Robbie Williams is being lined up as a guest judge on 'The X Factor'.
The Take That singer is wanted to join his bandmate Gary Barlow and fellow panellists Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh on the ITV1 show as a temporary replacement for axed judge Kelly Rowland ahead of the first auditions in Liverpool on Wednesday (23.05.12).
A show insider said: "There is always a buzz in the air when Robbie and Gary get together. This could save us.
"Obviously we love Gary, Tulisa and Louis but we wanted to kick off next week with a bang and get everyone talking."
The move comes after Dannii Minogue snubbed a £1 million offer to return to the panel, and producers are now hoping Robbie will be able to bring some "excitement" to the programme to give show boss Simon Cowell a bit more time to recruit a permanent panellist.
The insider added to the Daily Star newspaper: "Having Dannii back would have been huge.
"But that's fallen through so hopefully Robbie will join us and create the excitement we need to launch the series."
Meanwhile, music legend Rod Stewart, 67, has also been tipped to join the panel as a guest judge for two shows, starting in London next month.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Rod is a genuine living legend and exactly what the show needs.
"The details are still to be ironed out but it looks like he'll be at the auditions next month in London and possibly Glasgow because of his Scottish heritage.
"He's sold more than 100 million records worldwide so he knows exactly what it takes to succeed in the tough world of showbusiness, and hopefully he'll also be a big draw for viewers who might not have been fans of 'The X Factor' before.
"It's a big coup to get him involved and Simon Cowell is absolutely thrilled."
