Pop Buzz UK

Sharon Osbourne sensationally quit her role as a judge on The X Factor last week, and it was almost immediately announced that Girls Aloud singer and celebrity WAG Cheryl Cole was to replace her. Unfortunately it seems that the rest of Girls Aloud are jealous of her new role on prime-time Saturday night television.

This story has two brilliant elements to it: the loss of who was surely the best judge on The X Factor, and the fact that the hiring of Cole as her replacement could bring about a premature end to Girls Aloud.

For starters we have lost Osbourne, who despite my misgivings about last year as she and her fellow judges dominated the headlines instead of the contestants that are meant to be the stars, remained my favourite judge. Now that she has gone we are left with Simon Cowell who has become a pantomime caricature of his former self, Louis Walsh who tried to be controversial but is just a camp Irishman at the end of the day, and the useless lump that is Dannii Minogue. Great, I can’t wait for the new series.

Cheryl Cole isn’t actually a bad choice, although it now means we have two young judges who know next to nothing about music and managing a singers or singers in her and Minogue. At least Osbourne had experience on her side, though I suppose the fact that Girls Aloud actually formed as a result of Popstars: The Rivals should stand her in good stead.

However, according to Heat Magazine, and reported here via Digital Spy, the rest of the girls in the group aren’t too happy with Cole’s new role, and are jealous that she seems to be getting all of the success outside of the confines of the group.

“The other girls are very put out that Cheryl has landed the judging role. They knew she really wanted it, but some of them found the news hard to handle, especially Nadine (Coyle).

“At the end of the day, all the girls are talented, but Nadine has got the best voice and as it’s a singing contest she should be the one for the job.”

“Sarah and Cheryl both wanted to get into TV, but it seems Cheryl is moving closer to that before her. Sarah booked a magazine deal with her boyfriend Tom (Crane) when Ashley and Cheryl were all over the press and now she’s really envious of Cheryl’s X Factor deal.

“It’s getting really competitive. Sarah always thought that she’d be the TV girl in the group, not Cheryl.”

Jealousy is a nasty old business, and I can see this getting worse and worse and eventually breaking up the group. It’s not as though Girls Aloud are exactly strong anyway, with rumours of break ups and arguments occurring almost every week.

Cheryl Cole deserves some praise for turning what is only a smidgen of talent in to a career in a best selling pop group, a part on one of the biggest shows on British TV and a marriage to a premiership footballer.