Looks like Calvin Harris’s lifetime X Factor ban is over as he appears to have confirmed he will appear at X Factor judges’ houses – seven years after a live TV prank incurred the wrath of show boss Simon Cowell.
The Blame DJ posted a video to Snapchat of himself and X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger enjoying themselves at a luxury property which seems to be the one that the ITV series is using to host a later stage of the competition.
Calvin Harris is coming to X Factor (Rich Fury/Invision/AP)
Calvin, who was recently rumoured to be making a guest appearance for the series, says to the camera: “What’s good?” and Nicole replies: “I mean, we’re just chilling here at my villa in the south of France.”
Calvin Harris posted to Snapchat (Snapchat)
Holding out the camera to show a panoramic view of his surroundings, Calvin, 32, comments: “Quite nice”.
He showed that he was with Niicole Scherzinger (Snapchat)
Xtra Factor host Roman Kemp also shared a photo on Twitter from Nicole’s judges’ house venue which looked like she was sitting alongside Calvin in the back of the shot.
Join @RomanKemp from 7 at an exotic mystery location for @TheXFactor's Judges Houses! 😁☀🎙 pic.twitter.com/T3Z0czkDAB
— Capital (@CapitalOfficial) September 7, 2016
The singing contest sees each of the four judges travel to a posh location with their group of hopefuls every year before whittling them down to the few that will make the live shows, and they’re always joined by a famous friend from the music industry to help them make their decision.
Nicole returned to the panel this year for the first time since 2013 and is auditioning potential superstars alongside Simon, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne, but her choice of celebrity guest may raise some eyebrows as Harris was reportedly barred from the hit show back in 2009.
He was said to have made an enemy of X Factor supremo Cowell by trying to play a practical joke which involved running on stage with a pineapple on his head during a performance by then-contestants John and Edward, known as Jedward, to mock the twins’ famous gravity-defying hair styles.
Jedward were known for their hair (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Despite being due to perform with Rihanna that night, he was apparently escorted off the premises and slapped with a lifetime ban, but is now rumoured to have been personally invited back by Simon, thanks to his chart success.
At the time of the stunt gone wrong, Calvin said: “I was just inspired to make a mockery of the show because it is a music competition, it is a joke and I think it should be treated as such. So when people were saying ‘John and Edward, maybe they deserve to stay in this week’, I was like ‘are you watching what I’m watching?’.”
The X Factor is still airing the pre-recorded first round of auditions and will continue on ITV on Saturday at 8pm.
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