Cheryl eyes up some hot collabs & Girls Aloud are a FIVE forever

Yup, it's time for the latest round of Girls Aloud news.

Reports today suggest that Cheryl wants to work with Rihanna, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj on her next album. Let's face it, who wouldn't want to work with a trio of amazingness like those lovely ladies! These high profile collabs are apparently to help launch Cheryl in the US.

An insider revealed: "Cheryl's management want her to become the next big popstar in America and are working on securing some A-list names for the album. A Rihanna duet is a certainty and Will.I.Am is trying to convince Minaj to work on the LP too. Katy Perry has also been in talks with Cheryl about a duet, as she is a big fan."

We like to imagine will.i.am as one of those super-cool guys who's always on his phone lining up various business deals and meetings, and in this dream scenario, hooking Chezza up with the best in US female pop. There's even reports that Cheryl wants to work with Britney and Beyonce too.

Turning our attention back to Girls Aloud as a whole... this afternoon, the awesome-threesome of welovepop, supersonicpr and polydorrecords all tweeted this message:

"Time to set the record straight after another ridiculous story. Girls Aloud will always be, Sarah, Nadine, Kimberley, Cheryl and Nicola."

Which throws cold water all over Heat's super-silly story about them wanting to continue as a four-piece.

Rihanna as a judge on US X Factor would have been amazing...

There have been reports in the papers today that Rihanna was asked to be a judge on the new US X Factor but had to turn it down due to her tour schedule.Speaking on an American radio show Rihanna said:

"I just heard about it actually and yes, it's something I would have loved to do but our schedule doesn't allow it. We're going to be on tour for the rest of the year. It is a demanding schedule to be in that show and you have to be around for a long time, months at a time - which would've been impossible for me."

Fair enough, RiRi's a busy lady, but let's just imagine for a moment how awesome it would be if Rihanna had taken on the job...

Like most of the world, we're properly in love with Rihanna and as confirmed by her 18 nominations in the upcoming Billboard Music Awards, she really is one of the biggest superstars around right now. Plus, her music is amazing. Her presenting X Factor would have been a further extension of that enchanting Rihanna brand, a further boost to an already massively successful career.

By far the best thing would have been more Cheryl and Rihanna love-ins though (if Cheryl is indeed confirmed for a role on the US panel), following on from their very public display of affection for each-other at the BRIT Awards. 'Team CherRi' really are awesome.

We can all dream...

The power of US X Factor - Would it work for Cher?

Things are still very hush-hush about the US Factor. We don't know the full line-up of judges, we don't know the presenters, we don't even know the format. Will it be similar to the UK version or try to do something bold and new? With rumours flying left, right and centre it's hard to know what to trust, but as the days pass by, we are surely drawing closer and closer to the inevitable confirmation of everything. The show must go on after all.

Which draws us to another inevitability. As seen in the UK version of the show, Simon was always keen on getting back old contestants - now signed to his record label - to perform on the show - it was an instant boost for their sales. It's his show after all, he has the power to do this.

So imagine now, if he were to do the same on the US version of the show. With a potentially immense audience, the prospect for boosted sales for Simon's UK-based artists is immense. An artist does well on the UK show? Bring them over to America and voila, an instant platform for them to perform on.

Today, we hear reports of X Factor darling Cher Lloyd being lined up to appear on the American show. How would she go down over there? It's impossible to know. On one hand she's very distinctly British, but equally, with her rapping and love of American artists like Nicki Minaj, she could be a surprise success. Let's not forget the mega-popularity of her debut Turn My Swag On performance at the UK auditions. Uploaded on YouTube, the clip was already being shared around the world. The US X Factor would see this same platform for exposure, but on a larger and far more concentrated level.

It's behind you!

Forget alien planets and deepest, darkest outer space; in Doctor Who, the real great undiscovered land is America. Apart from dabbling visits in the 90s TV movie and 2005's Dalek episode, the show has on the whole shied away from the US. But as this brilliant prequel to the new series shows, all that is about to change...

'Hello, this is the president...' - the sheer gravitas on offer in just those five simple words rachets up the excitement for the new series to whole new levels. As for mysterious voices on tape recorders coming down a phone line, this kind of thing is all very familiar territory for the show. But it's that awful, horrible drop in your stomach as the alien behind the president is revealed that really gets you. My God...

Steven Moffat always was the show's master at sending the chills right to your heart, but this is simply sublime.