The ink has barely dried on Cheryl Cole's contract to return to The X Factor, and already she's alleged to be at loggerheads with Simon Cowell.

The former Girls Aloud star and the reality TV tycoon are claimed by The Sun to be in disagreement over whether stalwart judge Louis Walsh should be given an 11th year on the show.

SiCo apparently told the paper's Dan Wootton: "I want to keep Louis."

But Chezza contradicted him, saying: "I would prefer another woman."

And the show supremo hinted that Cheryl could end up getting her way.

"When Cheryl came back we decided we'd agree together," he revealed. "I'm not going to put someone beside her who she hates."

And a source on the show was quoted as saying: "There's a lot of beef between Cheryl and Louis from his days managing Girls Aloud."

It had previously been reported that Louis was set to return - but it was also claimed that Chezza had specified she DIDN'T want another woman on the panel.

Simon and Cheryl posed for a photo together at a press conference yesterday.