This weekend’s X Factor is all about the judges’ houses, as the four mentors each pick their final three to go through to the live shows.
In theory, it should be great fun for the judges – jetting off to an exotic location and lounging around in the sunshine.
But according to The Sun, Nicole Scherzinger’s stay in South Africa turned into a nightmare as she was struck down with a “frightening” bout of tonsilitis.
The Pussycat Dolls singer – who was joined by grime star Stormzy on the trip – was reportedly placed on a drip and had to “battle through” filming.
A source told the newspaper: “Nicole had a lot of pain in her throat, and that was very worrying for her as a singer.
“She battled through filming but on the last day it got too much and she agreed she needed to see a doctor.
“Luckily, she returned to the hotel to finish her scenes that day.
“[She] had to get the all-clear from doctors, as she had a trip for UNICEF the next day.”
Read more: The X Factor’s Talia Dean denies leaking results from this weekend’s show
Nicole is mentoring the overs category in this year’s series, and when it came to choosing the final three, she and Stormzy were faced with some tough decisions.
Talia Dean, Slavko, Matt Linnen, Tracey Leanne Jefford, Berget Lewis and Kevin Davy White are all good singers, and all of them performed pretty well.
But, of course, only three could go through, and after much deliberating, Nicole and Stormzy put through Matt, Tracey and Kevin.
That meant no place for fan favourite Talia, and some were up in arms over the decision.
Read more: Nicole Scherzinger storms off The X Factor following clash with audience
One tweeted: “@NicoleScherzy What were you thinking letting Talia Dean go? You have made a terrible mistake! Fix it now!!! Growl.”
Another moaned: “Talia Dean didn’t make it to the live shows? Huge mistake @NicoleScherzy. She would of [sic] made it to the finals if not all the way!”
And a third viewer added: “Cannot believe @NicoleScherzy let Talia Dean go! #mistake.”
Well, at least Nicole’s decision got people talking – and surely, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?