

And it seems like Cheryl will be getting an unpleasant surprise if Fox can work out a deal with Carey.

“The Fox executives are totally against Cheryl joining the panel," said a source. "Simon has put her forward and is trying to persuade them she’s perfect for the job. But they’re saying that together with her accent being difficult to understand, and nobody knowing who she is, she doesn’t have the star qualities to draw in an ­audience."

Plus, with superstars J.Lo and Steven Tyler joining the AI panel, they'll have to bring out the big guns to compete!