Cheryl Cole’s doing a great job on the X Factor, says Lemar

Lemar has said he thinks Cheryl Cole is doing a great job as a judge on The X Factor.

In 2002, Lemar reached the finals of the BBC’s Fame Academy, just as Cheryl was landing her place in Girls Aloud on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals - and Lemar thinks the fact that Cheryl has been through it herself makes all the difference to her judging style.

He told the Mirror recently: “She’s cool. She’s been through it.

“People underestimate the pressure people go under and can be a bit flippant with comments.

“[But] the way she comes across, the things she says - you can tell she’s someone who’s sympathetic with that.”

Cheryl landed the job after Sharon Osbourne quit the talent show in June. After four weeks of live shows, all her contestants - in the Women 14-24 category - have been well-received and avoided the bottom-two slots.