Simon Cowell's X Factor Judges' Houses to be held in LA

Simon Cowell is to fly his X Factor category to LA for Judges' Houses this year, RadioTimes.com understands.

Here he'll re-audition his crop of singers – this year he's mentoring the girls – and decide who he's taking through to the live shows.

LA makes sense for Cowell given that he's already working stateside as a judge on America's Got Talent. And it's a popular destination for X Factor. Cowell himself has held Judges' Houses there before – in 2014 it was where Fleur East blasted her way into his finalists as well as eventual champ Ben Haenow. And while the boss went to France last year, Rita Ora headed to a pad in LA, where she found winner Louisa Johnson.

Maybe LA holds the key to success? Indeed, winner Sam Bailey was given the thumbs up from Sharon Osbourne in Beverly Hills in 2013.

Insiders couldn't dish on whether the house would be one of Cowell's. The idea of it actually being a judge's house seemed to go out of the window a long time ago. Remember Louis Walsh's pink hotel in Bermuda? Exactly. X Factor itself is staying tight-lipped on the location and indeed rumours that former judge Cheryl will be by Cowell's side.

As for the other judges, Louis Walsh is heading to Ibiza where we're told he'll be joined by several guests, including a former X Factor winner (our money is on his own champion Shayne Ward). It's also thought Sharon Osbourne will pitch up in LA, with Robbie Williams reported to be her guest judge. As for Nicole Scherzinger, we're waiting to hear news of her chosen destination.

The X Factor returns to ITV later this year