Pregnant Dannii Minogue faces the axe from the X factor with the baby due during auditions

By Daily Mail Reporter

Pregnancy chic: Dannii Minogue arrives at Sydney airport last week

Dannii Minogue may be radiant with joy at expecting her first child. But she is also facing the chop from the X factor given that her baby is due in July - bang in the middle of X factor auditions.

Simon Cowell has already voiced concerns about Dannii having a baby in the middle of the show. Now he is allegedly unsure whether to offer her a reduced role on the show or hire a replacement judge.

A senior show source said last night: 'He knows Dannii was a big part of the show's success last year but he's been thinking about tinkering with the formula for some time. The only spanner in the works is that Dannii is now pregnant.'

Wary of the furore that broke out over Denise Van Outen's sacking from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Over the Rainbow' , the source added 'Simon is acutely aware how this could play out in public.

'He doesn't want to be seen as gettting rid of Dannii because she's pregnant'.

'It's a real dilemma but one option being considered is the possibility of giving Dannii a mentoring role on the show but not on the panel'.

Back in February, Dannii admitted the birth will clash with auditions for the show as they start in June.

'When the live auditions will be happening I will be in Australia giving birth, so I'm not being able to do that, unfortunately,’ she said.

'There is no way I could give birth and tour around the UK looking for acts for the show.

‘I've not quit X Factor and I'd still love to be a part of the live shows further down the line. But that's down to Simon Cowell and the producers really.’

Miss Minogue also wrote on her Twitter page ba: ‘I have not quit The X Factor. If possible I would love to be a part of the live shows and continue to fly the Team Minogue flag.’


The future's in his hands: Simon Cowell, pictured with pregnant Dannii Minogue at the end of the last X Factor series


Long-term judges Cheryl Cole, 26 and Louis Walsh, 57 are set to sign their contracts confirming their return next month.

Top on the list of rumoured replacment judges is former American Idol judge Paula Abdul.

Simon Cowell's spokesperson said: 'Nothing is definite at this stage. Lots of things are being discussed.'


Panel: Miss Minogue, second from right, with fellow X Factor judges (from left) Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell. She gives birth in Australia in July


source: dailymail