Geri Halliwell to be X Factor guest judge at auditions

Geri Halliwell is confirmed for the Liverpool auditions on 23 May

Geri Halliwell will appear at The X Factor auditions as a guest judge, the show has confirmed.

The former Spice Girl will join the rest of the panel in Liverpool when auditions for the singing show begin on 23 May.

A number of guest judges are being lined up until a permanent replacement for Kelly Rowland is found.

Negotiations for Dannii Minogue to return full-time to the show ended last week without a deal being done.

Geri Halliwell, 39, previously stepped in for Dannii at the Glasgow auditions in 2010 because the Australian was pregnant.

She was also a judge on the ITV series Popstars: The Rivals, which went out in 2002 and led to the creation of Girls Aloud.

The rest of The X Factor judging panel - Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Tulisa Contostavlos - are coming back for the ninth series.

Meanwhile, Caroline Flack and Olly Murs are confirmed to return as hosts of the show's spin-off.

The pair have been signed up for another series of ITV2's The Xtra Factor.

Flack, 32, will cover the audition stage of the contest alone while 28-year-old Murs tours the US with One Direction.

However, he will record items for the series and will be on screen for the live shows in the autumn.