Cheryl Cole on mend and poised to rejoin X Factor

The Girls Aloud singer, who has been seriously ill with malaria, is expected to be well enough to take part in the "Judges' Houses" stage of the ITV talent show.

She has made a remarkable recovery since being struck down last month following a trip to Tanzania with friend Derek Hough. Her weight dropped and she was bedridden for a time at her £6 million home in Surrey.

A source said: "Cheryl has been putting on weight and getting better by the day. She has been told not to push things too hard but is aiming to rejoin the X Factor at the end of August.

"This will be the Judges' Houses stage, so she will be able to work from home and ease her way back into things. She must not overdo it but she is itching to get back to work."

X Factor bosses today confirmed that they have altered this year's format slightly to allow for Cole's illness and the absence of fellow judge Dannii Minogue, 38, who recently gave birth to her first child.

Now eight acts instead of the usual six will make it through to the Judges' Houses segment — where each judge mentors some of the acts in their own homes — to give Cole, 27, and Minogue a better chance of seeing a wider selection of contestants.
Each judge will then choose three out of the eight acts in their group to take through to the live finals.

ITV also revealed that the upper age limit for the boys' and girls' categories will rise to 28, in order "to strengthen the competition and talent".

A spokesman said: "Here at The X Factor we're never ones to rest on our laurels. If something needs a mix-up to keep the show fresh and exciting, then that's exactly what we'll do."

Auditions and filming began for the new series at the beginning of last month, and the first show will be broadcast towards the end of next month.