The Spice Girls, Posh excluded, are old hands at reality telly. Mel B and Emma Bunton have both appeared on dancey shows in recent years, and Ginger was one of the original talent show panel judges of course. So you won't be falling off your chair in fright, phoning your lawyer and trying to sue TVScoop for fright-related head damage at the news that Emma Bunton has been hauled in to help out Dannii Minogue in this year's X Factor...

The news is slightly overshadowed by the slightly starrier revelation earlier in the week that they've booked Britney - leaving us wondering whether The X Factor's PRs have decreed this a good time to 'bury bad news'

Anyway, Emma will be helping Dannii Minogue to choose her top acts for this year's X Factor.

Minogue told The Sun that the former/sometime Spice Girl has been "one of the best guest judges ever".

The poor, overworked love is currently mentoring the over-25 hopefuls in her stunning pad in St Tropez and reckons Bunton's been a big help.

"She's been brilliant, one of the best X Factor guest judges ever. She really helped me focus on who we should be putting through to the next round. Emma is one of the biggest X Factor fans so she knows the show inside out."

Minogue said the decisions they faced were heartbreaking. "It's so hard deciding who to put through and who to send home because it means the world to these people. You're sitting there and you're in charge of these kids' hopes and dreams," she said. "But the thing to remember is, right, they're basically idiots." She didn't add.

Meanwhile, Cheryl Cole has buddy Kimberley Walsh to help her choose the best of the girls' category, and Louis Walsh has Westlife's Shane Filan as his little helper.

Sinitta is back to help Cowell, unfortunately.