Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams will help Sharon Osbourne pick her final acts on 'The X Factor' this year.

The 'Candy' hitmaker will join the outspoken panellist in Los Angeles for the Judges' Houses stage of the competition, which will see Sharon select just three acts to take through to the live shows later this year.

The 60-year-old music manager was reportedly keen on having her rocker husband Ozzy Osbourne help her whittle down the hopefuls, but he has decided against appearing on the show.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Robbie is now part of the 'X Factor' family and is always great value on the show. He's a completely safe bet and a big hit with viewers. So Sharon's happy, and he only lives round the corner so it's convenient.

"That said, it would have been amazing to get Ozzy involved in some way. He would be brilliant value and it would have made great TV. Unfortunately 'X Factor' is not his cup of tea, so he decided to give it a miss."

Robbie, 39, previously joined former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow for Judges' Houses in 2011.

Meanwhile, Sharon, who is rumoured to be mentoring the Over 25s category, will film Judges' Houses at her LA mansion, whereas her fellow 'X Factor' judges - including Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger - traditionally film scenes at rented homes in exotic locations around the world.