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Kimberley Walsh sensed Cheryl’s X Factor return


Kimberley Walsh knew Cheryl Cole would return to ‘The X Factor’.

The Girls Aloud star has revealed she always had an inkling her best friend and former bandmate would one day return to the ITV talent show as a judge, despite her acrimonious departure from the franchise when Simon Cowell fired her from the US version in 2011.

Kimberley told ITV’s ‘This Morning’: "Do you know what, I think for her it was something that she loved doing first time around, she really enjoyed it when she did it here. I think it was almost like, not unfinished business, but I think I always thought she might go back. And I think she’s really, really enjoyed it, which I’m glad about."

The pregnant star – who is expecting her first child with long-term boyfriend Justin Scott – also defended Cheryl’s expletive-laden ‘F**k you’ message to Simon when she was fired from ‘The X Factor’ USA.

Cheryl recently revealed she sent the talent show boss a foul-mouthed text following the humiliating public dismissal and Kimberley, 32, thinks her pal was completely justified in her actions.

She said: "That was fair enough, really! The thing with Cheryl is she says it as it is at the time and then she doesn’t hold grudges – she’s not one of those people, she likes to let things go and move on. So that will have been how she felt at the time!"