AMERICAN IDOL - ABDUL TO JOIN COWELL ON THE X FACTOR

AMERICAN IDOL judge PAULA ABDUL has signed a deal which will see her reunited with SIMON COWELL on British talent show THE X FACTOR. The 43-year-old enjoys a turbulent relationship with Cowell and will be keen to ally herself with her new co-judges SHARON OSBOURNE and LOUIS WALSH. A show insider tells British newspaper the Daily Mirror, "Paula has a love-hate relationship with Simon so it should be interesting." Auditions for The X Factor get underway today (07JUN06), and it hits British TV screens in August (06).