Cheryl: Robbie was nervous and Alex didn't mime

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has defended the celebrity guests on this weekend’s X Factor saying that Robbie Williams was just nervous and Alexandra Burke didn’t mime.

The Girls Aloud star also told Chris Moyles on his Radio 1 show this morning that she’s never watched rival reality show Strictly Come Dancing.

Talking about Robbie’s TV comeback with a performance of his new single Bodies, Cheryl said: "This is his first thing he’s done in ages, can you imagine, your first thing coming back is X Factor. I thought he looked a bit nervous, I genuinely felt like he was thinking, 'wow, I’m back, this is it'. It must be scary, he’s been through a lot, and I honestly felt like he was nervous."

Last year's X Factor winner Alexandra Burke also sang her new single on the show this weekend and Cheryl argued that critics who claimed that the singer was miming were wrong.

She said: "I didn't think she was miming... It wasn't a Britney case, definitely not, Britney mimed to her record... I was just so caught up in the whole production and performance... I was like having a whirl of a time that I wasn't even thinking about is she miming or is she not, I was just thoroughly enjoying her entertainment.”