Nicole Scherzinger pulls out of Cats Broadway revival to return to X Factor

With the cast of the Cats Broadway revival just announced with one notable exception: the actress playing the lead role of Grizabella -  speaking during an interview for the Economist radio, an  angry Andrew Lloyd Webber has claimed that Nicole Scherzinger has pulled out of the production saying she  has quit the musical to return to The X Factor UK as a judge alongside Simon Cowell. Scherzinger starred as Grizabella in the recent West End revival of Cats, and was strongly understood to be reprising her role on Broadway.

Lloyd Webber said: A week before we go into rehearsal on Broadway, which luckily I'm not producing, I get the news that she's decided to do X Factor, having agreed to do everything. I mean she's crazy but American producers just say, 'Ah well, we'll just get someone else', because she's not actually that well known in America. I'm furious because I really believe she's a really fantastically talented girl and I really went out on a limb to get her into the London Palladium here and it makes me look like an absolute t**t. But never mind, there will be another girl on Broadway and Nicole won't get her Tony Award.

Scherzinger defended her decision to return to the  X Factor to replace Rita Ora telling the Standard: “I had every intention of doing Cats on Broadway but the contract was never finalised. I am incredibly blessed to be given so many amazing opportunities, including Cats, but unfortunately we weren’t able to make it work this time around. I adore and respect Andrew, I’m so grateful for our friendship and can’t wait for the opportunity to create more magic together.