Dannii Minogue faces being axed as a judge on one of Britain's highest rating singing talent shows.
The host and creator of The X Factor, Simon Cowell, is believed to want the Australian singer dumped from the show at the end of its current series and replaced by a man.
Minogue, 37, is one of four celebrity judges on the show, including the notoriously blunt Cowell.
An unnamed show insider told the News of the World that Cowell wants Boyzone singer Ronan Keating, Take That's Gary Barlow or another male vocalist to replace Minogue.
"Simon's made his decision," the source said.
"Once his mind's made up it's very hard to change. Even though ITV has the final say, if Simon wants a man in Dannii's place he'll get it."
Minogue's sister Kylie has been emailing Dannii, who has also co-hosted Australia's Got Talent on the Seven Network, trying to provide support.
"It's not fair the hard time she's been given," Kylie told the newspaper.
"I think she does amazingly well."
On the latest show which went to air in Britain on Saturday, Minogue broke down during an argument over a song with fellow judge Louis Walsh.
Minogue was in tears after Walsh accused her of stealing a song from boyband contestants JLS so that rival contestant Rachel Hylton, who the Australian was mentoring, could perform it instead.
