Poor Nicole Scherzinger had a bit of an embarrassing day at the X Factor auditions in Newcastle yesterday.

The Pussycat Dolls star had been announced as a permanent judge on the ITV show just days before, but as she made her debut at the Geordie tryouts, the brunette beauty almost ended up flat on her face.

Nicole – who used to judge on the American version of the show and insisted this week that she was NOT sacked but chose to walk away from it earlier this year – was making her way to the front of the Metro Radio Arena, in front of over 5,000 audience members, when she took a bit of a tumble.

She joked with the crowd:

“You guys didn’t see that trip, did you?”

“It is my first day, show me some love.”

However, just minutes later, things were looking down again, as the crowd booed and jeered Scherzinger, after she criticised a singer named Dale Howard.

Take That star Gary Barlow loved the hopeful’s performance, saying that his song had been ‘brilliant,’ however Nicole wasn’t convinced and insisted that she found the whole audition rather “shaky”.

Nicole may have just accepted the X Factor job, but she isn’t spending too long in the UK just yet. She has another full day of auditions next Monday in Cardiff, but before then the singer will jet back to America, for a planned gig in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

She tweeted:

‘Come celebrate my BDAY with me all day and night this SAT June 23 @taobeach & @Taolasvegas Nightclub!’

Are you excited about seeing Nicole on The X Factor this year? Leave your comments below..