The judging panel on the upcoming season of The X Factor looks likely to be without any entertainment industry executives.
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Former Spice Girl, Melanie Brown aka Scary Spice will be replacing radio jock and talent manager Kyle Sandilands after he decided not to return for the second series.
This means this season there will be no judge on the talent scout show who has worked behind-the-scenes of the business.
Mel B will join fellow judges Guy Sebastian, who found fame on the first Australian Idol series and boy band stalwart turned actor, Ronan Keating.
![Busy B ... Melanie Brown accepts judge role Down Under. Busy B ... Melanie Brown accepts judge role Down Under.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/632f1b16-7317-4cf8-bab7-1ea8cb207123.jpg/r0_0_353_522_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I love Australia and can’t wait to see all the amazing talent the country has to offer," she said.
The former Spice Girl is no stranger to the TV world, appearing in the US version of Dancing With The Stars and premiering her own reality show, Mel B: It’s A Scary World.
After being a mentor on last year’s series and travelling to Australia to enjoy the hospitality at the 2010 Spring Racing Carnival, Brown is excited to return down under for a role behind the desk, but not before seeking advice from Australia’s Got Talent judge Danni Minogue via Twitter.
"Need your help with something," she tweeted to Minogue last week.
The LA-based mum-of-two, who's second child Angel is the result of brief relationship with Eddie Murphy, is expecting to give birth to her first child with her husband, producer Stephen Belafonte, in late June, just weeks before filming commences.
Earlier this week she got in some live TV practice while co-hosting the popular US daytime show Live With Regis and Kelly.
The fourth and final judge will be announced in the coming weeks as rumours continue to circulate that Natalie Imbruglia will not be returning. It is believed she will be replaced by another ex-Neighbours star and Rogue Traders front woman Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
This year's The X Factor is open to singers aged 14-years and older and once through the final auditions, the four judges will take on mentoring roles of the four groups that will be split into boys under 25, girls under 25, the over 25's and the groups.