Clooney’s girlfriend Stacy joins ‘The X Factor’ race

New York: George Clooney’s girlfriend Stacy Keibler is reportedly in secret talks to join the US version of ‘The X Factor’ as either a judge or the host of Simon Cowell’s Fox show.

Meanwhile negotiations are still going on with Britney Spears to be a judge on the upcoming season. The move comes after Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were fired, along with host Steve Jones, in January. Insiders have suggested that the former professional wrestler’s “lack of experience” in the music industry means she could be more likely to take over from former host Steve Jones. “Talks are still ongoing with Britney, and she is asking for a lot more money, than was originally offered. But producers are confident Britney will realize this is a great opportunity for her to reinvent herself and accept their deal,” a source close to the show told the New York Post. Another source added, “Stacy Keibler is also in talks to join the show, but her lack of experience in the music business may make her more appropriate as a host. She looks fantastic and has bags of charisma.” Producers are still searching for two stars to fill the two vacant seats next to LA Reid and Cowell. Spears was reportedly offered around 10 million dollars to join the judging panel for `The X Factor USA,` but talks reached a deadlock when she demanded as much as 20 million dollars. Cowell said last week about Spears, “You’ll have to wait and see. I can’t confirm or deny anything right now. The truth is, we are talking to a number of people.” He added, “We are looking at a very famous singer and one very famous actress.” And in a move that may help Keibler land a hosting role, he continued, “I always wanted a boy and a girl to host the show. And I like hosts who don’t kind of have a hosting background . . . it’s a different kind of dynamic.” `Glee` star Darren Criss was reportedly offered but declined the hosting job because of his busy schedule. Auditions are already under way for Season 2, but the start date has not been announced. An `X Factor` spokeswoman refused to confirm or comment on any speculation. ANI