Simon, Louis, Dannii and Cheryl were the perfect X Factor panel, to me. They had something about them that made you want to watch them as a panel, if that's the right phrasing to use. Just a shame that Simon upped ship to the US, Cheryl got far too big for her boots and followed, and Dannii got sacked, I believe.
On the subject of Nicole, I can't say I'm particularly keen on her, as I find her just a tad too in-your-face - not that there's anything wrong with that; just a little offputting for me. However, despite the fact I find Nicole annoying at times, I hope she stays - she's actually a really good judge from the bits and pieces I've seen of this series. I'd much rather have her on the show than Tulisa, for example, who I simply loathe and found very arrogant and rude on the show, especially last year.