There’s a new boss in town, and this time it’s a woman. Sharon Osbourne has stamped all over the ‘head judge’ mug and now she’s taking the title for herself, as Gary Barlow admits to The Sun.

Gary BarlowGary Barlow concedes that Sharon is in charge of everything X-Factor

Barlow himself was brought in to replace Simon Cowell after he quit the show in 2010 to launch x factor USA. “There’s no question she’s the head judge. The mug – I can’t even find it. It’s gone. She has been in and stood on it. She’s the queen. She’s back.” He added: “It’s been brilliant having her back. It’s so good to have someone who has done so much TV work because she is totally at ease and she has brought out the worst in all of us!”

Sharon OsbourneSharon is back and she's boss - deal with it

For the former Take That star, though, Sharon replacing Tulisa (the star was embroiled in drug controversy after she offered to facilitate a cocaine deal) represented a worry: would she outshine the others with her confidence and personality? “The one thing I was dreading, though, was Sharon coming back and just stealing the whole thing – but that’s not her style at all. She’s come back and, like I said, she’s brought out the worst in everyone, which everyone is loving. And so going on to the set each day, it was just like I can’t wait to get up there and have a laugh.”

The new series will air soon – if it’s anything like the last series – series 9 – then you can expect it in the middle of August.